from exercising
direction, authority, and control over them when they are not
operating as a unit of the Department.

SEC. 518. [6 U.S.C. 321G] CONDUCT OF CERTAIN PUBLIC HEALTH-RELATED
ACTIVITIES.

(a) In General.--With respect to all public health-related
activities to improve State, local, and hospital preparedness
and response to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
and other emerging terrorist threats carried out by the
Department of Health and Human Services (including the Public
Health Service), the Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall set priorities and preparedness goals and further develop
a coordinated strategy for such activities in collaboration
with the Secretary.
(b) Evaluation of Progress.--In carrying out subsection
(a), the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall
collaborate with the Secretary in developing specific
benchmarks and outcome measurements for evaluating progress
toward achieving the priorities and goals described in such
subsection.

SEC. 519. [6 U.S.C. 321H] USE OF NATIONAL PRIVATE SECTOR NETWORKS IN
EMERGENCY RESPONSE.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall use
national private sector networks and infrastructure for
emergency response to chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, or explosive disasters, and other major disasters.

SEC. 520. [6 U.S.C. 321I] USE OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY,
GOODS, AND SERVICES.

It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Secretary should, to the maximum extent
possible, use off-the-shelf commercially developed
technologies to ensure that the Department's
information technology systems allow the Department to
collect, manage, share, analyze, and disseminate
information securely over multiple channels of
communication; and
(2) in order to further the policy of the United
States to avoid competing commercially with the private
sector, the Secretary should rely on commercial sources
to supply the goods and services needed by the
Department.

SEC. 521. [6 U.S.C. 321J] PROCUREMENT OF SECURITY COUNTERMEASURES FOR
STRATEGIC NATIONAL STOCKPILE.

(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the procurement
of security countermeasures under section 319F-2(c) of the
Public Health Service Act (referred to