Sec. 219B. Report on origins of the COVID–19 pandemic
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It is the sense of Congress that— it is critical to understand the origins of the COVID–19 pandemic so the United States can better prepare, prevent, and respond to pandemic health threats in the future; given the impact of the COVID–19 pandemic on all Americans, the American people deserve to know what information the United States Government possesses about the origins of COVID–19, as appropriate; it is critical for independent experts to have full access to all pertinent human, animal, and environmental data, biological sample, research, and personnel involved in the early stages of the outbreak relevant to determining how this pandemic emerged;
Congress shares the concerns expressed by the United States Government and 13 other foreign governments that the international team of experts dispatched to the People’s Republic of China by the World Health Organization
(WHO)to study the origins of the SARS–CoV–2 virus was significantly delayed and lacked access to complete, original data and samples ; the March 30, 2021, statement by the Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, further affirms that the investigative team had encountered difficulties in accessing necessary raw data, that we have not yet found the source of the virus , and that all hypotheses remain on the table ; the G7 communique expressing support for full implementation of the International Health Regulations, including a timely, transparent, expert-led, and science-based WHO-convened Phase 2 COVID–19 Origins study including, as recommended by the experts’ report, in China is a valuable commitment by the United States and its allies to investigating the origins of COVID–19 in order to better prepare for future pandemics; and Congress supports the effort announced by President Biden, directing the intelligence community to conduct a 90 day review to further analyze information pointing to the origins of COVID–19. Not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report consisting of— an assessment of the most likely source or origin of the SARS–CoV–2 virus, including a detailed review of all information the United States possesses that it has identified as potentially relevant to the source or origin of the SARS–CoV–2 virus, including zoonotic transmission and spillover, or other sources of origin, transmission, or spillover, based on the information the United States Government has to date; its level of confidence in its assessment; and challenges identified to its ability to make such an assessment. The report required by subsection
(b)shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. In this section, the term appropriate committees of Congress means— the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate; the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.