A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 6 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 45.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
The "Stop STALLING Act" aims to empower the Federal Trade Commission to prevent the use of sham citizen petitions that interfere with the approval of competing generic drugs or biosimilars. It seeks to promote competition and allow for the efficient review of good-faith petitions regarding public health. The bill defines a "sham" as an objectively baseless petition used to interfere with a competitor's business. Under this Act, submitting such petitions would be considered an unfair method of competition. The Federal Trade Commission would have the authority to commence civil actions to recover penalties against violators.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +7
Does this lower the price of prescription medicines?
By deterring sham petitions that delay generics, the bill helps lower prescription drug costs through increased competition.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Lower drug costs through increased competition benefit low-income households.
- Scored +5
Would middle-income households be better off under this?
Lower drug costs through increased competition benefit middle-class households.
The opposite
- Scored -5
Would business owners be better off under this?
Generic drug manufacturers may benefit from increased competition, while brand-name drug makers may face increased penalties and competition.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Fostering Competition and Efficiency: The bill aims to foster competition and facilitate the efficient review of petitions that are filed in good faith to raise legitimate public health concerns (Section 2).
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Deterrence of Sham Petitions: By enabling the Federal Trade Commission to deter the filing of sham citizen petitions, the bill seeks to prevent interference with the approval of competing generic drugs or biosimilars (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Civil Penalties for Violators: Any person found liable for submitting a sham covered petition or series of covered petitions could face significant civil penalties. These penalties may be up to the greater of any revenue earned from the sale of the drug product referenced in the petition during the review period or $50,000 for each calendar day the petition was under review (Section 2(c)(4)).
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Presumption of Sham Status: A covered petition may be presumed to be part of a sham series if the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines it was submitted primarily to delay the approval of a covered application and refers that determination to the Commission in writing (Section 2(c)(2)).
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 households on low incomes be better off under this? — Lower drug costs through increased competition benefit low-income households. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Lower drug costs through increased competition benefit middle-class households. Would retired people be better off under this? — Reduced drug costs benefit retirees who rely on prescription medications. Would business owners be better off under this? — Generic drug manufacturers may benefit from increased competition, while brand-name drug makers may face increased penalties and competition.
- Healthcare
- Does this lower the price of prescription medicines? — By deterring sham petitions that delay generics, the bill helps lower prescription drug costs through increased competition.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill protects consumers by fostering competition and preventing delays in the availability of lower-cost generic drugs.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands the Federal Trade Commission's authority to take civil actions against entities filing sham petitions.
- 4/10/2025
- Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley without amendment. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 45.
- 4/3/2025
- Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- 3/24/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 6 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Ted CruzRepublican · Texas
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Chuck GrassleyRepublican · Iowa
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont