Biointelligence and biosurveillance provide the early warning systems necessary to detect the spread of disease, whether natural or intentional.  To date, these systems have not yet been adequately developed, although progress is being made.  The Biosurveillance Enhancement Act of 2007 will further their development by building upon past efforts in order to provide the United States with a truly effective biosurveillance capability.

The legislation I am introducing today authorizes the National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC), which will be the primary nexus of the federal government’s biosurveillance efforts.  The NBIC will serve as a centralized system for consolidating data from biological surveillance systems and will be staffed by an interagency group of biosurveillance experts.  Relevant data feeds will be brought together and analyzed to monitor any unusual health activity, including human, animal, agricultural, food, and environmental health problems.  This analysis will enable federal, State, and local governments, and private sector entities, to quickly detect and respond to a biological attack or an outbreak of any natural disease.

My legislation requires the Director to develop, maintain and operate the NBIC and ensure data is integrated from relevant surveillance systems to identify and characterize biological events in as near real-time as possible.  This bill will also ensure that the Director continually enhances the NBIC’s performance by regularly adding new data feeds, improving statistical and analytical tools, establishing procedures for reporting suspicious events, and providing technical assistance to State and local governments and private entities.

This legislation will now give us the capability to integrate data from biosurveillance systems with other intelligence information to provide a comprehensive and timely picture of all existing biological threats.  Information assembled within the NBIC, such as incident or situational awareness reports, will be shared with the heads of other agencies via information sharing networks.

The NBIC is designed to be a beacon of interagency partnering.  Participating agencies will integrate biosurveillance information through the NBIC, provide timely information and connectivity of data systems, detail personnel to the NBIC, and participate in shaping the NBIC’s operating practices.  In addition, the Director may invite officials of other government agencies, including interagency partners, to participate in a working group to advise and steer the activities of the NBIC.

Situational awareness and early detection can mean the difference between an outbreak and an epidemic, or between a foiled and a successful biological attack.  A strong biosurveillance capability will help protect our citizens and will enable us to more effectively respond to the worst-case scenarios.  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.