Skip to main content
HR 1629 117th Congress House Health Competition and antitrust Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation Licensing and registrations Marketing and advertising Prescription drugs

Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act

Introduced: March 8, 2021 Introduced by: Dean, Madeleine Democratic · Pennsylvania See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 117th Congress ended
It never became law before the 117th Congress (2021–2022) 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 19 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 20, 2021
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
May 19, 2021
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
May 19, 2021
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 402 - 23 (Roll no. 150). (text: CR H2561)
May 19, 2021
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2572-2573)
May 19, 2021
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 1629, the Chair put the question on passage and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mrs. Greene (GA) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of passage until a time to be announced.
May 19, 2021
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 1629.
May 19, 2021
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1629 and H. Res. 275. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 1629 under a closed rule and H. Res. 275 under a closed rule. The resolution provides for one hour of debate on both the bill and resolution. The rule provides that H. Res. 398 is hereby adopted. The rule provides at any time through the legislative day of Thursday, May 20, 2021, the Speaker may entertain motions offered by the Majority Leader or designee with respect to multiple measures that were object of motions to suspend the rules on the legislative days of May 17 or 18, 2021.
May 19, 2021
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 403. (consideration: CR H2560-2563)
May 19, 2021
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
May 17, 2021
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 403 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1629 and H. Res. 275. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 1629 under a closed rule and H. Res. 275 under a closed rule. The resolution provides for one hour of debate on both the bill and resolution. The rule provides that H. Res. 398 is hereby adopted. The rule provides at any time through the legislative day of Thursday, May 20, 2021, the Speaker may entertain motions offered by the Majority Leader or designee with respect to multiple measures that were object of motions to suspend the rules on the legislative days of May 17 or 18, 2021.
May 11, 2021
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2184-2185)
May 11, 2021
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
May 11, 2021
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1629.
May 11, 2021
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2181-2183; text: CR H2181-2182)
May 11, 2021
Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
May 11, 2021
Failed of passage/not agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 250 - 168 (Roll no. 134).
Mar 9, 2021
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Mar 8, 2021
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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.
Mar 8, 2021
Introduced in House
 Votes taken on this bill 2
DateChamberWhat was voted onResultYes–No
May 19, 2021 House · vote #150 On Passage Passed 402–23 See who voted →
May 11, 2021 House · vote #134 On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Failed 250–168 See who voted →
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act

This bill limits which orphan drugs may be granted a market exclusivity period by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (Generally, an orphan drug is one that is not economically viable because of the rarity of the disease that it treats. The sponsor of an FDA-designated orphan drug may be granted various incentives, such as a seven-year period in which the FDA may not grant market approval to a different sponsor for the same drug to treat the same disease.)

Under this bill, if a drug is designated as an orphan drug on the basis that there is no reasonable expectation that the sponsor will recover the costs of developing and distributing the drug from U.S. sales, the drug shall be granted the seven-year exclusivity period only if the sponsor demonstrates that there is no reasonable expectation that it will recover such costs specifically within its first 12 years of U.S. sales of the drug. This requirement shall also apply retroactively to an orphan drug that was granted such an exclusivity period before this bill's enactment.

When deciding whether an orphan drug meets this requirement, the FDA shall consider the sales of all drugs from the sponsor that are covered by the same orphan drug designation.

What's happening now May 20, 2021

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

 Related & companion bills 2
  • S 250 Related bill Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act
  • HRES 403 Related bill Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1629) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to l…
 Bill text 3 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Democratic 1 Republican 1
R
Fitzpatrick, Brian K.
Pennsylvania · May 11, 2021
 D
Veasey, Marc A.
Texas · Mar 8, 2021
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1629: Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-1629/
MLA
"H.R. 1629: Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-1629/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1629, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-1629/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1629: Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-1629/)
Report a problem