H.R. 7125 – Reading Mode

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7125

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 17, 2022

Mrs. Greene of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Act to prevent the proliferation of biological weapons under the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Stopping the Spread of Taxpayer-Funded Bioweapons Act of 2022.

Preventing the proliferation of biological weapons under the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program

(a)

Prevention of the proliferation of biological weapons

(1)

In general

Section 1331(a) of the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Act (50 U.S.C. 3731(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

(6)

Cooperative biological engagement.

(7)

Activities that facilitate the detection and reporting of highly pathogenic diseases or other diseases that are associated with or that could be used as an early warning mechanism for disease outbreaks, regardless of whether such diseases are caused by biological weapons.

(2)

Conforming amendments

Such Act (50 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) is further amended as follows:

(A)

By striking , nuclear, or biological weapons each place it appears and inserting or nuclear weapons.

(B)

In section 1321—

(i)

in subsection (a)—

(I)

in paragraph (1), by striking , biological,;

(II)

by striking paragraph (4); and

(III)

by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (6) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and

(ii)

in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, by striking , chemical, and biological and inserting and chemical.

(C)

In section 1344, by striking , nuclear, and biological weapons and inserting and nuclear weapons.

(b)

Prohibition on availability of funds

(1)

Prohibition on availability of funds

Notwithstanding section 1681(a)(4) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117–81), none of the funds authorized to be appropriated for the Cooperative Threat Reduction program under the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Act (50 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal year thereafter may be obligated or expended for cooperative biological engagement.

(2)

Rescission of funds

Any unobligated funds available for the Cooperative Threat Reduction program for cooperative biological engagement as of the date of the enactment of this Act are hereby rescinded and deposited into the general fund of the Treasury.