Pandemic Preparedness Bill Advances in Senate Health Committee (1)

Legislation that aims to beef up the nation’s pandemic response won a Senate panel’s approval Tuesday, setting up the long-awaited bipartisan legislation up for a floor vote.

The Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee voted to 20-2 in favor of the PREVENT Pandemics Act (S. 3799). The bill incorporates separate legislation (S. 3819) introduced last week authorizing the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, President Joe Biden’s proposed new agency to promote cutting-edge medical breakthroughs.

The sweeping package includes provisions that range from increasing the supply chain of masks, medicines, vaccines and other medical ...