Personal Drug Importation Fairness Act of 2013
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Health.
Personal Drug Importation Fairness Act of 2013 - Allows a drug to be imported into the United States, and re-imported into the United States by a person other than the drug's manufacturer, if the drug: (1) has the same active ingredients, route of administration, and strength as a prescription drug approved under provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) regarding adulterated drugs; (2) may be lawfully marketed in, and is imported or reimported from, a qualified country; (3) is dispensed by a licensed pharmacist; (4) is shipped directly to, or is imported by, the ultimate consumer from the qualified country; (5) is shipped or imported in quantities that do not exceed a 90-day supply; and (6) is accompanied by a copy of a valid prescription.
Defines: (1) "drug" for purposes of this Act as excluding any controlled substance; and (2) "qualified country" to mean any of specified countries (Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, a member-state of the European Union, or a country in the European Economic Area) that is determined by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (FDA) to have standards for ensuring drug safety and effectiveness that are at least as protective as U.S. standards.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on December 12, 2013. 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 December 13, 2013: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- 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 113th Congress (2013-14), 296 of the 9,091 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.3 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?
Keith Ellison (D-MN) introduced it on December 12, 2013, and 2 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 1 Democrat, 1 Republican.
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 December 12, 2013, 4655 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4654 days ago, on December 13, 2013.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 113th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2015 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