Title: Immediate COVID Testing Procurement Act.
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Immediate COVID Testing Procurement Act
This bill requires the President, within 24 hours of this bill's enactment, to issue purchase orders for a program of the highest national urgency (commonly known as a DX purchase order) to procure under the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA) supplies to conduct COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) medical testing nationwide.
The supplies must have received prior approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or have received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for the detection of COVID-19.
The bill waives certain DPA requirements relating to industrial resource and critical technology shortfalls and notification to Congress.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6609 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6609

 To provide for the immediate procurement of COVID-19 medical testing 
components, materials, and supplies under the Defense Production Act of 
                                 1950.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 2020

   Mr. Panetta (for himself, Mr. Brown of Maryland, Ms. Judy Chu of 
California, Mr. Cisneros, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. 
  Grijalva, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Loebsack, Mr. 
Malinowski, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Ms. Meng, Mr. Nadler, 
Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Norton, Mr. Payne, Mr. Phillips, Miss Rice of New 
    York, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. Rush, Mr. Schneider, Ms. Sewell of 
     Alabama, Mr. Sires, Ms. Spanberger, Mr. Suozzi, and Mr. Vela) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the immediate procurement of COVID-19 medical testing 
components, materials, and supplies under the Defense Production Act of 
                                 1950.

    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 ``Immediate COVID Testing Procurement 
Act.''

SEC. 2. IMMEDIATE PURCHASE ORDERS OF COVID-19 MEDICAL TESTING 
              COMPONENTS, MATERIALS, AND SUPPLIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 24 hours after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President shall issue any necessary purchase 
orders for a program of the highest national urgency (commonly known as 
a ``DX'' purchase order) pursuant to Department of Defense Directive 
4400.1 to procure all necessary components, materials, and supplies to 
conduct molecular and serological COVID-19 medical testing nationwide 
under authorities provided by the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 
U.S.C. 4501 et seq.).
    (b) Approval or Authorization.--All components, materials, and 
supplies described in subsection (a) must have received prior approval 
of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention or have received 
emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for 
the detection of coronavirus disease 2019 (commonly known as ``COVID-
19'').
    (c) Waiver of Requirements Relating to Shortfalls and 
Notifications.--The requirements of sections 301(d)(1)(A) and 303(a)(6) 
of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4531(d)(1)(A); 
4533(a)(6)) are waived for purposes of this section.
    (d) Funding.--Amounts available in the Defense Production Act Fund 
(established under section 304 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 
(50 U.S.C. 4534)) shall be made available for purchases made under this 
section.
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