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S 1256 113th Congress Senate Health Administrative law and regulatory procedures Administrative remedies Department of Health and Human Services Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation Drug therapy Emergency medical services and trauma care Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Health information and medical records Health personnel Livestock Medical tests and diagnostic methods Veterinary medicine and animal diseases

Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2013

Introduced: June 27, 2013 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 113th Congress ended
It never became law before the 113th Congress (2013–2014) 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 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 27, 2013
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Jun 27, 2013
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5503-5504)
Jun 27, 2013
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require an applicant for approval of a new animal drug that is a medically important antimicrobial to demonstrate that there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the nontherapeutic use of the drug. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to refuse approval if the applicant fails to make such a demonstration.

Defines “medically important antimicrobial” as a drug intended for use in food-producing animals and composed wholly or partly of: (1) any kind of specified antibiotics, including penicillin and tetracycline; or (2) a drug from an antimicrobial class that is listed on the World Health Organization’s list of critically important antimicrobials.

Requires the Secretary to withdraw approval for the nontherapeutic use in food-producing animals of a medically important antimicrobial marketed for human use unless the Secretary makes a final written determination that, based on either the application holder's demonstration or an HHS risk analysis, there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the drug's nontherapeutic use.

Requires the Secretary to rescind approval of an exemption for investigational use of, or of approval of a new drug application for, a medically important antimicrobial for its nontherapeutic use in a food-producing animal two years after the exemption is granted or the application for approval is submitted. Exempts from this requirement any drugs for which there has been found a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health.

Prohibits the administration of a medically important antimicrobial (including by means of animal feed) to a food-producing animal for nonroutine disease control unless there is a significant risk that a disease or infection present on the premises will be transmitted to the food-producing animal. Requires the administration of the antimicrobial to be: (1) necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission; (2) for the shortest duration possible to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission; and (3) at a scale no greater than the barn, house, or pen level and to the fewest animals possible to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission.

What's happening now June 27, 2013

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

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1256: Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2013. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-1256/
MLA
"S. 1256: Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2013." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-1256/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1256, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-1256/.
Markdown link
[S. 1256: Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2013](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-1256/)
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