Free At-Home Tests for All Act
Summary
Free At-Home Tests for All Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide free antigen diagnostic tests for COVID-19 (i.e., rapid tests) to U.S. residents. The bill also automatically grants emergency use authorization for rapid tests approved by certain foreign regulators. Specifically, HHS must purchase a sufficient quantity of rapid tests to provide two tests per week at no cost to each resident for the 12 months following the bill's enactment. The President may use authorities available under the Defense Production Act of 1950 to obtain the tests. That act confers upon the President a broad set of authorities to influence domestic industry in order to provide essential materials and goods needed for the national defense. In addition, HHS must conduct outreach about the availability of free rapid tests to Medicare and Medicaid participants and make the tests available through those programs. The bill also automatically grants emergency use authorization during the public health emergency for rapid tests that are listed for emergency use by (1) the World Health Organization (WHO), or (2) a foreign regulator that is a stringent regulatory authority as defined by the WHO for purposes of medicine procurement. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may rescind authority for, or otherwise regulate, a rapid test that was automatically authorized. Additionally, the FDA must establish a permanent advisory committee focused on diagnostic and serological testing for public health needs.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2022
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Jan 12, 2022
Last action Jan 13, 2022
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
3
Jan 13, 2022
Committee
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
lower
Jan 12, 2022
Committee
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
lower
Jan 12, 2022
Committee
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and Ways and Means, 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 concerned.
lower
Jan 12, 2022
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 11 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Donald S. Beyer, Jr.
DDemocratic
Co
Dina Titus
DDemocratic
Co
Earl Blumenauer
DDemocratic
Co
Eleanor Holmes Norton
DDemocratic
Co
Gwen Moore
DDemocratic
Co
Joseph D. Morelle
DDemocratic
Co
Kaiali’i Kahele
DDemocratic
Co
Madeleine Dean
DDemocratic
Co
Mark DeSaulnier
DDemocratic
Co
Raul Ruiz
DDemocratic
Co
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.
DDemocratic
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