King, Colleagues Re-Introduce Bipartisan Bill Expanding Resources for Public Health Emergency Preparedness

March 16, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is re-introducing legislation to strengthen and expand wastewater monitoring systems as a method to track and prevent serious public health emergencies. The Public Health Response and Emergency Detection through Integrated Wastewater Community Testing (PREDICT) Act would authorize wastewater infectious disease surveillance efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Wastewater monitoring analyzes sewage to detect viruses and bacteria circulating in a community. Individuals infected with diseases such as measles, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza A can shed viral or bacterial material through everyday activities, even if they do not show symptoms. Tracking wastewater helps public health officials identify potential outbreaks earlier and respond quicker to protect communities.
“Protecting the health of Maine people—and all Americans—is essential to the health of our communities, and information and research is the key to getting and staying ahead of threats,” said Senator King. “By building on the lessons we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the PREDICT Act will expand the scope of wastewater study to better detect infectious diseases from our communities before they become widespread. I am proud to re-introduce this bill and work together with my colleagues across the aisle on smart, science-focused legislation that will work to prevent dangerous public health emergencies.”
More specifically, the PREDICT Act would:
In addition to King, the legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Corey Booker (D-NJ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Budd, Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Tim Scott (R-SC).
“As we’ve seen in recent years, the threat of infectious disease and public health crises remains an ongoing challenge that requires a well-prepared public health system. Wastewater surveillance systems are vital tools that help warn communities early,” said Senator Booker. “ I’m proud to lead the charge and work across the aisle to reintroduce this legislation so we can continue protecting our communities from the spread of disease and ensure public health officials have the tools they need to detect threats early and keep people safe.”
“Improving our ability to track the spread of infectious diseases through our wastewater systems is becoming increasingly important for not only the health and the safety of American families, but also our national security. I am proud to join Senators Booker and Scott in introducing this critical legislation to strengthen our nation’s readiness and increase public transparency to help prevent serious public health emergencies,” said Senator Budd.
“Wastewater often provides early warning signs that infectious diseases could be spreading through our communities. Early detection tools are the first line of defense for families and public health officials. We must keep these monitoring capabilities up-to-date. This legislation would improve current methods to track the spread of infectious diseases and put better measures in place to prepare for public health emergencies,” said Senator Wicker.
“Wastewater monitoring provides communities with an early warning when infectious diseases are spreading,” said Senator Scott . “As South Carolina continues responding to the measles outbreak, it’s clear that early detection tools are critical to protecting families and helping public health officials respond quickly to emerging threats. The PREDICT Act builds on proven methods to track infectious diseases, improve transparency, and ensure our nation is better prepared for future public health emergencies.”
“Verily is proud to support the PREDICT Act as a vital step toward ensuring a robust national public health capability that provides transparent and trusted real-time data for decision-making. This legislation bolsters the tools every community needs to identify infectious disease threats to prevent illness across the nation,” said Dr. Andrew Trister the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Verily.
Senator King is a leader on improving our infectious disease monitoring and prevention efforts. In addition to being a previous author of the PREDICT Act , Senator King has led previous letters in Fiscal Years (FY) 2026, 2025, and 2024 advocating for increased funding and improvements to the CDC’s infectious disease wastewater surveillance work. Senator King also successfully included in the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (Sec. 733) a provision that would require the Department of Defense to initiate an infectious disease wastewater surveillance pilot program. Senator King is a co-lead on the Kay Hagan Tick Act , which has improved tickborne disease monitoring efforts under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Additionally, Senator King has previously authorization efforts of the SMASH Act , which has provided authorities for CDC to fund mosquito prevention programs.
Senator King also worked to strengthen public health infrastructure and provide the necessary healthcare and medical resources to Maine communities. King worked to negotiate the American Rescue Plan which provided critical funding for vaccine distribution efforts, in addition to helping states and communities survive the economic toll of the pandemic. He also stressed the need to continue exercising the Defense Production Act (DPA) authorities to boost domestic manufacturing of critical COVID-19 resources when demand wanes to ensure the country can respond to unforeseen pandemic developments in the future, and he similarly urged the administration recently to better address domestic capacity to manufacture supplies for future response to infectious disease threats.
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