H.Res. 242: Affirming the importance of the Orphan Drug Act, celebrating the over 750 new orphan therapies approved since its creation, and recognizing the need to continue supporting research and development for rare diseases.

H.Res. 242: Affirming the importance of the Orphan Drug Act, celebrating the over 750 new orphan therapies approved since its creation, and recognizing the need to continue supporting research and development for rare diseases.

116th Congress · introduced 2019-03-18 · Health · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-03-18 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1] · 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

Affirming the importance of the Orphan Drug Act, celebrating the over 750 new orphan therapies approved since its creation, and recognizing the need to continue supporting research and development for rare diseases.

Plain summary

This resolution applauds the growth in research and development into new therapies for rare diseases and recognizes that significant research and development efforts and related investments are needed to develop therapies to treat and cure thousands of rare diseases for which no treatment options are currently available.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

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

Affirming the importance of the Orphan Drug Act, celebrating the over 750 new orphan therapies approved since its creation, and recognizing the need to continue supporting research and development for rare diseases.

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. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), Susie Lee (D-NV), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Joe Neguse (D-CO)

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.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote: A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hres242.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hres>

Record fed-us-cong116-hres242 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116