1. Improved surveillance with respect to diseases that are viral pandemic threats (a) Plan Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in this section referred to as the Secretary ) shall develop a plan to improve surveillance with respect to diseases that are viral pandemic threats, so as to ensure— (1) rapid detection of the spread of such diseases; (2) effective sharing of surveillance information, subject to privacy protections for individually identifiable information under applicable law; and (3) rapid and coordinated response to such diseases by Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local public health agencies. (b) Pilot program (1) In general The Secretary, in coordination with development of the plan under subsection (a), shall carry out a competitive pilot program in which the Secretary awards grant to entities for projects— (A) to assesses the state of early detection of diseases that are viral pandemic threats to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the current methods, policies, and procedures for such early detection; and (B) to optimize such early detection through development and implementation of innovative approaches to the development of rapid or instant tests, methods, policies, and procedures over the 4-month period following the date of enactment of this Act. (2) Announcement The Secretary shall announce that— (A) applications for grants under this subsection will be accepted for 60 days following the announcement