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S1085119th CongressWALLET

MedShield Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Rounds, Mike [R-SD]

Introduced

Summary

AI-powered national medical shield: The MedShield Act of 2025 would create a MedShield program that uses artificial intelligence and other technologies to detect and track pathogens, speed vaccine and therapeutic development, and coordinate U.S. and allied pandemic responses.

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  • Families would benefit from faster detection and potentially quicker access to vaccines and treatments through a global pathogen surveillance system and AI-enabled acceleration of medical countermeasures.
  • HHS would serve as the lead coordinator for public health and medical emergency support under FEMA's National Response Framework and would consult other federal agencies and selected international partners to integrate efforts.
  • Biotech companies and manufacturers would face directed use of AI-enabled systems and advanced modeling to accelerate identification of vaccines and therapeutics and to streamline rapid manufacturing and distribution.
  • Congress would receive an unclassified plan report within 180 days, with a possible classified annex, outlining how the program will operate and integrate recommendations from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

*It would authorize appropriations of $300.0 million for FY2025, $350.0 million for FY2026, $400.0 million for FY2027, $450.0 million for FY2028, and $500.0 million for FY2029, available until expended.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

National AI pandemic program funding

This bill would require HHS to create a national "MedShield" program that uses artificial intelligence and other technologies to watch for biological threats. It would push HHS to build global pathogen surveillance, speed vaccine and therapeutic discovery, improve modeling for tracking and distribution, and streamline rapid manufacturing. The bill would authorize funding: $300 million for FY2025, $350 million for FY2026, $400 million for FY2027, $450 million for FY2028, and $500 million for FY2029. The funds would remain available until spent. HHS would have to consult other agencies and select international partners and integrate recommendations from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. A report on the program plan would be due within 180 days, in unclassified form with an optional classified annex. The bill would also adopt existing legal definitions for "artificial intelligence" and "MedShield" from the 2019 NDAA and NSCAI report.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Rounds, Mike [R-SD]

SD • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]

    NM • D

    Sponsored 3/14/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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