This bill is designed to boost America's ability to make protective equipment at home when disease outbreaks or emergencies happen. Right now, the U.S. relies heavily on imported protective gear like masks and gloves, which can create supply problems during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to set up a program that buys protective equipment directly from American manufacturers—specifically companies that are owned and run by U.S. citizens. The government will work with the Defense and Homeland Security departments to make this happen. The key requirement is that when the federal government buys protective equipment, it must come from domestic sources whenever possible. States and local governments that use federal money to buy this equipment must follow the same rule.

The bill also asks the government to study what happened with protective equipment requirements during COVID-19 and how those changes affected healthcare workers. This research will help inform future decisions about keeping supplies available and protecting workers during the next health emergency. Overall, the goal is to make sure America has a reliable, homegrown supply of protective equipment ready to go when needed, rather than depending on other countries.

Domestic SUPPLY Act of 2023

Griffith, H. Morgan

Domestic Security Using Production Partnerships and Lessons from Yesterday Act of 2023 or the Domestic SUPPLY Act of 2023 This bill establishes a program and sets out other requirements to promote domestic manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE) for infectious diseases and other public health emergencies. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish a program to enter into purchasing agreements for PPE produced domestically by manufacturers that are majority-owned and -operated by U.S. citizens. HHS must coordinate with the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security on this program. In addition, the federal government must only procure, subject to limited exceptions, PPE that is produced domestically to prevent the transmission of an infectious disease. If using federal funds, states or localities must also procure PPE domestically. Further, the bill requires HHS to consult with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on a report about changes to federal requirements for PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of those changes on health care workers who cared for patients in 2020 and 2021.