[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5255 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5255

   To require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to 
 submit to Congress an annual report on biomedical research funded by 
               the United States and performed in China.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 25, 2024

   Ms. Ernst introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to 
 submit to Congress an annual report on biomedical research funded by 
               the United States and performed in China.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Chinese Laboratory Accountability 
and Watchful Spending Act of 2024'' or the ``CLAWS Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON FEDERALLY-FUNDED BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IN CHINA.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered agency.--The term ``covered agency'' means--
                    (A) an Executive agency, as defined in section 105 
                of title 5, United States Code; and
                    (B) an independent regulatory agency, as defined in 
                section 3502 of title 44, United States Code.
            (2) Covered project.--The term ``covered project'' means a 
        project--
                    (A) funded by a covered agency; and
                    (B) that is awarded directly or indirectly through 
                a grant, contract, other transaction agreement, 
                subaward, cooperative agreement, or any other form of 
                assistance to an entity that--
                            (i) is located in China; or
                            (ii) performs the project in whole or in 
                        part in China.
            (3) Project.--The term ``project'' means biomedical 
        research or experimentation conducted for the identification, 
        control, treatment, and prevention of human or animal diseases, 
        including the testing of any drug, biological product, device, 
        vaccine, vaccine adjuvant, antiviral, or diagnostic test.
    (b) Requirement.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall 
issue guidance requiring covered agencies to annually include in a 
report described in paragraph (2) of section 3516(a) of title 31, 
United States Code, or a consolidated report described in paragraph (1) 
of such section, information relating to each covered project of the 
covered agency, which shall include a detailed description of the 
covered project, including--
            (1) the purpose of the covered project;
            (2) whether the covered project involves --
                    (A) pathogens with pandemic potential;
                    (B) biological select agents and toxins;
                    (C) dual use research of concern;
                    (D) human or animal subjects; and
                    (E) classified research;
            (3) each location where the covered project is carried out 
        and, if applicable--
                    (A) whether the location is subject to the 
                jurisdiction or control of, or operates on behalf of, 
                China; and
                    (B) whether the location engages in joint research 
                with, is supported by, or is affiliated with the 
                military, security forces, or intelligence agencies of 
                China;
            (4) if applicable, the rationale for conducting the covered 
        project in China;
            (5) the contract or award number of the covered project;
            (6) each covered agency or subagency funding the covered 
        project;
            (7) each primary contractor, subcontractor, grant 
        recipient, and subgrant recipient of the covered project;
            (8) the start date of the covered project;
            (9) the current expected date for completion of the covered 
        project;
            (10) the cost of the covered project during the previous 
        fiscal year;
            (11) the total cost of the covered project since inception;
            (12) a description of specific steps taken to ensure 
        research security of the covered project; and
            (13) any noncompliance with respect to the covered project 
        documented by the covered agency during the reporting period.
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