Medical Devices Safety Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Medical Devices Safety Act - Title I: The National Medical Devices Commission - Establishes the National Medical Devices Commission to determine the manner and extent to which there should be Federal regulation of manufacturing of medical devices. Directs the Commission to submit to the President and the Congress such interim and final reports as it deems appropriate. Requires the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to submit to the President and the Congress his views on the Commission's report. States that the Commission shall terminate not later than two years from the effective date of this Act or thirty days after it has submitted its final report, whichever occurs earlier. Sets forth the powers of the Commission. States that the Commission shall, to the extent practicable, utilize the services of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Title II: Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act - States that a device shall be deemed to be adulterated for the purposes of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, if the methods used in, or the facilities or control used for, its manufacturing, processing, packing, holding, or installation do not conform to, or are not operated or administered in conformity with, current food manufacturing practice. States that every person engaged in manufacturing, processing, or distributing, or who uses in a professional manner, a device that is subject to this Act shall establish and maintain records, and make written reports to the Secretary, of data relating to clinical experience obtained by that person with respect to the device and bearing on the safety, reliability, or effectiveness of the device. Establishes standards under which the Secretary may, after due notice and opportunity for hearing to the manufacturer, issue an order to remove a device from being sold on the market. Authorizes the device manufacturer to appeal an order by the Secretary removing the device from sale on the market by filing in the United States court of appeals for the circuit in which the manufacturer resides or at his principal place of business. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations for exempting from this Act devices intended solely for investigational use by experts qualified by scientific training and experience to investigate the safety and effectiveness of devices. Title III: Miscellaneous - Establishes the National Medical Devices Information Center to establish workshops, clinics, and other educational programs to train and educate doctors, hospital personnel, technicians, and other possible operators of medical devices in the use and testing of such devices. States that this Act shall take effect on the first day of the thirteenth calendar month following the month in which this Act is enacted.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on September 5, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on September 5, 1973: Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
FRED ROONEY (D-PA) introduced it on September 5, 1973. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on September 5, 1973, 19363 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19363 days ago, on September 5, 1973.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers