H.R. 4169: Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2004

108th Congress · introduced 2004-04-02 · Health · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2004-04-02 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Weldon, Dave [R-FL-15] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2004

Plain summary

Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem a banned mercury-containing vaccine to be adulterated. Amends the Public Health Service Act to deem a vaccine to be a banned mercury-containing vaccine if: (1) one dose of the vaccine contains 1 or more micrograms of mercury in any form; or (2) the vaccine contains any thimerosal and is listed in the current version of the recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to declare that an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or other public health emergency makes the administration of such vaccines advisable for a specified period. Specifies different effective dates of the provisions of this Act for particular vaccines. Requires the Secretary to revise the vaccine information included with thimerosal-containing vaccines to include: (1) a statement that indicates the presence of thimerosal in the vaccine; (2) information on the availability of any thimerosal-free or thimerosal-reduced alternative vaccine and instructions on how to obtain such an alternative vaccine; and (3) a recommendation against administration of any thimerosal-containing vaccine to a pregnant woman. Expresses the sense of Congress that the CDC should disseminate, with any vaccine-related information, a recommendation against administration of any thimerosal-containing vaccine to a pregnant woman.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2004

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Weldon, Dave [R-FL-15] · 53 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108hr4169.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/hr>

Record fed-us-cong108-hr4169 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108