Bill > S3496

This bill, the Promoting ACCESS to Diagnostics Act, aims to improve research and development of medical countermeasures for novel pathogens. It has two key provisions: 1. Specimen Access: Within one year of enactment, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) must make publicly available policies and procedures for public and private entities to access specimens of, or containing, pathogens or suitable surrogates/alternatives. This is to support public health preparedness, response activities, and biomedical research for developing and validating medical products to address emerging infectious diseases. 2. Earlier Diagnostic Test Development: The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the HHS Secretary to contract with public and private entities to increase capacity for the rapid development, validation, manufacture, and dissemination of diagnostic tests. This is to support immediate public health response activities for emerging infectious diseases with significant potential to cause a public health emergency.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3496/all-info