(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish, operate,
and maintain a National Biosurveillance Integration Center
(referred to in this section as the ``NBIC''), which shall be
headed by a Directing Officer, under an office or directorate
of the Department that is in existence as of the date of the
enactment of this section.
(b) Primary Mission.--The primary mission of the NBIC is
to--
(1) enhance the capability of the Federal
Government to--
(A) rapidly identify, characterize,
localize, and track a biological event of
national concern by integrating and analyzing
data relating to human health, animal, plant,
food, and environmental monitoring systems
(both national and international); and
(B) disseminate alerts and other
information to Member Agencies and, in
coordination with (and where possible through)
Member Agencies, to agencies of State, local,
and tribal governments, as appropriate, to
enhance the ability of such agencies to respond
to a biological event of national concern; and
(2) oversee development and operation of the
National Biosurveillance Integration System.
(c) Requirements.--The NBIC shall detect, as early as
possible, a biological event of national concern that presents
a risk to the United States or the infrastructure or key assets
of the United States, including by--
(1) consolidating data from all relevant
surveillance systems maintained by Member Agencies to
detect biological events of national concern across
human, animal, and plant species;
(2) seeking private sources of surveillance, both
foreign and domestic, when such sources would enhance
coverage of critical surveillance gaps;
(3) using an information technology system that
uses the best available statistical and other
analytical tools to identify and characterize
biological events of national concern in as close to
real-time as is practicable;
(4) providing the infrastructure for such
integration, including information technology systems
and space, and support for personnel from Member
Agencies with sufficient expertise to enable analysis
and interpretation of data;
(5) working with Member Agencies to create
information technology systems that use the minimum
amount of patient data necessary and consider patient
confidentiality and privacy issues at all stages of
development and apprise the Privacy Officer of such
efforts; and
(6) alerting Member Agencies and, in coordination
with (and where possible through) Member Agencies,
public health agencies of State, local, and tribal
governments regarding any incident that could develop
into a biological event of national concern.
(d) Responsibilities of the Directing Officer of the
NBIC.--
(1) In general.--The Directing Officer of the NBIC
shall--
(A) on an ongoing basis, monitor the
availability and appropriateness of
surveillance systems used by the NBIC and those
systems that could enhance biological
situational awareness or the overall
performance of the NBIC;
(B) on an ongoing basis, review and seek to
improve the statistical and other analytical
methods used by the NBIC;
(C) receive and consider other relevant
homeland security information, as appropriate;
and
(D) provide technical assistance, as
appropriate, to all Federal, regional, State,
local, and tribal government entities and
private sector entities that contribute data
relevant to the operation of the NBIC.
(2) Assessments.--The Directing Officer of the NBIC
shall--
(A) on an ongoing basis, evaluate available
data for evidence of a biological event of
national concern; and
(B) integrate homeland security information
with NBIC data to provide overall situational
awareness and determine whether a biological
event of national concern has occurred.
(3) Information sharing.--
(A) In general.--The Directing Officer of
the NBIC shall--
(i) establish a method of real-time
communication with the National
Operations Center;
(ii) in the event that a biological
event of national concern is detected,
notify the Secretary and disseminate
results of NBIC assessments relating to
that biological event of national
concern to appropriate Federal response
entities and, in coordination with
relevant Member Agencies, regional,
State, local, and tribal governmental
response entities in a timely manner;
(iii) provide any report on NBIC
assessments to Member Agencies and, in
coordination with relevant Member
Agencies, any affected regional, State,
local, or tribal government, and any
private sector entity considered
appropriate that may enhance the
mission of such Member Agencies,
governments, or entities or the ability
of the Nation to respond to biological
events of national concern; and
(iv) share NBIC incident or
situational awareness reports, and
other relevant information, consistent
with the information sharing
environment established under section
1016 of the Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (6
U.S.C. 485) and any policies,
guidelines, procedures, instructions,
or standards established under that
section.
(B) Consultation.--The Directing Officer of
the NBIC shall implement the activities
described in subparagraph (A) consistent with
the policies, guidelines, procedures,
instructions, or standards established under
section 1016 of the Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (6 U.S.C. 485)
and in consultation with the Director of
National Intelligence, the Under Secretary for
Intelligence and Analysis, and other offices or
agencies of the Federal Government, as
appropriate.
(e) Responsibilities of the NBIC Member Agencies.--
(1) In general.--Each Member Agency shall--
(A) use its best efforts to integrate
biosurveillance information into the NBIC, with
the goal of promoting information sharing
between Federal, State, local, and tribal
governments to detect biological events of
national concern;
(B) provide timely information to assist
the NBIC in maintaining biological situational
awareness for accurate detection and response
purposes;
(C) enable the NBIC to receive and use
biosurveillance information from member
agencies to carry out its requirements under
subsection (c);
(D) connect the biosurveillance data
systems of that Member Agency to the NBIC data
system under mutually agreed protocols that are
consistent with subsection (c)(5);
(E) participate in the formation of
strategy and policy for the operation of the
NBIC and its information sharing;
(F) provide personnel to the NBIC under an
interagency personnel agreement and consider
the qualifications of such personnel necessary
to provide human, animal, and environmental
data analysis and interpretation support to the
NBIC; and
(G) retain responsibility for the
surveillance and intelligence systems of that
department or agency, if applicable.
(f) Administrative Authorities.--
(1) Hiring of experts.--The Directing Officer of
the NBIC shall hire individuals with the necessary
expertise to develop and operate the NBIC.
(2) Detail of personnel.--Upon the request of the
Directing Officer of the NBIC, the head of any Federal
department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable
basis, any of the personnel of that department or
agency to the Department to assist the NBIC in carrying
out this section.
(g) NBIC Interagency Working Group.--The Directing Officer
of the NBIC shall--
(1) establish an interagency working group to
facilitate interagency cooperation and to advise the
Directing Officer of the NBIC regarding recommendations
to enhance the biosurveillance capabilities of the
Department; and
(2) invite Member Agencies to serve on that working
group.
(h) Relationship to Other Departments and Agencies.--The
authority of the Directing Officer of the NBIC under this
section shall not affect any authority or responsibility of any
other department or agency of the Federal Government with
respect to biosurveillance activities under any program
administered by that department or agency.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this
section.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The terms ``biological agent'' and ``toxin''
have the meanings given those terms in section 178 of
title 18, United States Code.
(2) The term ``biological event of national
concern'' means--
(A) an act of terrorism involving a
biological agent or toxin; or
(B) a naturally occurring outbreak of an
infectious disease that may result in a
national epidemic.
(3) The term ``homeland security information'' has
the meaning given that term in section 892.
(4) The term ``Member Agency'' means any Federal
department or agency that, at the discretion of the
head of that department or agency, has entered a
memorandum of understanding regarding participation in
the NBIC.
(5) The term ``Privacy Officer'' means the Privacy
Officer appointed under section 222.
SEC. 317. [6 U.S.C. 195C] PROMOTING ANTITERRORISM THROUGH INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the
Director selected under subsection (b)(2).
(2) International cooperative activity.--The term
``international cooperative activity'' includes--
(A) coordinated research projects, joint
research projects, or joint ventures;
(B) joint studies or technical
demonstrations;
(C) coordinated field exercises, scientific
seminars, conferences, symposia, and workshops;
(D) training of scientists and engineers;
(E) visits and exchanges of scientists,
engineers, or other appropriate personnel;
(F) exchanges or sharing of scientific and
technological information; and
(G) joint use of laboratory facilities and
equipment.
(b) Science and Technology Homeland Security International
Cooperative Programs Office.--
(1) Establishment.--The Under Secretary shall
establish the Science and Technology Homeland Security
International Cooperative Programs Office.
(2) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a
Director, who--
(A) shall be selected, in consultation with
the Assistant Secretary for International
Affairs, by and shall report to the Under
Secretary; and
(B) may be an officer of the Department
serving in another position.
(3) Responsibilities.--
(A) Development of mechanisms.--The
Director shall be responsible for developing,
in coordination with the Department of State
and, as appropriate, the Department of Defense,
the Department of Energy, and other Federal
agencies, understandings and agreements to
allow and to support international cooperative
activity in support of homeland security.
(B) Priorities.--The Director shall be
responsible for developing, in coordination
with the Office of International Affairs and
other Federal agencies, strategic priorities
for international cooperative activity for the
Department in support of homeland security.
(C) Activities.--The Director shall
facilitate the planning, development, and
implementation of international cooperative
activity to address the strategic priorities
developed under subparagraph (B) through
mechanisms the Under Secretary considers
appropriate, including grants, cooperative
agreements, or contracts to or with foreign
public or private entities, governmental
organizations, businesses (including small
businesses and socially and economically
disadvantaged small businesses (as those terms
are defined in sections 3 and 8 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632 and 637),
respectively)), federally funded research and
development centers, and universities.
(D) Identification of partners.--The
Director shall facilitate the matching of
United States entities engaged in homeland
security research with non-United States
entities engaged in homeland security research
so that they may partner in homeland security
research activities.
(4) Coordination.--The Director shall ensure that
the activities under this subsection are coordinated
with the Office of International Affairs and the
Department of State and, as appropriate, the Department
of Defense, the Department of Energy, and other
relevant Federal agencies or interagency bodies. The
Director may enter into joint activities with other
Federal agencies.
(c) Matching Funding.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Equitability.--The Director shall
ensure that funding and resources expended in
international cooperative activity will be
equitably matched by the foreign partner
government or other entity through direct
funding, funding of complementary activities,
or the provision of staff, facilities,
material, or equipment.
(B) Grant matching and repayment.--
(i) In general.--The Secretary may
require a recipient of a grant under
this section--
(I) to make a matching
contribution of not more than
50 percent of the total cost of
the proposed project for which
the grant is awarded; and
(II) to repay to the
Secretary the amount of the
grant (or a portion thereof),
interest on such amount at an
appropriate rate, and such
charges for administration of
the grant as the Secretary
determines appropriate.
(ii) Maximum amount.--The Secretary
may not require that repayment under
clause (i)(II) be more than 150 percent
of the amount of the grant, adjusted
for inflation on the basis of the
Consumer Price Index.
(2) Foreign partners.--Partners may include Israel,
the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and
other allies in the global war on terrorism as
determined to be appropriate by the Secretary of
Homeland Security and the Secretary of State.
(3) Loans of equipment.--The Director may make or
accept loans of equipment for research and development
and comparative testing purposes.
(d) Foreign Reimbursements.--If the Science and Technology
Homeland Security International Cooperative Programs Office
participates in an international cooperative activity with a
foreign partner on a cost-sharing basis, any reimbursements or
contributions received from that foreign partner to meet its
share of the project may be credited to appropriate current
appropriations accounts of the Directorate of Science and
Technology.
(e) Report to Congress on International Cooperative
Activities.--Not later than one year after the date of
enactment of this section, and every 5 years thereafter, the
Under Secretary, acting through the Director, shall submit to
Congress a report containing--
(1) a brief description of each grant, cooperative
agreement, or contract made or entered into under
subsection (b)(3)(C), including the participants,
goals, and amount and sources of funding; and
(2) a list of international cooperative activities
underway, including the participants, goals, expected
duration, and amount and sources of funding, including
resources provided to support the activities in lieu of
direct funding.
(f) Animal and Zoonotic Diseases.--As part of the
international cooperative activities authorized in this
section, the Under Secretary, in coordination with the Chief
Medical Officer, the Department of State, and appropriate
officials of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of
Defense, and the Department of Health and Human Services, may
enter into cooperative activities with foreign countries,
including African nations, to strengthen American preparedness
against foreign animal and zoonotic diseases overseas that
could harm the Nation's agricultural and public health sectors
if they were to reach the United States.
(g) Construction; Authorities of the Secretary of State.--
Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter or affect
the following provisions of law:
(1) Title V of the Foreign Relations Authorization
Act, Fiscal Year 1979 (22 U.S.C. 2656a et seq.).
(2) Section 112b(c) of title 1, United States Code.
(3) Section 1(e)(2) of the State Department Basic
Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(e)(2)).
(4) Sections 2 and 27 of the Arms Export Control
Act (22 U.S.C. 2752 and 22 U.S.C. 2767).
(5) Section 622(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2382(c)).
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are
necessary.