S. 3622: Protecting Patients and Hospitals From Price Gouging Act

Before you vote › Federal bills

S. 3622: Protecting Patients and Hospitals From Price Gouging Act

112th Congress · introduced 2012-09-22 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Save to my notebook What does this mean? Print

Official title

Protecting Patients and Hospitals From Price Gouging Act

Plain summary

Protecting Patients and Hospitals From Price Gouging Act - Authorizes the President to issue an executive order declaring a market shortage for six months with regard to one or more vital drugs if the total supply of all clinically interchangeable versions of a drug regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is inadequate to meet the current or projected demand at the user level. Defines a "vital drug" as any drug or biologic used to prevent or treat a serious or life-threatening disease or medical condition, for which there is no other available source with sufficient supply available. Makes it unlawful, when the President issues such an executive order, for any person to sell vital drugs at a price that: (1) is unreasonably excessive, and (2) indicates that the seller is taking unfair advantage of the circumstances related to a market shortage to increase prices unreasonably during that period. Gives the Attorney General authority to enforce penalties under this Act. Makes any person who sells, or offers to sell, any vital drug during a declared market shortage with the knowledge and intent to charge a price unreasonably excessive under the circumstances guilty of an offense and subject to injunction and penalties. Applies such sanctions, except to a hospital or a physician, in the geographical area where the vital drug market shortage has been declared and to all wholesalers and distributors in the chain of distribution. Sets forth factors for the Attorney General to consider in determining whether an alleged violator's price was unreasonably excessive. Makes a declaration under this Act terminate if: (1) there is enacted a law terminating the market shortage after a national market shortage is declared, or (2) the President issues a proclamation terminating the declaration. Authorizes the President to renew such a market shortage declaration if the severe shortage continues to affect the health and well-being of citizens beyond the initial six-month period.

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

What a vote does

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

The strongest published arguments

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] reported raising $1.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 Senate)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112s3622.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/s>

Record fed-us-cong112-s3622 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112