{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Legislation","name":"Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2020","description":"

Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2020

This bill establishes measures to address global public health risks posed by wildlife markets, which are commercial markets that sell or slaughter wildlife for human consumption as food or medicine in communities where alternative nutritional or protein sources are available.

Specifically, the bill prohibits importing, exporting, purchasing, or selling live wild animals in the United States for human consumption as food or medicine. The Department of the Interior must hire, train, and deploy at least 50 new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement attachés around the world, and the U.S. Agency for International Development must increase specified activities to address the threats and causes of zoonotic (animal-to-human transmission) disease outbreaks. Additionally, the United States must work with other United Nations member states to urge a global ban on commercial wildlife markets and enforcement of laws to end wildlife trafficking.

Further, the President may impose sanctions against a foreign country or foreign nationals that the Department of State has determined are taking certain actions that enable or facilitate commercial wildlife markets.

Among other reports required by the bill, the State Department must conduct a study and submit a report that includes an evaluation of (1) the impact that consumption of terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine has on the transmission of novel viral and other pathogens, (2) the role of consuming terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine in the transmission of microbes from animals to humans, and (3) the conditions at live wildlife markets that lead to this transmission.

","legislationIdentifier":"S 4749","legislationType":"Bill","legislationLegalForce":"NotInForce","legislationJurisdiction":"USA","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"John Cornyn","url":"https://legisdaily.com/mp/john-cornyn-us"}],"about":{"@type":"Thing","name":"International Affairs"},"keywords":"Agricultural marketing and promotion, Alternative treatments, Animal and plant health, Animal protection and human-animal relationships, Cardiovascular and respiratory health, Congressional oversight, Crimes against animals and natural resources, Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation, Ecology, Emergency medical services and trauma care, Endangered and threatened species, Farmland, Food industry and services, Food supply, safety, and labeling, Foreign aid and international relief, Foreign property, Government studies and investigations, Health promotion and preventive care, Infectious and parasitic diseases, International law and treaties, International monetary system and foreign exchange, International organizations and cooperation, Land use and conservation, Law enforcement officers, Licensing and registrations, Livestock, Meat, Nutrition and diet, Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents, Sanctions, Smuggling and trafficking, Trade agreements and negotiations, Trade restrictions, United Nations, Veterinary medicine and animal diseases, Visas and passports, War and emergency powers, Wildlife conservation and habitat protection, World health","dateModified":"2025-06-03T00:00:00.000Z","url":"https://legisdaily.com/bill/USA-116-S-4749"}

John Cornyn

John Cornyn

Foreign Relations Committee