This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate a comprehensive effort to develop, license, and manufacture a vaccine for valley fever, a fungal infection caused by coccidioidomycosis, with a goal of completing the vaccine by January 1, 2034. The legislation establishes a Vaccine Coordinator position within the FDA or National Institutes of Health to serve as the federal point of contact and requires the Secretary to publish a national strategy within one year that outlines benchmarks, timelines, and recommendations for expediting vaccine development. The bill authorizes funding of $1 million in fiscal year 2026 for strategy development, $25 million from 2025-2030 for vaccine development programs, and $25 million from 2025-2030 for manufacturing programs, with grants ranging from $500,000 to $5 million available to eligible entities including academic institutions, nonprofits, and private companies. Additionally, the legislation establishes a National Valley Fever Registry to collect and track valley fever cases across the United States and creates an advisory committee to oversee the registry's development and ensure data protection and scientific rigor.
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