Because COVID-19 continues to be a threat to public health, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) recently introduced a bipartisan bill that would require the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prioritize contracts necessary to promote pandemic preparedness and response.
Sen. Rounds is the original cosponsor of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) Production Act, S. 266, which he introduced with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to bolster the national response to pandemics by updating medical supplies production for frontline healthcare providers.
“Our bipartisan legislation seeks to improve coordination within the federal government by providing greater transparency, better management and the resources to rapidly respond to urgent requirements,” Sen. Rounds said. “This will give our communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic much-needed additional support during this critical time.”
If enacted, S. 266 would prioritize fulfillment of federal contracts for existing public health goods and services ahead of private-sector orders, and require the Defense Production Act (DPA) fund to be fairly distributed among all federal agencies responsible for carrying out DPA efforts.
Additionally, the legislation would establish a permanent “DPA Title III Program Office” within HHS to plan, report and implement authorities to boost the manufacturing of public health resources, and require the DPA committee to submit a monthly report to Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic on DPA COVID-19-related activities, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Rounds’ office.