March 9, 2026
Mr. Levin (for himself and Mr. Valadao) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
To require the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other relevant departments and agencies, as appropriate, to formulate a strategy for the Federal Government to secure support from foreign countries, multilateral organizations, and other appropriate entities to facilitate the development and commercialization of qualified pandemic or epidemic products, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short titles
This Act may be cited as the Saving Us from Pandemic Era Resistance by Building a Unified Global Strategy Act of 2026
or the SUPER BUGS Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
Emerging infectious diseases, including antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, pose a significant threat to United States national security by—
(A)
increasing the risk of outbreaks reaching the United States;
(B)
disrupting critical infrastructure;
(C)
undermining economic stability and public health; and
(D)
undermining the readiness of the United States Armed Forces abroad.
(2)
Strengthening international collaboration to develop, commercialize, and deploy qualified pandemic and epidemic products is essential to preventing, detecting, and containing infectious disease threats before they reach the borders of the United States.
(3)
Enhancing partner countries’ public health capabilities and pandemic and epidemic response mechanisms directly contributes to United States homeland security by reducing the likelihood of global outbreaks affecting the United States.
(4)
Coordinated strategies that leverage United States leadership, technology, and medical countermeasures, while ensuring equitable access for international partners, promote global resilience and reduce threats to United States citizens, infrastructure, and national interests.
Sec. 3. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate committees of Congress
The term appropriate committees of Congress means—
(A)
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(B)
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate;
(C)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and
(D)
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
(2) Priority pathogens
The term priority pathogens means pathogens identified in—
(A)
the latest Antibiotic Resistance Threats Report
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or any successor report); or
(B)
the current list of qualifying pathogens maintained by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 505E(f)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355f(f)(2)) (or any successor list).
(3) Qualified pandemic or epidemic product
The term qualified pandemic or epidemic product has the meaning given such term in section 319F–3(i) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–6d(i)).
Sec. 4. International strategy for development of qualified pandemic or epidemic products
(a) Strategy
(1) In general
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and such other heads of departments and agencies as the Secretary of State considers appropriate, shall—
(A)
formulate a strategy for the Federal Government to secure support from foreign countries, multilateral organizations, and other appropriate entities to facilitate the development and commercialization of qualified pandemic or epidemic products, including products to address antimicrobial resistant pathogens—
(i)
with pandemic potential; or
(ii)
that are priority pathogens; and
(B)
submit such strategy to the appropriate committees of Congress.
(2) Contents
The strategy required under paragraph (1) shall—
(A)
provide for processes the Federal Government is using and would use to enter into arrangements with foreign countries, multilateral organizations, and other appropriate entities in certain circumstances to implement the strategy;
(B)
strive to ensure that the arrangements described in subparagraph (A) promote equitable contributions based on the budgets and technical expertise of participating countries, organizations, and other entities, as appropriate;
(C)
focus the arrangements described in subparagraph (A) on global priorities, while enabling participating countries, organizations, and other entities to emphasize national or regional issues of importance;
(D)
support efforts to strengthen partner country public health capabilities by promoting sustainable improvements in their ability to prevent, detect, and contain infectious disease threats;
(E)
seek to ensure that new and existing arrangements described in subparagraph (A) are harmonized with each other and with other relevant existing or planned efforts to amplify impact, address gaps, prevent duplication of effort, and efficiently distribute funds;
(F)
provide for collaboration to ensure the arrangements described in subparagraph (A) allocate joint or individual responsibility across participating countries, organizations, and other entities for the development and commercialization of particular qualified pandemic or epidemic products, where such collaboration is clearly described in such arrangement;
(G)
provide for the stewardship of qualified pandemic or epidemic products developed pursuant to the strategy;
(H)
identify priority actions in the arrangements described in subparagraph (A) so that scarce domestic and international funds are allocated to develop and commercialize qualified pandemic or epidemic products that can achieve the greatest positive impact on human health, including unprecedented approaches to preventing, treating, and diagnosing infectious diseases;
(I)
consider securing contracts with United States companies and the broader private sector, entering into public-private partnerships, implementing alternative payment models, creating coverage and reimbursement pathways, and streamlining regulatory approval processes; and
(J)
be synchronized with United States pandemic preparedness priorities, such as those articulated in—
(i)
the National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (dated September 2014); and
(ii)
the National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan (dated October 2022) and the associated Action Plan (dated October 2022).
(b) Arrangements with foreign countries and multilateral organizations
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the heads of other relevant departments and agencies, as appropriate, shall seek to enter into arrangements with foreign countries, multilateral organizations, and other appropriate entities to implement the strategy required under subsection (a).