Representatives Bera and Peters Introduce Tracking Pathogens Act to Prepare for Future Pandemics and Identity Emerging Threats

Press Release

Today, Representatives Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA) and Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced the Tracking Pathogens Act, legislation to enhance our nation's ability to prepare for future pandemics and strengthen our capacity to identify new viral threats through genetic surveillance and enhanced genomic sequencing.

"It's only a matter of time before we face our next pandemic," said Representative Bera, who previously served as Chief Medical Officer for Sacramento County. "That's why it is a public health and national security imperative that we act now to ensure we are better prepared to identify and respond to future deadly pathogens. I am proud to introduce the Tracking Pathogens Act with Representative Peters to strengthen the United States' preparedness for future diseases so we are not caught off guard as we were with COVID."

"We learned quickly during the COVID crisis that our national disease surveillance systems need significant updates," said Representative Peters. "The Tracking Pathogens Act will improve our country's preparedness by strengthening our capacity to conduct genomic sequencing, key in fighting new viruses. We must enhance our public health infrastructure to support this kind of cutting-edge technology and analysis so that experts can best track, study and mitigate pathogens of the future."

"The American Society for Microbiology thanks Congressman Bera and Congressman Peters for their leadership on this important bill, which builds on the significant investments made in genomic sequencing and surveillance through CDC in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. should be the world leader in advanced molecular detection (AMD), whether it is to address seasonal threats, detect and halt the spread of foodborne pathogens or tackle the next pandemic. ASM members in research and clinical laboratories are at the forefront of these efforts. The bill charts a course for supporting AMD as we move beyond COVID-19 by strengthening public health partnerships with academia, clinical and independent laboratories and training the workforce of the future. This will ensure that in the future, cutting edge technology will continue to be deployed on the front lines of public health," said Stefano Bertuzzi, PhD, CEO of the American Society for Microbiology.

The Tracking Pathogens Act would enhance the United States' ability to prepare for future pandemics and strengthen our ability to conduct genomic sequencing for pathogens by:

Issuing Guidance: Issuing guidance to support collaborations for genomic sequencing, including the use of new and innovative approaches and technology for the detection, characterization, and sequencing of pathogens, to improve public health surveillance and preparedness and response activities

Supporting and Enhancing Sequencing Activities: Directing government health agencies, including the CDC and NIH, to expand and improve activities related to genomic sequencing by:
- Continuing and expanding activities to identify and respond to emerging infectious disease threats, including by identifying the use of advanced technology to inform surveillance activities
- Seeking new partnerships between public health laboratories and the larger health infrastructure to expand the reach of sequencing programs
- Providing technical assistance and guidance to State, Tribal, local and territorial public health departments to increase capacity for sequencing
- Enhancing the capabilities of the public health workforce focused on pathogen genomics, epidemiology, and bioinformatics

Establishing Centers of Excellence: Awarding grants to public health agencies and partnerships to establish centers of excellence to promote innovation in pathogen genomics and molecular epidemiology. Established Centers would:
- Identify and evaluate technologies that may advance public health preparedness, and improve tools for integrating and analyzing genomic and epidemiologic data;
- Assist with genomic surveillance of, and response to, infectious diseases;
- Conduct applied research to improve public health surveillance and response to infectious diseases;
- Develop and provide training materials for experts in the fields of genomics, microbiology, bioinformatics, epidemiology, and other fields;
- Conduct workforce development through advanced training in academic labs

Authorize sustained funding of $175 million per year for FY23-27 for genetic surveillance and genomic sequencing

Representative Bera has been a leader in Congress on global health security and the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in the pandemic, Rep. Bera championed additional funding for the CDC to track variants of the novel coronavirus and was able to help secure a $1.7 billion investment in the American Rescue Plan to support this effort. As a result of this investment, CDC has dramatically scaled up its sequencing efforts, and was able to more quickly identify the Omicron variant. He also advocated for more than $700 million towards global health security funding that was included in the FY2022 appropriations package that was signed into law by President Biden this week. Bera was recently awarded the Impact Congressional Champion Award for his leadership on global health innovation.

The legislation is supported by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry; American Institute of Biological Sciences; American Society for Clinical Pathology; American Society for Microbiology; American Society for Virology; American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology; Association of American Medical Colleges; Association of Molecular Pathology; Biophysical Society; Clear Labs; Coalition for the Life Sciences; Emory University; Gingko Bioworks; Illumina; Infectious Diseases Society of America; Labcorp; Pacific Biosciences; Psomagen; Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America; The Gerontological Society of America; The Jackson Laboratory; Thermo Fisher Scientific; Trust for America's Health; University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health; American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges.

The legislation is co-sponsored by Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ). Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. previously introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

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