{
  "id": "RL33907",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL33907",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "id": 348381,
      "date": "2007-06-11",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T18:04:12.638029",
      "title": "Project BioShield: Appropriations, Acquisitions, and Policy Implementation Issues for Congress",
      "summary": "The Project BioShield Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-276) established a 10-year program to acquire civilian medical countermeasures to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents for the Strategic National Stockpile. Provisions of this act were designed to encourage private companies to develop these countermeasures by guaranteeing a government market for successfully developed countermeasures.\nCongress has expressed concern about the implementation of Project BioShield. It has held multiple oversight hearings and considered several pieces of legislation to improve the execution of this program, including the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (P.L. 109-417), H.R. 1089, and H.R. 1684. Stakeholders and policymakers have criticized specific contract award decisions and the rate at which they are made. Additionally, contract awards reported by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) do not directly correspond with figures provided in the President\u2019s annual budget documents, which may suggest problems with interagency coordination and communication.\nBoth the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and HHS have responsibilities in this program. Funds for this program are appropriated to DHS, while contracts are executed through HHS. The interagency process responsible for deciding which countermeasures to procure has changed multiple times since this program\u2019s inception.\nThe Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2004 (P.L. 108-90) provided an advance appropriation of $5.6 billion to acquire CBRN countermeasures over a 10-year period (FY2004-FY2013). This act also limited the amount that could be obligated during specified time periods. The Project BioShield Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-276) assigned the $5.6 billion advance appropriation to Project BioShield countermeasure acquisitions. Two separate rescissions reduced the total amount available for Project BioShield by a total of $25 million. Congress retains the power to make additional appropriations and rescissions to this account.\nHHS has awarded Project BioShield contracts for a countermeasures against anthrax, smallpox, botulinum toxin, and radiological or nuclear agents. These awards total approximately $2.331 billion. However, the largest contract, $878 million for an anthrax vaccine, was cancelled in December 2006 for failure to meet a contract milestone. Taking this into account, approximately $1.889 billion remains available for obligation through FY2008 and $4.064 billion available for obligation through the end of the program in FY2013.\nThis report discusses actions taken by Congress and the Administration that have affected this program, describes the decision-making process for choosing countermeasures, describes the countermeasures for which the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has contracted, and discusses accounting discrepancies in Project BioShield budget documents. This report will be updated periodically.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc812514/",
      "id": "RL33907_2007Mar08",
      "date": "2007-03-08",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Project BioShield: Appropriations, Acquisitions, and Policy Implementation Issues for Congress",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
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    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "American Law",
    "Appropriations",
    "Economic Policy",
    "Science and Technology Policy"
  ]
}