PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

S. 917: Short on Competition Act

Before you vote › Federal bills

S. 917: Short on Competition Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-03-23 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2021-03-23 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

Short on Competition Act

Plain summary

Short on Competition Act This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide temporary authorization to import certain prescription drugs facing shortages or in a marginally competitive drug market. Specifically, the FDA shall authorize importation of an eligible drug that is lifesaving, life-sustaining, or intended to treat or prevent a debilitating condition. To be eligible, a drug must (1) be facing a shortage, (2) require a prescription, (3) have received market authorization in certain foreign countries, and (4) have the same active ingredient as the drug for which there is a shortage in the United States. The drug's manufacturer must also seek FDA approval for the drug as a generic drug. The import authorization shall be for three years or until the shortage no longer applies, whichever occurs first. Importation shall begin within 60 days of the FDA receiving an application that meets all of the applicable requirements. The FDA may deny importation of a drug for reasons related to safety or effectiveness. Drugs in marginally competitive markets must be treated as being in a shortage for the purposes of this bill and for the purposes of expedited inspections and review. A drug is in a marginally competitive market if (1) there are fewer than five holders of approved applications for commercially available brand-name or generic versions of the drug, (2) the drug has been approved for at least 10 years, and (3) the patents on the drug's active ingredients have expired.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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

Short on Competition Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mike Lee (R-UT), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] reported raising $2.5 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.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong117-s917 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117