S. 4204 would establish a federal interagency task force to analyze the nation’s preparedness for national pandemics. The bill would detail the task force’s membership and responsibilities, which would include a review of the mission of the Strategic National Stockpile and an assessment of its current inventory and future needs. In addition, the bill would:
Direct the National Response Coordination Center (which is operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to request and share information from state, local, and tribal governments regarding their inventories of medical supplies during pandemic and related health emergencies, and
Permit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to sell medical supplies maintained in the Strategic National Stockpile under certain circumstances.
Because federal agencies are currently coordinating activities similar to those required by S. 4204, CBO expects that implementing any new activities required under the bill would not require substantial resources. Therefore, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would not have a significant cost; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
S. 4204 could affect direct spending by allowing HHS to sell some medical supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile to state, local, and tribal governments. CBO expects that those sales would be small and infrequent and would thus have no significant effect on direct spending over the 2021-2030 period.
