Summary of the $8.3 billion package to fund a response to coronavirus

The following is a summary by Winning Strategies Washington on the $8.3 billion package to fund a response to coronavirus.

It provides $8.3 billion in all new funding for a robust response to this public health emergency. That includes $950 million for state and local health agencies to conduct vital public health activities, including surveillance, laboratory testing, infection control, contact tracing, and mitigation.

The following is a summary of its major provisions:

• $61 million to the FDA to facilitate the development of medical countermeasures, devices, therapies, and vaccines to combat the coronavirus.
• Allows $1 billion in loan subsidies to be made available to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture producers, and non- profit organizations which have been impacted by financial losses as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
• $950 million for the CDC, of which $475 million must be allocated within 30 days, to support States, locals, territories, and tribes to conduct public health activities.
• $300 million to replenish the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund, which supports immediate response activities during outbreaks.
• Allows funding for CDC’s repatriation and quarantine efforts, laboratory testing, emergency operations, epidemiological investigations, public information, and surveillance and data analysis.
• Allows reimbursement for State or local costs incurred for coronavirus preparedness and response activities between January 20 and the date of enactment of this emergency supplemental.
• Allows funds to be used for construction or renovation of facilities to improve preparedness and response capabilities at the State and local level.
• More than $2 billion for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support advanced research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, prioritizing platform-based technologies with U.S.-based manufacturing.
• $826 million for the National Institutes of Health to support basic research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
• $300 million in contingency funding for procurement of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
• Requires that vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics developed using taxpayer funds must be available for purchase by the Federal government at a fair and reasonable price. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure that vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics developed using taxpayer funds be affordable in the commercial market.

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