[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 316 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 316

    To direct the President to appoint a Medical Supplies Response 
    Coordinator to coordinate the efforts of the Federal Government 
regarding the supply and distribution of certain supplies and equipment 
                         relating to COVID-19.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 13, 2021

 Mr. Schneider (for himself and Ms. Clark of Massachusetts) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Financial 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the President to appoint a Medical Supplies Response 
    Coordinator to coordinate the efforts of the Federal Government 
regarding the supply and distribution of certain supplies and equipment 
                         relating to COVID-19.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. MEDICAL SUPPLIES RESPONSE COORDINATOR.

    (a) In General.--The President shall appoint a Medical Supplies 
Response Coordinator to coordinate the efforts of the Federal 
Government regarding the supply and distribution of critical medical 
supplies and equipment related to detecting, diagnosing, preventing, 
and treating COVID-19, including personal protective equipment, medical 
devices, drugs, and vaccines.
    (b) Qualifications.--To qualify to be appointed as the Medical 
Supplies Response Coordinator, an individual shall be a senior 
government official with--
            (1) health care training, including training related to 
        infectious diseases or hazardous exposures; and
            (2) a familiarity with medical supply chain logistics.
    (c) Activities.--The Medical Supplies Response Coordinator shall--
            (1) consult with State, local, territorial, and Tribal 
        officials to ensure that health care facilities and health care 
        workers have sufficient personal protective equipment and other 
        medical supplies;
            (2) evaluate ongoing needs of States, localities, 
        territories, Tribes, health care facilities, and health care 
        workers to determine the need for critical medical supplies and 
        equipment;
            (3) serve as a point of contact for industry for 
        procurement and distribution of critical medical supplies and 
        equipment, including personal protective equipment, medical 
        devices, testing supplies, drugs, and vaccines;
            (4) procure and distribute critical medical supplies and 
        equipment, including personal protective equipment, medical 
        devices, testing supplies, drugs, and vaccines;
            (5)(A) establish and maintain an up-to-date national 
        database of hospital capacity, including beds, ventilators, and 
        supplies, including personal protective equipment, medical 
        devices, drugs, and vaccines; and
            (B) provide weekly reports to the Congress on gaps in such 
        capacity and progress made toward closing the gaps;
            (6) require, as necessary, industry reporting on production 
        and distribution of personal protective equipment, medical 
        devices, testing supplies, drugs, and vaccines and assess 
        financial penalties as may be specified by the Medical Supplies 
        Response Coordinator for failure to comply with such 
        requirements for reporting on production and distribution;
            (7) consult with the Secretary and the Administrator of the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency, as applicable, to ensure 
        sufficient production levels under the Defense Production Act 
        (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.); and
            (8) monitor the prices of critical medical supplies and 
        equipment, including personal protective equipment and medical 
        devices, drugs, and vaccines related to detecting, diagnosing, 
        preventing, and treating COVID-19 and report any suspected 
        price gouging of such materials to the Federal Trade Commission 
        and appropriate law enforcement officials.
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