MEDS in America Act
Bill: H.R.5993 | Sponsor: Rep. Butterfield, G. K. (D-NC)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Making Essential Drugs in America Act or the MEDS in America Act
This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration to provide grants for institutions to establish centers for recruiting and training biopharmaceutical manufacturing workers. Eligible institutions include institutions of higher education and entities conducting registered apprenticeship programs.

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
 the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to establish a competitive grant 
    program under which the Secretary will award grants to certain 
  institutions to establish American Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing 
     Worker Training Centers of Excellence, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Making Essential Drugs in America 
Act'' or the ``MEDS in America Act''.

SEC. 2. AMERICAN BIOPHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING WORKER TRAINING 
              CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall establish a 
competitive grant program under which the Secretary will award not more 
than 20 grants to eligible institutions to establish centers of 
excellence with respect to recruitment and training of 
biopharmaceutical manufacturing workers in the United States, to be 
known as ``American Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Worker Training 
Centers of Excellence'' (referred to in this section as ``Centers of 
Excellence'').
    (b) Grants.--
            (1) Amount.--The amount of a grant under subsection (a) 
        shall not exceed $1,000,000 per year.
            (2) Duration.--The term of a grant under this section shall 
        not exceed 5 years.
            (3) Application.--An eligible institution seeking a grant 
        under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application 
        at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require 
        that contains--
                    (A) an outline of the institution's plans to 
                recruit and train workers who would be proficient in 
                United States biopharmaceutical manufacturing, 
                including continuous manufacturing, vaccine 
                manufacturing, and working as sterile operators; and
                    (B) such other information as the Secretary may 
                require.
    (c) Eligible Institution Defined.--In this section, the term 
``eligible institution'' means an institution of higher education (as 
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001), or an entity that carries out an apprenticeship registered under 
the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the ``National 
Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.), 
which has an established memorandum of understanding with one or more 
biopharmaceutical manufacturers.
    (d) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may provide technical 
assistance to an eligible institution seeking to establish a Center of 
Excellence, including technical assistance provided through an advisory 
committee of the Food and Drug Administration.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which the 
first grant is awarded under this section, the Comptroller General of 
the United States shall submit to Congress a report that--
            (1) assesses the effectiveness of the program established 
        under this section; and
            (2) makes recommendations with respect to additional 
        measures that may be needed to support worker training for 
        biopharmaceutical manufacturing jobs in the United States.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section $100,000,000 for the period of fiscal 
        years 2022 through 2026.
            (2) Reservation of funds for historically black colleges 
        and universities and other minority-serving institutions.--Of 
        the amounts made available under paragraph (1) for a fiscal 
        year, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 20 percent for 
        grants to institutions that are institutions of higher 
        education eligible to receive funds under section 371(a) of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
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