PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1361-1363)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Feb 15, 2006
Responsible Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act - Repeals the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (Division C of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006).
Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Biodefense Injury Compensation Program to provide compensation for death or any injury, illness, disability, or condition that is likely to have been caused by the administration of a covered countermeasure pursuant to a declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or public health emergency makes such administration to a category of individuals advisable.
Requires the Secretary: (1) after making such a declaration, to enter into a contract for the Institute of Medicine to provide its recommendations on the injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions likely to have been caused by the countermeasure; and (2) after receiving such recommendations, to specify those injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions deemed to be included in the Vaccine Injury Table.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Sets the effective date for such Program as November 25, 2002.
Extends liability protection for health professionals administering small pox countermeasures to include covered countermeasures under this Act. Excludes from such protection the administration by a qualified person of a covered countermeasure to an individual who was not within a category of individuals covered by the declaration where such qualified person did not have reasonable grounds to believe such individual was within a category.
Makes the United States liable for any claims arising out of the manufacture, distribution, or administration of a covered countermeasure, including claims brought by U.S. military personnel.
People & committees
Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA] · D–MA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1361-1363)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Aug 15, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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