I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2032 
To direct the President to use authority under the Defense Production Act 
of 1950 to ensure an adequate supply equipment necessary for limiting 
the spread of COVID–19, 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 
MARCH 18, 2021 
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut (for himself and Mr. COURTNEY) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 
and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the President to use authority under the Defense 
Production Act of 1950 to ensure an adequate supply 
equipment necessary for limiting the spread of COVID– 
19, 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:29 May 18, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2032.IH
H2032
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
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 United States 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 
deploy large quantities of goods and services while 
simultaneously responding and planning for the re-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:29 May 18, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2032.IH
H2032
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
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 
the production and acquisition of critical items 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:29 May 18, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2032.IH
H2032
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
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) The understanding of the reliance of the 
United States on foreign suppliers, often many tiers 
down in the supply chain, and the impact of that re-
liance on producing at scale, has allowed the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services to better plan 
for replenishment of the Strategic National Stock-
pile. 
(11) DLA should provide direct support for 
States during the COVID–19 pandemic and future 
emergencies. 
(12) DLA can identify private sector capacity 
and assess additional needs for vaccines, thera-
peutics, tests, personal protective equipment, and 
supplies during the COVID–19 pandemic and during 
future emergencies. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:29 May 18, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2032.IH
H2032
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(13) 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-
fense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4501 
et seq.); 
(2) identify private sector capacity to produce 
such equipment; and 
(3) exercise the authorities provided by the De-
fense Production Act of 1950 to the extent nec-
essary— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:29 May 18, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2032.IH
H2032
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(A) to mitigate, where possible, the de-
pendency of the United States on overseas 
sources of supply of each such materials during 
the global shortage; and 
(B) to ensure the immediate adequacy of 
productive capacity and supply of ventilators, 
N–95 masks and other essential personal pro-
tective equipment, therapeutics, and tests and 
testing supplies needed to address the COVID– 
19 crisis based on an assessment of needs. 
(b) REPORTS.—Beginning on the date of the declara-
tion of a national pandemic or the declaration of a public 
health emergency and ending on the date that is 7 days 
after the termination of such pandemic or emergency, the 
head of the agency coordinating the National response to 
the pandemic or emergency, shall submit to Congress 
weekly reports on— 
(1) the status of the production of equipment, 
ventilators, medical protective gear, therapeutics, 
and tests and testing supplies; 
(2) available resources; and 
(3) the plan for the distribution of equipment, 
ventilators, medical protective gear, therapeutics, 
and tests and testing supplies. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:29 May 18, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2032.IH
H2032
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(c) TERMINATION.—This section, and authorities 
carried out pursuant to this section, shall terminate on 
the date on which the national emergency declared under 
the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), 
relating to the COVID–19 outbreak, terminates. 
SEC. 4. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY SYSTEM TO ACCESS 
COVERED ITEMS DURING A COVERED EMER-
GENCY. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the 
Defense Logistics Agency shall— 
(1) establish and maintain a online system, or 
expand access to an existing system, through which 
States and local governments affected by a covered 
emergency may submit requests for covered items; 
and 
(2) establish procedures for fulfilling such re-
quests. 
(b) FUNDING.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, 
acting through the Director of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, shall transfer such amounts as de-
termined by the Secretary of Defense, acting through the 
Director of the Defense Logistics Agency, to be derived 
from the unobligated balances of amounts appropriated or 
otherwise made available to the Disaster Relief Fund, to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:29 May 18, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2032.IH
H2032
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
reimburse costs that the Secretary of Defense certifies to 
the Secretary of Homeland Security were incurred to carry 
out this section. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered emergency’’ means— 
(A) a major disaster declared by the Presi-
dent under section 401 of the Robert T. Staf-
ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act; or 
(B) an emergency or disaster declared by 
a Governor of a State or the head of a unit of 
local government. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered item’’ means a good or 
service determined by the Director of the Defense 
Logistics Agency to be essential to respond to a cov-
ered emergency. 
(3) The term ‘‘unit of local government’’ means 
a county, municipality, town, township, village, par-
ish, borough, Tribe, or other unit of general govern-
ment. 
SEC. 5. REPORTS. 
(a) MASS PRODUCTION OF COVID–19 VACCINE.— 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency 
shall submit to Congress a report describing the needs of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:29 May 18, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2032.IH
H2032
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
the domestic manufacturing base for the mass production 
of a COVID–19 vaccine, including the raw materials need-
ed and an identification of specific entities that could sup-
port such mass production. 
(b) QUARTERLY REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each quarter, the Director 
of the Defense Logistics Agency shall submit to 
Congress— 
(A) an assessment of the identified needs, 
personnel requirements, funding requirements, 
and timelines and milestones of operations for 
the response and recovery efforts of Defense 
Logistics Agency and the COVID–19 Joint Ac-
quisition Task Force during the COVID–19 
pandemic; and 
(B) a description of any challenges faced 
in carrying out such efforts and recommenda-
tions to resolve such challenges. 
(2) TERMINATION.—The requirement under 
paragraph (1) shall terminate at the end of the first 
quarter that begins after the national emergency de-
clared under the National Emergencies Act (50 
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), relating to the COVID–19 out-
break, terminates. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:29 May 18, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2032.IH
H2032
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS