H.R. 766 Became law · Public Law 119-120 Health

SEWER Act

To amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to establish, maintain, or improve activities related to the detection and monitoring of infectious diseases through wastewater for public health emergency preparedness and response purposes, and for other purposes.

  1. Introduced
  2. Committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To President
  6. Became law
Sponsor Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42] Introduced January 28, 2025 Cosponsors 2 (2 R) Latest action January 28, 2025

Summary

Surveilling Effluent Water for Epidemic Response Act or the SEWER Act
This bill provides statutory authority for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) program, which detects and monitors pathogens in wastewater. It requires the CDC to expand and intensify the activities of the NWSS, including with respect to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), influenza, mpox, dengue, West Nile virus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). 
The NWSS provides funding and guidance to public health departments for wastewater surveillance activities. Under the NWSS, health departments and other partners coordinate on wastewater surveillance at sampling sites and share data with the CDC. The NWSS was initially implemented to monitor SARS-CoV-2 and has since expanded to include influenza A, avian influenza A, mpox, and RSV.     

Summary by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

Congress.gov

Actions

  1. Jan 28, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  2. Jan 28, 2025 Introduced in House

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