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H.R. 597

Pandemic Treatment Access and Affordability Act of 2021

Pandemic Treatment Access and Affordability Act of 2021

This bill imposes licensing and price restrictions on federally supported drugs and other medicines intended to address COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) or other public health emergencies.

With respect to a COVID-19 drug patent developed using certain types of federal support, any license granted by the federal government shall be open and nonexclusive. Similarly, a licensee or assignee for such a patent shall grant open nonexclusive licenses for the patent. An entity that receives a license shall pay reasonable royalties to (1) the patent holder, or (2) the owner of marketing exclusivity rights granted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that were terminated under this bill.

The bill requires that such drugs be offered at a fair and reasonable price based on certain considerations, such as access.

If the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finds that the price of any drug to address a public health emergency is excessive, HHS must void any FDA-granted exclusivity for the drug and grant open and nonexclusive licenses to other manufacturers. Such licenses are subject to reasonable royalty requirements.

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.

Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9](D-IL)Sponsor
26 cosponsors26 D
26cosponsors4committees8actions23subjects
  1. Committee

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.

    Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee
  2. Committee

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

    Health Subcommittee
  3. IntroReferralH11100

    Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Science, Space, and Technology, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

    Armed Services Committee
  4. IntroReferralH11100

    Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Science, Space, and Technology, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

    Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  5. IntroReferralH11100

    Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Science, Space, and Technology, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

    Judiciary Committee
  6. IntroReferralH11100

    Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Science, Space, and Technology, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

    Energy and Commerce Committee
  7. IntroReferralIntro-H

    Introduced in House

  8. IntroReferral1000

    Introduced in House