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S. 1604 117th Congress Senate

Operation Warp Speed Act of 2021

Official title: A bill to codify the successes of rapid development of safe vaccines through Operation Warp Speed, for the next administration to use as a guide in the event of another pandemic.

Introduced: May 13, 2021 Introduced by: Tom Cotton Republican · Arkansas See on congress.gov
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Department of Health and Human ServicesDrug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulationEmergency medical services and trauma careExecutive agency funding and structureGovernment studies and investigationsHealth technology, devices, suppliesImmunology and vaccinationInfectious and parasitic diseasesLicensing and registrationsManufacturingMedical researchMedical tests and diagnostic methodsPublic contracts and procurementStrategic materials and reserves
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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 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 13, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
May 13, 2021
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action May 13, 2021

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

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Operation Warp Speed Act of 2021

This bill modifies procedures for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and provides additional authority to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for vaccine production in response to a public health emergency. It also makes changes to the administration of the Strategic National Stockpile. (An EUA temporarily authorizes use of an otherwise unapproved medical product or device in certain emergency situations.)

Among other modifications, the bill places additional requirements on EUA approvals. Specifically, HHS may only approve an EUA if, after consulting four specified agencies, at least three of them vote to grant approval. Currently, HHS's authority to approve an EUA, which it has delegated to the Food and Drug Administration, is not limited by the votes of consulting agencies.

Additionally, the bill authorizes the use of HHS funds to produce a vaccine before it is licensed or authorized in response to a public health emergency. The bill also establishes the Office of Operation Warp Speed within the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to expedite the production of vaccines and medical countermeasures to respond to public health emergencies.

With respect to the Strategic National Stockpile, HHS must assess, as part of its annual threat-based review, the levels of and supply chains for materials in the stockpile. HHS must also give priority to domestic manufacturers when procuring materials for the stockpile. If materials cannot be sourced domestically, HHS must give priority to manufacturers that are not located in China.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 3

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

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Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1604: Operation Warp Speed Act of 2021. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-1604/
MLA
"S. 1604: Operation Warp Speed Act of 2021." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-1604/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1604, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-1604/.
Markdown link
[S. 1604: Operation Warp Speed Act of 2021](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-1604/)
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