The SUPER BUGS Act requires the U.S. State Department to create a plan for working with other countries and international organizations to develop and sell medicines and treatments for dangerous diseases that could cause pandemics or epidemics. This includes drugs to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria—germs that no longer respond to standard antibiotics. The bill recognizes that disease outbreaks anywhere in the world can eventually reach America, so preventing and controlling them globally protects Americans at home. The strategy needs to make sure all participating countries contribute fairly based on their resources and expertise, while also allowing each country to focus on diseases that matter most to them. The plan should coordinate with existing U.S. efforts to fight antibiotic resistance and prepare for biological threats, and it should explore ways to work with private companies, create faster approval processes for new drugs, and set up payment systems that encourage development of these critical medical products.

To require the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other relevant departments and agencies, as appropriate, to formulate a strategy for the Federal Government to secure support from foreign countries, multilateral organizations, and other appropriate entities to facilitate the development and commercialization of qualified pandemic or epidemic products, and for other purposes.