I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8508 
To require the President to use authorities under the Defense Production 
Act of 1950 to require emergency production of the supplies necessary 
for distributing and administering the COVID–19 vaccine, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 2, 2020 
Mr. CRIST (for himself, Mr. POCAN, and Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To require the President to use authorities under the Defense 
Production Act of 1950 to require emergency production 
of the supplies necessary for distributing and admin-
istering the COVID–19 vaccine, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘COVID–19 Vaccine 
Distribution and Production Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EMERGENCY PRODUCTION OF THE SUPPLIES NEC-
ESSARY FOR EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTING AND 
ADMINISTERING THE COVID–19 VACCINE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 day after the 
date of the enactment of this section, 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) supplies necessary for equitably dis-
tributing and administering the COVID–19 vac-
cine are a scarce and critical material essential 
to the national defense; and 
(B) the requirements of the national de-
fense for the supplies necessary for equitably 
distributing and administering the COVID–19 
vaccine cannot be met without exercising the 
authorities provided by the Defense Production 
Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.); 
(2) identify private sector capacity to produce 
the supplies necessary for equitably distributing and 
administering the COVID–19 vaccine; and 
(3) exercise the authorities provided by the De-
fense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4501 et 
seq.) to the extent necessary— 
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(A) to require emergency production of the 
supplies necessary for equitably distributing 
and administering the COVID–19 vaccine; and 
(B) to establish a fair and reasonable price 
for the sale of the supplies produced pursuant 
to subparagraph (A). 
(b) COORDINATION.—The President shall coordinate 
and direct the equitable distribution of the supplies pro-
duced under subsection (a)(3)(A) based on— 
(1) requests submitted to the President by the 
Governors of the States; and 
(2) the needs of the States, as determined 
based on the populations of each State. 
(c) FUNDING.—Amounts available in the Defense 
Production Act Fund under section 304 of the Defense 
Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4534) shall be avail-
able to carry out this section. 
(d) TERMINATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—This section shall terminate 
on the date on which there are no remaining re-
quests under subsection (b)(1). 
(2) DISPOSITION OF UNUSED SUPPLIES NEC-
ESSARY FOR EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTING OR ADMIN-
ISTERING
THE
COVID–19
VACCINE.—Any supplies 
produced pursuant to subsection (a)(3)(A) using 
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amounts from the Defense Production Act Fund and 
unused as of the date described in paragraph (1) 
shall be deposited in the Strategic National Stock-
pile under section 319F–2 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–6b), including any 
such supplies authorized for emergency use under 
section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cos-
metic Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb–3). 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVID–19 VACCINE.—The term ‘‘COVID– 
19 vaccine’’ means a vaccine to prevent or mitigate 
COVID–19 that the Food and Drug Administration 
licenses or authorizes for emergency use. 
(2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ includes the 
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, 
and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands. 
Æ 
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