I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8943 
To direct the President to use authority under the Defense Production Act 
of 1950 to ensure an adequate supply of equipment necessary for limiting 
the spread of COVID–19, to elevate the Director of the Defense Logistics 
Agency as the head of the COVID–19 Joint Acquisition Task Force, 
to require the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency to establish 
a system for States and localities to access covered items during a 
covered emergency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 10, 2020 
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. COURTNEY, Mrs. HAYES, and 
Mr. HIMES) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Finan-
cial Services, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To direct the President to use authority under the Defense 
Production Act of 1950 to ensure an adequate supply 
of equipment necessary for limiting the spread of 
COVID–19, to elevate the Director of the Defense Logis-
tics Agency as the head of the COVID–19 Joint Acquisi-
tion Task Force, to require the Director of the Defense 
Logistics Agency to establish a system for States and 
localities to access covered items during a covered emer-
gency, and for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pandemic Supplies 
Production Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The global shortage of medical and sanita-
tion supplies due to the COVID–19 pandemic has 
paralyzed health care systems and strained emer-
gency response capabilities of governments around 
the world. 
(2) The pandemic demonstrated the inter-
dependent nature and the limitations of global sup-
ply chains as both our nation and the world com-
petes for a finite number of suppliers for critical 
medical and sanitation resources. 
(3) Providing a comprehensive understanding of 
how to procure, manage, deliver, and sustain at scale 
was necessary during this crisis, and will be critical 
as the U.S. replenishes current supplies and plans 
for future crises. 
(4) The Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy and the Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices were challenged to rapidly identify, procure, and 
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deploy large quantities of goods and services while 
simultaneously responding and planning for the re-
covery of the United States from this global pan-
demic. 
(5) The traditional interagency emergency re-
sponse structure, built to respond to natural disas-
ters typically defined by geographic locales, does not 
have the capacity to scale quickly to address a crisis 
of this magnitude. 
(6) The Department of Defense leveraged ac-
quisition and supply chain expertise are uniquely 
suited to rapidly scale and establish acquisition 
strategies, for both procurement of supplies, expan-
sion of industrial capabilities and distribution of 
such supplies as the COVID–19 response require-
ments evolved. 
(7) As the combat logistics support agency for 
the Nation, the Defense Logistics Agency (‘‘DLA’’) 
manages the global supply chain—from raw mate-
rials to end user to disposition—for the Army, Ma-
rine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast 
Guard, 11 combatant commands, other Federal 
agencies, and partner and allied nations. 
(8) DLA has supported the COVID–19 re-
sponse of the Department of Defense by increasing 
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the production and acquisition of critical items 
through existing large-scale contracts across multiple 
supply chains. 
(9) As a logistics integrator and acquisition and 
service provider, DLA has the unique capability to 
manage the supply chain that few other organiza-
tions, public or private, can match to assist States, 
local governments, hospitals, and health care pro-
viders around the country with supplies so they are 
not needlessly competing against one another. 
(10) Additionally, the COVID–19 Joint Acqui-
sition Task Force (‘‘JATF’’), established by the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
Sustainment, plays a critical role in the national re-
sponse to the COVID–19 pandemic. 
(11) The JATF’s understanding of reliance on 
foreign suppliers, often many tiers down in the sup-
ply chain, and the impact of that reliance on pro-
ducing at scale has allowed the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services to better plan for replenish-
ment of the Strategic National Stockpile. 
(12) DLA should provide direct support for 
States during the COVID–19 pandemic and future 
emergencies. 
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(13) DLA can identify private sector capacity 
and assess additional needs for vaccines and supplies 
during the COVID–19 pandemic and during future 
emergencies. 
(14) The Department of Health and Human 
Services estimated that healthcare providers may 
need 3,500,000,000 face masks to meet potential 
long-term need. 
(15) Testing capacity and testing materials 
have not met existing needs, as well as therapeutics. 
SEC. 3. USE OF DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT AUTHORITY 
FOR EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR LIMITING 
SPREAD OF COVID-19. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Immediately upon the enactment 
of this Act, the President shall— 
(1) determine under section 101(b) of the De-
fense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4511(b)) 
that— 
(A) medical equipment and supplies, test-
ing materials, ventilators, and personal protec-
tive equipment are scarce and critical material 
essential to the national defense; and 
(B) the requirements of the national de-
fense for such equipment cannot be met without 
exercising the authorities provided by the De-
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