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H.R. 1413 108th Congress House

Smallpox Emergency Personnel Protection Act of 2003

Official title: To provide benefits for certain individuals with injuries resulting from administration of a smallpox vaccine, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 25, 2003 See on congress.gov
Health Administrative procedureAdministrative remediesCivil actions and liabilityClaims
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Collection of accountsCompensation (Law)Crime and Law EnforcementDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDisability insuranceDisabledEconomics and Public FinanceEmergency ManagementEmergency medicineEmployee health benefitsEvidence (Law)FamiliesFederal employeesFire fightersGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment employees' health insuranceHealth educationHealth insuranceInformed consent (Medical law)Labor and EmploymentLawLaw enforcement officersLiability (Law)Limitation of actionsMedical economicsMedical malpracticeMedical personnelMedical screeningParamedical personnelPolicePublic health personnelSelf-employedSmallpoxSurvivors' benefitsTerrorismTortsVaccinationVaccinesWages
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 10, 2003
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Mar 27, 2003
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.
Mar 25, 2003
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mar 25, 2003
Introduced in House
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 Latest action April 10, 2003

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Smallpox Emergency Personnel Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish procedures for determining whether an individual is an eligible individual under this Act who qualifies for compensation for a covered injury or injuries.

Defines a covered injury as an injury, disability, illness, condition, or death arising in a specified time period from the administration of a smallpox vaccine or arising in specified circumstances from an accidental smallpox inoculation. Defines a covered individual as an individual from one of certain professions who is functioning as part of a Federally approved smallpox emergency response plan. Defines an eligible individual as a covered individual who sustains a covered injury from a smallpox vaccine or as an individual who is accidentally inoculated and sustains a covered injury.

Directs the Secretary to create a smallpox vaccine injury table identifying adverse effects that shall be presumed to result from the administration of (or exposure to) a smallpox vaccine and the time period in which the first symptom of each such adverse effect must occur for such presumption to apply.

Requires the Secretary to make payments for medical items and services as reasonable and necessary to treat a covered injury of an eligible individual. Directs the Secretary to provide compensation according to a specified formula to an eligible individual for the loss of employment income incurred due to a covered injury. Provides separately for benefits for permanent and total disability and death.

Amends Public Health Service Act provisions regarding: (1) tort liability for the administration of smallpox countermeasures; and (2) the administration of smallpox countermeasures by health professionals, including to modify the definitions of covered countermeasure, covered person, and qualified person.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 5
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1413: Smallpox Emergency Personnel Protection Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1413/
MLA
"H.R. 1413: Smallpox Emergency Personnel Protection Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1413/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1413, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1413/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1413: Smallpox Emergency Personnel Protection Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1413/)
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