Foodborne Illness Rapid Response Act
Sponsored By: Representative Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
Introduced
Summary
Preserve CDC staffing for foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak response for one year after a major outbreak. This bill would bar staffing cuts and reorganizations that remove 1% or more of employees in the CDC divisions that handle foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak response within any 60-day period during that 12-month window.
Show full summary
- CDC surveillance and outbreak-response staff: Would be protected from any agency action that removes 1% or more of employees in those specific divisions within a 60-day span for one year after a multi-state or nationally significant foodborne illness outbreak.
- Federal staffing and reorganization actions: Agencies could not carry out reduction-in-force procedures or reorganizations that shrink those CDC divisions by the defined threshold during the 12-month post-outbreak period.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Protect CDC outbreak response staff
If enacted, the bill would stop the Secretary of Health and Human Services from cutting staff at CDC divisions that track foodborne diseases and run outbreak response for one year after a multi-state or nationally significant foodborne outbreak. It would bar any agency action — including reductions in force or reorganizations — that removes 1% or more of employees in each covered division within a 60-day period. The restriction would apply during the 12-month period after such an outbreak. The bill text does not list exemptions, waivers, or penalties.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]
NE • R
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov