The events of Sept. 11, 2001 and the anthrax attacks of October and November 2001, reinforced the need to enhance the security of the United States. Congress responded by passing the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (also known as the Bioterrorism Act), which President Bush signed into law June 12, 2002. The Bioterrorism Act is not completely devoted to anthrax. It includes a large number of provisions to help ensure the safety of the U.S. from bioterrorism, including new authority for the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take action to protect the nation's food supply against the threat of intentional contamination.

The goals of the Bioterrorism Act include:

(1) Providing help to State and local governments in the event of bioterrorism or another public health emergency.

(2) Making sure that State and local governments have appropriate ability to detect and respond effectively to such emergencies, including:

• Effective public health surveillance and reporting mechanisms
• Laboratory readiness.
• Properly trained and equipped emergency response personnel.
• Health and safety protection of emergency workers.
• Coordinated public health services.
• Effective communication networks.
• Developing and maintaining medical countermeasures (such as drugs, vaccines and other biological products, medical devices, and other supplies).
• Readiness of hospitals and other health care facilities.

Many efforts are underway to address the above goals. However, there are more goals to be set and milestones to achieve.

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