House Passes Bioshield Bill; President to Sign It into Law

The House passed Project Bioshield legislation (H.R. 2122) that will make $5.6 billion available over 10 years to purchase and stockpile vaccines and drugs for use against biological weapons. The Senate approved the bill in May, and President George W. Bush is expected to sign it into law. Bush had proposed the legislation in his 2003 State of the Union address as a way to bolster U.S. defenses against biological terrorism. The guaranteed stream of nearly $6 billion is intended to encourage private companies to invest in the costly and time-consuming research and development of vaccines and antidotes. The bill also gives the government added discretionary powers: Federal acquisition procedures for some vaccines and drugs could be eased, and the FDA approval process could be expedited or circumvented if the government deems it necessary.