S-3799 : Still Just a Bill

Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act or the PREVENT Pandemics Act

This bill sets out programs and activities primarily to address public health preparedness and response.

Specifically, the bill establishes a legislative task force to investigate the COVID-19 pandemic and a White House office to advise on pandemic preparedness and response. It also revises authorities, programs, and other aspects of the Department of Health and Human Services and associated agencies to support preparedness and response activities at all levels of government.

Other matters addressed in the bill include

• grants related to health disparities and for centers for public health preparedness;
• collection and dissemination of public health data (e.g., genomic sequencing of pathogens);
• workforce programs for public health and related fields;
• the safety and availability of the blood supply;
• research concerning viruses and other pathogens with pandemic potential, vaccines and other medical countermeasures, and the long-term health effects of COVID-19;
• biosafety and security related to biological agents and toxins;
• national security, privacy and information security, and foreign influence in biomedical research;
• the administration of the Strategic National Stockpile; and
• domestic manufacturing of medical countermeasures.

The bill also modifies the regulation of medical products with a particular focus on expediting the development and approval of medical countermeasures. Additional areas of focus include strengthening medical product supply chains and supporting innovation in, for example, clinical trial designs.