Cassidy unveils bipartisan bill to establish permanent Public Health Emergency Fund

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on Feb. 13 sponsored a bipartisan bill to authorize a permanent Public Health Emergency Fund.

“This bipartisan legislation would provide immediate funding to respond quickly and comprehensively to protect the United States,” said Sen. Cassidy.

The senator introduced the Public Health Emergency Response and Accountability Act, S. 3309, with five original cosponsors including lead cosponsor U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), to create the permanent fund for fast response to future public health emergencies.

“Future public health emergencies like the coronavirus are bound to occur,” Sen. Cassidy said. “As the coronavirus epidemic shows — an early, fast and effective response saves lives.”

If enacted, the bill would provide automatic funding for the existing Public Health Emergency Fund in section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Cassidy’s office. The funds would be available for response to an infectious disease, bioterrorist attack or disaster declared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, guaranteeing that the money would be used to address imminent threats to public health.

Additionally, S. 3309 would include safeguards to ensure the funds are spent according to best practices, appropriated based on historic needs, and accounted for through specific oversight mechanisms, according to the summary.

Funds under this bill would be made available for federal response agencies, including the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), among others.

These funds would carry emergency authorities to the agencies that use them, including transfer authority, flexible hiring, exemption from certain administration restrictions, and flexible contracting authorities to enable a timely response to the threat, the bill summary says.