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S 1700 112th Congress Senate

Medical Device Regulatory Improvement Act

Official title: A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to device review determinations and conflicts of interest, and for other purposes.

Introduced: October 13, 2011 Introduced by: Klobuchar, Amy Democratic · Minnesota See on congress.gov
Health Advisory bodiesCongressional oversightDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDrug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Government ethics and transparency, public corruptionGovernment studies and investigationsHealth technology, devices, supplies
This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 13, 2011
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Oct 13, 2011
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action October 13, 2011

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Medical Device Regulatory Improvement Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in determining the least burdensome appropriate means of evaluating device effectiveness, to: (1) not request information unrelated or irrelevant to demonstration of reasonable assurance of device safety and effectiveness; (2) consider alternative approaches to evaluating device safety and effectiveness; (3) use all reasonable mechanisms to lessen review times and render regulatory decisions; (4) determine whether pre-clinical data can meet the statutory threshold for approval; and (5) utilize, whenever practicable, alternatives to randomized, controlled clinical trials if clinical data are needed.

Requires the Secretary, in determining the least burdensome means of determining substantial equivalence, to: (1) focus on whether the device has the same intended use as the predicate device and is as safe and effective as a legally marketed device, (2) not request or accept information unrelated or irrelevant to the substantial equivalence evaluation, (3) review the labeling of the device to assess the intended use of the device and not evaluate issues that do not present a major impact on the intended use as set forth in the labeling, (4) consider alternative approaches to evaluating substantial equivalence, and (5) use all reasonable mechanisms to lessen review times and render regulatory decisions.

Repeals conflict-of-interest provisions that are specific to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and provides for the continued applicability of conflict-of-interest provisions otherwise applicable to advisory committees, federal employees, and special government employees.

Requires the Secretary to contract with an eligible entity for a review of the management and regulatory processes at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1700: Medical Device Regulatory Improvement Act. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1700/
MLA
"S. 1700: Medical Device Regulatory Improvement Act." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1700/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1700, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1700/.
Markdown link
[S. 1700: Medical Device Regulatory Improvement Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1700/)
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