Planning Resolution between Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael O. Leavitt and Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana

Whereas:

1. Influenza pandemics have occurred three times in the last century, and history and science suggest that the country and the world could face one or more pandemics in this century;

2. A pandemic can cause severe illness, death and disruption throughout the country and the world, and outbreaks can occur in many different locations simultaneously;

3. Preparing for an influenza pandemic requires coordinated action at all levels of government - federal, state, local, tribal - and all sectors of society, including businesses, schools, faith-based and community organizations, families, and individuals;

4. The federal government has committed to taking a leadership role in creating a prepared Nation by monitoring international and domestic outbreaks, providing funding and technical assistance to foster local and state preparedness, encouraging the coordination of all the federal agencies with a responsibility for human and animal health, stockpiling and distributing countermeasures, developing new treatments, and coordinating the national response;

5. The Secretary of the United State Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has committed to holding pandemic planning summits in all 50 states, assisting states to improve their level of preparedness;

6. President George W. Bush asked Congress for emergency spending authority to prepare the United States against the possibility of a pandemic. The Congress has provided over $3 billion for that purpose in the Defense Appropriations Act for 2006, including funding for state and local planning purposes;

7. States provide leadership to local communities, function under state authority, and work in conjunction with federal partners and local communities under their own authorities within their jurisdictions, to develop preparedness plans to address pandemic influenza;

8. Consistent with its authorities and availability of funding, HHS may provide additional resources for State and local influenza planning and preparedness activities, and require specific preparedness goals from States and localities as a condition of financial assistance;

9. Preparedness plans must be regularly exercised and updated to achieve a stronger level of preparedness;

10. Pandemic preparedness will help communities deal with any type of public health emergency and will have lasting benefits for the health of our Nation; and

11. HHS and Indiana share common goals, and have shared and independent responsibilities for influenza planning and preparedness.

Be it resolved:

1. HHS will be responsible for:

1. Continuing to provide substantial guidance and technical assistance to Indiana as it prepares to respond to a possible influenza pandemic. Among other things, HHS, and its operating divisions, coordinates pandemic response activities with state, local and tribal public health and health care agencies; coordinates planning and response activities with other relevant federal agencies; supports state pandemic planning efforts; communicates and disseminates timely influenza pandemic information and technical guidance to state and local public health departments; and provides direct support and technical guidance for epidemiological investigations and diagnostic services.

2. Consistent with its statutory authorities, direction from Congress, and Departmental regulations and policy, and subject to available funding, providing Indiana with an initial amount of financial assistance for the purposes of pandemic planning. Terms and conditions of HHS assistance will state that additional amounts will depend upon achievement of specific preparedness goals as agreed to by HHS and Indiana.

3. Within six months, reviewing Indiana's plans for use, storage and distribution of antivirals and notifying Indiana of its portion of the federal stockpile of pandemic influenza antiviral drugs.

2. Indiana will be responsible for:

1. Consistent with its statutory authorities, assuring that the operational plan for pandemic influenza response is a component of the overall state and local emergency response plan that will coordinate effectively with Emergency Support Function 8, Health and Medical Services, of the National Response Plan and the National Incident Management System.

2. Consistent with its statutory authorities, engaging relevant stakeholders which may include governmental, public health, healthcare, emergency response, agriculture, education, business, communication, community-based, and faith-based sectors, as well as private citizens to assist the State in preparedness planning.

3. No later than July 1, 2006 notifying HHS of the amount of additional pandemic influenza antiviral drugs that Indiana will plan to purchase in coordination with HHS, subject to the availability of funding.

4. Exercising the State's preparedness plan within nine months of the date of the state planning summit between the HHS Secretary and the Governor of Indiana, and participating in a nationwide pandemic planning exercise subject to staff availability, scheduling, and availability of funding and other resources.

5. Achieving specific preparedness goals, targets, and timelines as agreed to by HHS, CDC and Indiana in order to receive additional funds referenced in 1.b).

/s/ Mitch Daniels /s/ Michael O. Leavitt

Signed March 23, 2006