[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1827 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1827

   To prohibit the National Institutes of Health from conducting or 
 supporting certain gain-of-function research, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 28, 2023

  Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Cuellar, and Mr. Gallagher) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To prohibit the National Institutes of Health from conducting or 
 supporting certain gain-of-function research, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pausing Enhanced Pandemic Pathogen 
Research Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. NO CONDUCT OR SUPPORT BY NIH OF GAIN-OF-FUNCTION RESEARCH.

    Part A of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 404P. GAIN-OF-FUNCTION RESEARCH.

    ``(a) Prohibition.--During the period ending on March 30, 2028, the 
National Institutes of Health shall not conduct or support, directly or 
indirectly, including through subgrants, any gain-of-function research.
    ``(b) Limitation.--This section does not apply to characterization 
or testing of any naturally occurring influenza virus or coronavirus, 
unless the characterization or testing could increase pathogenicity or 
transmissibility.
    ``(c) Gain-of-Function Research Defined.--In this section, the term 
`gain-of-function research' means any research that could enhance the 
transmissibility, virulence, or pathogenicity of any pathogen (whether 
or not classified as a pathogen of pandemic potential) or non-pathogen 
agent in a way that could result in one or more of the following:
            ``(1) The pathogen or agent becoming moderately or highly 
        transmissible, virulent, or pathogenic in human populations.
            ``(2) The pathogen or agent causing significant morbidity 
        or mortality in humans.
            ``(3) The pathogen or agent posing a severe threat to 
        public health, the capacity of public health systems, or the 
        national security of the United States.''.
                                 <all>