DHS Medical Countermeasures Act

DHS Medical Countermeasures Act

This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a medical countermeasures program to facilitate personnel readiness and protection for DHS employees and working animals in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives attack, naturally occurring disease outbreak, or pandemic, and to support DHS mission continuity.

The Chief Medical Officer of DHS shall (1) provide programmatic oversight of the program, (2) establish a medical countermeasures working group, and (3) develop and submit to DHS an integrated logistics support plan for medical countermeasures.

Bill 117 HR 3263, also known as the DHS Medical Countermeasures Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the United States Congress. The purpose of this bill is to enhance the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) ability to respond to public health emergencies by improving the development, procurement, and distribution of medical countermeasures.

The bill outlines several key provisions, including the establishment of a Medical Countermeasures Task Force within the DHS. This task force would be responsible for coordinating the development and deployment of medical countermeasures in response to biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear threats.

Additionally, the bill calls for the creation of a Strategic National Stockpile of medical countermeasures, which would be maintained and managed by the DHS. This stockpile would ensure that essential medical supplies are readily available in the event of a public health emergency. Furthermore, the bill includes provisions to streamline the procurement process for medical countermeasures, allowing the DHS to quickly acquire necessary supplies during an emergency. It also calls for increased collaboration between the DHS and other federal agencies, as well as state and local governments, to ensure a coordinated response to public health threats. Overall, the DHS Medical Countermeasures Act aims to strengthen the nation's ability to respond to public health emergencies by improving the development, procurement, and distribution of medical countermeasures. This bill is currently under consideration in Congress and has garnered bipartisan support for its efforts to enhance national security and public health preparedness.