February 27, 2023

To all Interested Parties,

We write today seeking your insights and perspective on legislation to achieve a goal we know you care deeply about: improving our nation’s biosecurity and preparedness infrastructure.

The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) was first signed into law in 2006 “to improve the Nation’s public health and medical preparedness and response capabilities for emergencies, whether deliberate, accidental, or natural.”

PAHPA authorized many of the federal government’s biodefense and pandemic preparedness programs, including the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), recently renamed the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, the National Health Security Strategy (NHSS), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

Reauthorizations of PAHPA in 2013 and 2019 established and enhanced many other federal emergency response programs, including the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), the Project BioShield Special Reserve Fund (SRF), Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreements, and the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP). PAHPA has also strengthened the role of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the development of critical medical countermeasures (MCMs), including drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, and devices, as well as codified the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE). 

Most PAHPA programs and authorities will expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2023. Over the last 15 years, Congress’ reauthorization of PAHPA has served as a bipartisan, bicameral opportunity to ensure the nation’s preparedness programs are properly funded, sustained, and improved.

As the bipartisan leaders in the House of Representatives for PAHPA’s reauthorization, we seek information from stakeholders in the public and private sectors on how best to reauthorize and revise the following programs and initiatives contained in the past iterations of PAHPA (listed in order of PL116-22). 

Please reach out to Alex.Stepahin@mail.house.gov and Aisling.McDonough@mail.house.gov with any questions. 

We thank you in advance for your time and consideration in sharing your specific thoughts, expertise, and perspective on these issues. 

Responses are due March 13, 2023.

Most gratefully,

Richard Hudson

Member of Congress

Anna G. Eshoo

Member of Congress