Sec. 732. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
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## SEC. 732 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS ###
(a)Strategy The Secretary of Defense shall develop a strategy for pandemic preparedness and response that includes the following: ####
(1)Identification of activities necessary to be carried out prior to a pandemic to ensure preparedness and effective communication of roles and responsibilities within the Department of Defense, including— #####
(A)reviewing the frequency of each exercise conducted by the Department, a military department, or Defense Agency that relates to a pandemic or severe influenza season or related force health protection scenario; #####
(B)ensuring such exercises are appropriately planned, resourced, and practiced; #####
(C)including a consideration of the capabilities and capacities necessary to carry out the strategy under this section, and related operations for force health protection, and ensuring that these are included in each cost evaluation, Defense-wide review, or manning assessment of the Department of Defense that affects such capabilities and capacities; #####
(D)reviewing the placement, exploring broader utilization of global health engagement liaisons, and increasing the scope of global health activities of the Department of Defense; #####
(E)assessing a potential career track relating to health protection research for members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department of Defense; #####
(F)providing to members of the Armed Forces guidance on force health protection prior to and during a pandemic or severe influenza season, including guidance on specific behaviors or actions required, such as self-isolating, social distancing, and additional protective measures to be carried out after contracting a novel virus or influenza; #####
(G)reviewing and updating the inventory of medical supplies and equipment of the Department of Defense that is available for operational support to the combatant commands prior to and during a pandemic (such as vaccines, biologics, drugs, preventive medicine, antiviral medicine, and equipment relating to trauma support), including a review of— ######
(i)the sufficiency of prepositioned stocks; and ######
(ii)the effectiveness of the Warstopper Program of the Defense Logistics Agency, or such successor program; #####
(H)reviewing and updating distribution plans of the Department of Defense for critical medical supplies and equipment within the inventory of the Department of Defense, including vaccines and antiviral medicines; and #####
(I)reviewing and updating research on infectious diseases and preventive medicine conducted by the military health system, including research conducted by the Health Related Communities of Interest of the Department of Defense, the Joint Program Committees, the overseas medical laboratories of the Department of Defense, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch, or other elements of the Department of Defense that conduct research in support of members of the Armed Forces or beneficiaries under the TRICARE program. ####
(2)Review of Department of Defense systems for health surveillance and detection to ensure continuous situational awareness and early warning with respect to a pandemic, including a review of— #####
(A)the levels of funding and investment, and the overall value, of the Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System of the Department of Defense, including the value demonstrated by the role of such system in— ######
(i)improving the Department of Defense prevention and surveillance of, and the response to, infectious diseases that may impact members of the Armed Forces; ######
(ii)informing decisions relating to force health protection across the geographic combatant commands; ######
(iii)ensuring laboratory readiness to support pandemic response efforts and to understand infectious disease threats to the Armed Forces; and ######
(iv)coordinating and collaborating with partners, such as the geographic combatant commands, other Federal agencies, and international partners; #####
(B)the levels of funding and investment, and the overall value, of the overseas medical laboratories of the Department of Defense, including the value demonstrated by the role of such laboratories in conducting research and forming partnerships with other elements of the Department of Defense, other Federal agencies, international partners in the country in which such laboratory is located, and, as applicable, the private sector of the United States; and #####
(C)the levels of funding and investment, and the overall value, of the Direct HIV/AIDS Prevention Program of the Department of Defense, including the value demonstrated by the role of such program in developing (in coordination with other Federal agencies) programs for the prevention, care, and treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. ####
(3)Identification of activities to limit the spread of an infectious disease outbreak among members of the Armed Forces and beneficiaries under the TRICARE program, including activities to mitigate the health, social, and economic impacts of a pandemic on such members and beneficiaries, including by— #####
(A)reviewing the role of the Department of Defense in the National Disaster Medical System under section 2812 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11) and implementing plans across the Department that leverage medical facilities, personnel, and response capabilities of the Federal Government to support requirements under such Act relating to medical surge capacity; #####
(B)determining the range of public health capacity, medical surge capacity, administrative capacity, and veterinary capacity necessary for the Armed Forces to— ######
(i)support operations during a pandemic; and ######
(ii)develop mechanisms to reshape force structure during such pandemic as necessary (contingent upon primary mission requirements); and #####
(C)determining the range of activities for operational medical support and infrastructure sustainment that the Department of Defense and other Federal agencies have the capacity to implement during a pandemic (contingent upon primary mission requirements), and develop plans for the implementation of such activities. ###
(b)Study on Response to COVID-19 In addition to the review under section 731, the Secretary shall conduct a study on the response of the military health system to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). ###
(c)Report Not later than June 1, 2021, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report containing— ####
(1)the strategy under subsection (a); and ####
(2)the study under subsection (b), including any findings or recommendations from the study that relate to an element of the strategy under subsection (a), such as recommended changes to policy, funding, practices, manning, organization, or legislative authority.
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Sec. 732
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
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