Though small in scale compared to the scenarios envisioned bybioterrorism experts and played out in recent government exercises, the recent anthrax attacksstrained the public health system and exposed weaknesses at the federal, state, and local levels. Improving public health preparedness and response capacity offersprotection not only from bioterrorist attacks, but also from naturally occurring public healthemergencies. On June 12, 2002, the President signed into law the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 ( P.L. 107-188 , H.R. 3448 ), which is intendedto bolster the nation's ability to respond effectively to bioterrorist threats and other public healthemergencies. It adds to the programs and authorities established in Title III of the PublicHealth Service (PHS) Act by the Public Health Threats and Emergencies Act of 2000 ( P.L. 106-505 ,Title I) and creates a new PHS Act Title XXVIII: National Preparedness for Bioterrorism and OtherPublic Health Emergencies. P.L. 107-188 is a 5-year authorization act, which calls for a total of $2.4billion in funding for FY2002, $2.0 billion for FY2003, and such sums as may be necessary for theremaining years. It also directs the Secretary to upgrade and renovate CDC's facilities. Inaddition, the act authorizes the HHS Secretary to purchase smallpox vaccine and expand the nationalstockpile of medicine and medical supplies to meet the nation's health security needs. P.L. 107-188 contains several provisions to protect the nation's food and drug supply and enhance agricultural security. All foreignand domestic food facilities are required to register with the FDA. 107-188 includesa set of provisions aimed at protecting the nation's drinking water supply, including authorizing $160million to provide financial assistance to community water systems to conduct vulnerabilityassessments and prepare response plans. The bioterrorism legislation also includes language reauthorizing the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), which was set to expire on September 30, 2002.
Last fall's anthrax attacks, though small in scale compared to the scenarios envisioned by bioterrorism experts, strained the public health system and raised concern that the nation isinsufficiently prepared to respond to bioterrorist attacks. Improving public health preparedness andresponse capacity offers protection not only from bioterrorist attacks, but also from naturallyoccurring public health emergencies.
On June 12, 2002, the President signed into law the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 ( P.L. 107-188 , H.R. 3448 ), which is intendedto bolster the nation's ability to respond effectively to bioterrorist threats and other public healthemergencies. The act builds on the programs and authorities established in Title III of the PublicHealth Service (PHS) Act by the Public Health Threats and Emergencies Act of 2000 ( P.L. 106-505 ,Title I).
P.L. 107-188 is a 5-year authorization bill, which calls for a total of $2.4 billion in funding in FY2002, $2.0 billion in FY2003, and such sums as may be necessary for the remaining years. Theact authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to upgrade and renovate facilitiesat the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), purchase smallpox vaccine, expand thenational stockpile of drugs, vaccines, and other emergency medical supplies, and provide grants tostate and local governments and hospitals to improve preparedness and planning. The Secretariesof HHS and Agriculture are required to register and regulate facilities that handle potentiallydangerous biological agents.
The anti-bioterrorism legislation also includes provisions to protect the nation's food and drug supply and enhance agricultural security, including new regulatory powers for the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) to block the importation of unsafe foods. To protect the drinking watersupply, the act requires community water systems to conduct vulnerability assessments and developemergency response plans. P.L. 107-188 also reauthorizes the Prescription Drug Use Fee Actthrough FY2007.
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