# Plain Language Summary: MEDS in America Act

The federal government wants to help train more American workers to make medicines and vaccines. Right now, the pharmaceutical industry sometimes struggles to find enough skilled workers for manufacturing jobs, so this bill creates a training program to fix that problem. The government will give grants of up to $1 million per year to colleges and apprenticeship programs that partner with drug manufacturers to teach people how to work in these facilities. Up to 20 different training centers can receive these grants, and each grant can last for up to five years.

The bill sets aside $100 million total for this program over five years (2022-2026), with a requirement that at least 20 percent of that money goes to historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. This means the government is specifically trying to make sure these training opportunities reach underrepresented communities. To qualify for a grant, schools or apprenticeship programs must already have a partnership agreement with at least one pharmaceutical company and must show they have a solid plan to teach workers the specific skills needed—things like operating sterile manufacturing equipment, making vaccines, and using newer continuous manufacturing techniques.

The program is designed to address a real need in the industry. As pharmaceutical companies try to bring more drug manufacturing back to the United States (rather than relying on overseas production), they need workers trained in these specialized skills. By funding training centers, the government hopes to create a pipeline of qualified workers ready to fill these jobs. Two years after the program starts, Congress will get a report evaluating whether it's working and what else might be needed to support pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs in America.

MEDS in America Act

Butterfield, G. K.

Making Essential Drugs in America Act or the MEDS in America Act This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration to provide grants for institutions to establish centers for recruiting and training biopharmaceutical manufacturing workers. Eligible institutions include institutions of higher education and entities conducting registered apprenticeship programs.