Kevin Mullin (D-CA)
Getting Innovations to Patients During Shutdowns Act
A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is called the Getting Innovations to Patients During Shutdowns Act. It changes the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deal with government shutdowns. Specifically, it creates special rules for human drug and medical device submissions when there is a lapse in appropriations. During a funding lapse, the Secretary may accept certain drug and device applications even if the required fees have not been paid yet. The bill extends the deadline for paying these fees until 7 days after the shutdown ends. However, if the fees are not paid by that new deadline, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be approved.
Yes· 3 of 11
- Scored +3
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
Ensures the FDA can continue processing human drug and medical device submissions during funding lapses, helping innovations reach patients faster.
- Scored +2
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
Seniors heavily rely on new drugs and medical devices, making uninterrupted FDA reviews advantageous.
- Scored +2
Would business owners be better off under this?
Helps medical product developers avoid costly delays during government shutdowns.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Continued review during government shutdowns: Under Section 2(a) and Section 2(b), the Secretary is allowed to accept complete human drug and device submissions during a lapse in appropriations even if the required fees have not been paid yet, which keeps the review process moving forward when it otherwise might have stalled.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Penalties for missing the extended payment deadline: Under Section 2(a) and Section 2(b), if a person fails to pay the required fee by the extended deadline (which is 7 days after the last day of the funding lapse), the Secretary will deem the application not accepted and will not clear, authorize, or approve the application until the fee is paid.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Helps medical product developers avoid costly delays during government shutdowns. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Seniors heavily rely on new drugs and medical devices, making uninterrupted FDA reviews advantageous. Would children be better off under this? — Maintains regulatory oversight and approval timelines for pediatric medications and devices during shutdowns. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Ensures continued review of medical products beneficial to health. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Ensures continuous review of assistive medical devices and health treatments. Would women be better off under this? — Ensures continuous review of medical devices and drugs relevant to women's health. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Ensures continued review of medical products beneficial to health.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Beneficial for smaller pharmaceutical and medical device companies seeking continuous application reviews during government funding lapses. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Allows continued review of drug and device applications during government shutdowns, minimizing economic disruption for the healthcare sector.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Ensures the FDA can continue processing human drug and medical device submissions during funding lapses, helping innovations reach patients faster.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Grants the FDA authority to manage fee deadlines and review processes during government funding lapses.
- 7/9/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced in House