Offices of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health Security Act of 2022

Offices of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health Security Act of 2022

This bill reauthorizes the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) office in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and establishes a new Office of Health Security.

The CWMD office, for purposes of coordinating DHS efforts to counter weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, shall perform duties including

• providing expertise and guidance to DHS leadership and components on CBRN matters;
• leading development of policies and strategies to counter WMD and CBRN threats on behalf of DHS;
• identifying, assessing, and prioritizing capability gaps relating to DHS's CBRN strategic and mission objectives; and
• supporting components of DHS and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, and providing intelligence and information analysis and reports on WMD and CBRN and other related emerging threats.

The CWMD office shall serve as a primary entity of the federal government to further develop, acquire, deploy, and support the operations of a national biosurveillance system in support of federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and improve that system over time.

The Chief Medical Officer of the Office of Health Security shall have the responsibility for oversight of all medical, public health, and workforce safety matters of DHS.