PHARA Act of 2025

Release of Frozen Funding: The bill requires the Secretary to immediately release and expend all funding required by existing grant or cooperative agreements (Section 2, paragraph 1). This ensures that researchers have the necessary funds to fulfill their agreements.

Prompt Reimbursements: The Act directs the Secretary to pay all pending reimbursement requests as rapidly as possible (Section 2, paragraph 2). This provides quick access to owed funds for those under these agreements.

Protection for Ongoing Research: The bill prohibits the cancellation of any agreement where the awardee is performing active and ongoing research (Section 2, paragraph 3). This provides stability for active scientific studies.

Predictable Termination Terms: New agreements must include specific termination clauses that limit cancellation to cases of material breach, change in circumstances, or mutual agreement (Section 3). This creates more certainty for parties entering into these agreements.

Notice and Negotiation Period: Under the new termination clauses, the party wanting to end an agreement must provide at least 90 days' written notice and attempt to amend the terms before terminating (Section 3, paragraphs 1 and 2). This gives all parties a window to address issues rather than facing an abrupt end to their work.