WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Alliance for Biosecurity issued the following statement on the 20th anniversary of Senate passage of the Project BioShield Act:
“On May 19, 2004, the Senate passed one of the most consequential pieces of preparedness legislation in our nation’s history – the Project BioShield Act.
“For the last twenty years, the Project BioShield Act and the Project BioShield Special Reserve Fund have advanced the development, procurement, and stockpiling of critical medical countermeasures (MCMs) to protect against the most dangerous natural and man-made threats, including anthrax and smallpox. Without the Project BioShield Act, our nation would have been less equipped to address the urgent challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies.
“As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Senate passage of the Project BioShield Act, the Alliance for Biosecurity continues to ask Congress to reauthorize critical preparedness authorities like the Project BioShield Special Reserve Fund to protect against future threats.”
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The Project BioShield Act (P.L. 108-276) was passed unanimously by the United States Senate on May 19, 2004. The Act was subsequently passed by the House and signed into law by President George W. Bush in July 2004. Since 2004, Project BioShield has been regularly extended by the bipartisan Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA).
