On Sept. 10, 2002, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act (P.L. 107-188) was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President George W. Bush.

The 2001 anthrax attacks, though small in scale compared to the scenarios envisioned by bioterrorism experts, strained the public health system and raised concern that the nation was insufficiently prepared to respond to an attack. Improving public health preparedness and response capacity offered protection not only from bioterrorist attacks, but also from naturally occurring public health emergencies.

The act authorized the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to upgrade and renovate facilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), purchase smallpox vaccine, expand the national stockpile of drugs, vaccines, and other emergency medical supplies, and provide grants to state and local governments and hospitals to improve preparedness and planning.