The National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) is a federal advisory committee that provides advice and guidance to assistant secretary for preparedness and response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and to the HHS secretary on preventing, preparing for, and responding to adverse health effects of emergencies.
The committee was formerly known as the National Preparedness and Response Science Science Board. The new title more accurately reflects the board’s work, expertise, and contributions to the HHS and to the nation’s health resilience.
The board was created and given authorities under the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006 and chartered in 2007. The Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013 (PAHPRA) amended the board’s authorities by broadening membership to include a representative with pediatric expertise and a state, tribal, territorial, or local public health official and expanding the board’s duties to consist of providing specified information to appropriate committees of Congress. These changes, as well as the board’s new name, are reflected in the September 2016 charter.
The board has
13 voting members with a broad range of expertise in science, medicine, and public health.
Governance
