AAMC Washington Highlights - December 14, 2001: Senate Approves Biological Agents Provision; House Passes Bioterrorism Bill

December 14, 2001

Senate Approves Biological Agents Provision; House Passes Bioterrorism Bill

The Senate Dec. 7 approved the FY 2002 defense appropriations bill (H.R. 3338), which includes additional funds to combat bioterrorism and a portion of the Bioterrorism Preparedness Act (S. 1765) to enhance control of biological agents and toxins.

The $20 billion supplemental appropriation provides a total of $3.1 billion for bioterrorism preparedness, including $525 million to improve food safety measures. The remaining $2.6 billion includes:

$1 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for improving state and local preparedness;

$100 million for grants to hospitals, in collaboration with local governments, to improve capacity;

$10 million for the establishment of a national system to track biological pathogens;

$593 million for the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile;

$170 million to the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for bioterrorism-related research and construction of biosafety labs;

$512 million for the purchase, deployment and related costs of the small pox vaccine;

$165 million for the CDC to upgrade its own capacity to respond to bioterrorism, including research; and

$25 million for improving lab security at NIH and CDC.

Also passed as part of the defense spending bill was the biological agents and toxins section from S. 1765, the bioterrorism bill introduced by Senators Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). It provides for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to maintain and review a list of biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a threat to public health and safety. It also requires anyone handling these agents to register with the Secretary and submit their names for a background check to be performed by the Attorney General.

The House Dec. 12 passed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Response Act (H.R. 3448), which was introduced the previous day by Reps. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.), the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill is similar to the Frist-Kennedy bioterrorism legislation, but does not specify the process for background checks of individuals handling dangerous agents or toxins. It also does not authorize state block grants or support for bioterrorism response medical centers, as provided for in the Frist-Kennedy bill.

Information: Erica Froyd, AAMC Office of Governmental Relations, 202-828-0525.