A presentation before the Fresno County Board of Supervisors in August 2023 shows images of the Universal Meditech location in Fresno.

Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) introduced a bill that would create specialized training for code enforcement officers, with a focus on public health threats linked to building code violations.

The bill, H.R. 9305, cosponsored by David Valadao (R-Hanford), comes over a year after Reedley Code Enforcement discovered an illegal medical lab, operated by Prestige Biotech Inc. of Nevada, known locally as Universal Meditech.

The illegal lab was being run by Jia Be Zhu, a Chinese national who as arrested last October. The facility contained 1,000 bioengineered laboratory mice, infectious agents including E. Coli, malaria, various chemicals medical waste, blood, tissue, serum, body fluid samples and illegal pregnancy tests.

“The illegal lab uncovered in Reedley underscores a pressing need to bolster our local building code enforcement capabilities in addressing public health risks,” Costa said. “My legislation would deploy vital resources to train local code enforcement officers, ensuring they are prepared to identify and address potential hazards effectively. This work is essential to protecting our communities.”

The legislation would encourage local governments to collaborate on training efforts, develop safety protocols and improve building code enforcement.

H.R. 9305 builds on Costa’s Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act legislation, which would mandate that sellers of highly infectious agents implement a tracking system for all transactions to ensure detailed sale records are maintained for a minimum of five years to enhance public safety measures.

Combined, both bills would close loopholes and ensure that local agencies have the tools needed to protect the public.

Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba said the case in Reedley proves that loopholes exist in current law, and a potential biosafety disaster can be lurking in any community within our country.

“Congressman Costa jumped into action quicky to help our city and avert a public health crisis in Reedley, and we are forever grateful for his leadership on this issue.  This country needs modern, common-sense legislation to protect all communities from a situation like the one in Reedley,” said Zieba.