Senate Releases Bipartisan Draft of Emergency Preparedness Bill

Roll Call | By Lauren Clason
 
Draft bill includes provisions on data sharing, state medical stockpiles, wastewater detection and research on treatments for viral pathogens
 
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Monday released a bipartisan draft of a bill to reauthorize a wide-ranging emergency preparedness law, although leaders in both parties are also seeking feedback on two outstanding legislative proposals. 
 
Both chambers are contending with a Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize the law. Negotiations in the House Energy and Commerce Committee are apparently deadlocked over a rift about prescription drug shortages.
 
The Senate draft includes provisions to launch pilot programs for data sharing and state medical stockpiles, improve wastewater detection capabilities and boost research on treatments for viral pathogens, among other things.
 
But Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and ranking member Bill Cassidy, R-La., have yet to reach agreement on other elements they each released separately. 
 
Sanders is seeking feedback on language that would require drug companies to give the U.S. the lowest price offered to other G7 countries if they received support through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. 
 
The provision — known as a “most favored nations” clause — was previously proposed by former President Donald Trump, who never finalized it…

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