119-s501

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 501 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 501

 To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a 
 strategy for public health preparedness and response to artificial 
 intelligence threats, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 10, 2025

 Mr. Budd (for himself and Mr. Markey) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
 Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a 
 strategy for public health preparedness and response to artificial 
 intelligence threats, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Strategy for Public Health 
Preparedness and Response to Artificial Intelligence Threats''.

SEC. 2. STRATEGY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO 
 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE THREATS.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial 
 intelligence'' has the meaning given the term in 

section 238

    (g) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for 
 Fiscal Year 2019 (10 U.S.C. note prec. 4061; Public Law 115-
 232).

    (2) PHSA 

=== definitions. ===
-The terms ``qualified 
 countermeasure'', ``security countermeasure'', and ``qualified 
 pandemic or epidemic product'' have the meanings given the 
 terms in sections 319F-1

    (a)

    (2) , 319F-2
            (c) (1)
        (B) , and 319F-3
            (i) , 
 respectively, of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-
 6a

    (a)

    (2) ; (42 U.S.C. 247d-6b
            (c) (1)
        (B) ; (42 U.S.C. 247d-6d
            (i) ).

    (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Health and Human Services.

    (b) Strategy for Public Health Preparedness and Response to 
Artificial Intelligence Threats.--

    (1) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with 
 stakeholders, including stakeholders developing qualified 
 countermeasures, security countermeasures, or qualified 
 pandemic or epidemic products and stakeholders with an 
 understanding of artificial intelligence technologies, shall 
 prepare and submit to the relevant committees of Congress a 
 strategy for public health preparedness and response and 
 biodefense to address the risks of misuse of artificial 
 intelligence that present a threat to national health security.

    (2) Inclusions.--The strategy under paragraph

    (1) shall 
 include--
        (A) a framework for public health preparedness and 
 response to mitigate the risks of misuse of artificial 
 intelligence that present a threat to national health 
 security;
        (B) identifying the duties, functions, and 
 preparedness goals for which the Secretary is 
 responsible in order to prepare for, respond to, and 
 mitigate the risks of such artificial intelligence 
 threats, including metrics by which to measure success 
 in meeting preparedness and risk mitigation goals;
            (C) identifying gaps in public health capabilities 
 to achieve such preparedness and risk mitigation goals;
            (D) strategies to address identified gaps and 
 strengthen public health emergency preparedness and 
 response capabilities to address such artificial 
 intelligence threats; and
        (E) strategies to mitigate--
            (i) the risks posed by the threat of the 
 misuse of artificial intelligence, at a minimum 
 of--
            (I) the development of biological 
 weapons; and
            (II) the design of viruses and 
 bacteria that are resistant to 
 treatment; and
            (ii) such other risks posed by the threat 
 of the misuse of artificial intelligence as are 
 determined by the Secretary.

    (3) Protection of national security.--The Secretary shall 
 make the strategy under paragraph

    (1) available to the 
 Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
 Senate, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
 Representatives, and other congressional committees of 
 jurisdiction, in a manner that does not compromise national 
 security.
            (c) Coordination of Preparedness for and Response to All-Hazards 
Public Health Emergencies.--

Section 2811

    (b)

    (4)
            (D) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-10

    (b)

    (4)
            (D) ) is amended--

    (1) by striking ``deployment of the Federal response'' and 
 inserting the following: ``deployment of--
 ``
            (i) the Federal response'';

    (2) in clause
            (i) (as so designated), by striking ``and 
 such Federal responses'' and inserting the following:
 ``
            (ii) such Federal responses'';

    (3) in clause
            (ii) (as so designated), by striking the 
 period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and

    (4) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (iii) such Federal responses covered by 
 the strategy for public health preparedness and 
 response to address the risks of misuse of 
 artificial intelligence that present a threat 
 to national health security described in 
 

section 2

    (b) of the Strategy for Public Health 
 Preparedness and Response to Artificial 
 Intelligence Threats.''.
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