Biosurveillance Enhancement Act of 2007
Latest action (1 Mar 2007): Introduced
What this bill does
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Official summary
Biosurveillance Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) to enhance the government's capability to rapidly identify, characterize, and localize a biological event (a terrorist act involving biological agents or toxins or a naturally occurring outbreak of infectious disease of potential national significance) by integrating and analyzing data related to human health, animals, plants, food, and the environment.
Requires the Director of NBIC to develop, operate, and maintain an integrated network to detect a biological event that presents a risk to the United States or its infrastructure or key assets. Includes among the Director's responsibilities establishment of a procedure to enable government and private sector entities to report suspicious events. Requires the Director to continuously evaluate data, integrate homeland security information with NBIC data, and establish a mechanism for real-time communication with the National Operations Center.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) seek agreements for appropriate federal agency heads to integrate biosurveillance information capabilities through NBIC and to provide timely, evaluated information; (2) ensure that the Director is notified of homeland security information regarding significant biological threats and receives timely reports; (3) designate NBIC as a public health authority; and (4) ensure that NBIC complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and applicable privacy regulations.
Requires: (1) the Director to establish an interagency working group; and (2) the Secretary to report annually to Congress.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 1290 do?
- Biosurveillance Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) to enhance the government's capability to rapidly identify, characterize, and localize a biological event (a terrorist act involving biological agents or toxins or a naturally occurring outbreak of infectious disease of potential national significance) by integrating and analyzing data related to human health, animals, plants, food, and the environment. Requires the Director of NBIC to develop, operate, and maintain an integrated network to detect a biological event that presents a risk to the United States or its infrastructure or key assets. Includes among the Director's responsibilities establishment of a procedure to enable government and private sector entities to report suspicious events. Requires the Director to continuously evaluate data, integrate homeland security information with NBIC data, and establish a mechanism for real-time communication with the National Operations Center. Directs the Secretary to: (1) seek agreements for appropriate federal agency heads to integrate biosurveillance information capabilities through NBIC and to provide timely, evaluated information; (2) ensure that the Director is notified of homeland security information regarding significant biological threats and receives timely reports; (3) designate NBIC as a public health authority; and (4) ensure that NBIC complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and applicable privacy regulations. Requires: (1) the Director to establish an interagency working group; and (2) the Secretary to report annually to Congress.
- Has H.R. 1290 become law?
- Not yet. As of 1 Mar 2007, H.R. 1290 is introduced.
- Who sponsored H.R. 1290?
- H.R. 1290 was sponsored by Rep. James “Jim” Langevin [D-RI2, 2001-2022] (Democrat-RI), with 8 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 1290?
- Introduced (1 Mar 2007).
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