Protecting America’s Medical Supply Chains Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7777
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-03: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-17T05:53:26Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Protecting America's Medical Supply Chains Act of 2026 (H.R. 7777) amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA) to prioritize and secure the supply of essential medical materials—like drugs, medical devices, and biological products—for national defense. It aims to reduce vulnerabilities in supply chains, boost domestic production, and ensure availability during crises.
Key Provisions
- Policy Statement: Adds a requirement to use DPA authorities to secure medical materials, emphasizing U.S. competitiveness, innovation, and cooperation with allies.
- Domestic Capability: Expands DPA programs to explicitly include medical materials essential for diagnosing, treating, or preventing disease.
- Supply Chain Strategy (New Sec. 109):
- President must submit a detailed strategy within 180 days of enactment, developed with input from Health and Human Services (HHS), Commerce, Homeland Security, and Defense secretaries.
- Strategy covers: plans to secure supplies, vulnerability analysis, diversification measures, timelines to avoid foreign government control, and effects on production/costs/innovation.
- Annual progress reports to Congress until September 30, 2029 (unclassified with possible classified annex).
- Investments (New Sec. 303(h)):
- Allows President to provide payments to U.S.-based entities producing critical components, technology, or materials for supply chain security, if certified as vital to national defense (with 30-day congressional notice).
- President must define "supply chain" and "supply chain activities" within 90 days, including government-used products/services or critical infrastructure (e.g., per Presidential Policy Directive 21).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Section 2(b) DPA: Inserts new policy priority for medical materials between existing paragraphs.
- Section 107 DPA: Broadens "materials" and "essential materials" to explicitly cover medical items like drugs (under Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act) and biological products (under Public Health Service Act).
- Title I DPA: Adds entirely new Section 109 for strategy/reporting.
- Section 303 DPA: Adds subsection (h) for supply chain security investments, with new eligibility and certification rules.
- Requires presidential regulations for key terms.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases coordination and reporting burdens on the President, HHS, Commerce, DHS, and Defense; expands DPA funding tools for medical supply chains.
- Citizens: Improves national preparedness for health crises (e.g., pandemics) by securing domestic medical supplies, potentially stabilizing prices and availability.
- International Relations: Promotes diversification away from foreign-dominated supply chains (e.g., avoiding exclusive control by adversarial governments), while encouraging ally cooperation; may strain relations with heavy suppliers like China.
Main Stakeholders
- U.S. Medical Producers: Pharmaceutical companies, device makers, and biotech firms eligible for funding and domestic priority.
- Government: Executive branch (President and agencies) for implementation; Congress (e.g., Financial Services and Banking committees) for oversight.
- Healthcare Sector: Hospitals, providers, and public relying on stable drug/device supplies.
- Foreign Entities: Suppliers facing reduced U.S. dependence.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Expands Executive Authority: Enhances presidential powers under DPA (a Cold War-era law) for health security, with built-in congressional notifications/certifications to balance oversight.
- No Major Constitutional Issues: Aligns with national defense clause (Article I, Section 8); reporting ensures legislative check.
- Political: Bipartisan appeal for supply chain resilience post-COVID; prioritizes "America First" manufacturing but mandates ally engagement to avoid isolationism. Reports enable ongoing congressional scrutiny.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-03: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 2026-03-03: Introduced in House
- 2026-03-03: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Protecting America’s Medical Supply Chains Act of 2026 — issued 2026-03-03 — PDF (7 pages)