S. 5265
USTRx Act
Sponsor: Tim Sheehy
2 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Use Sovereignty To reduce Rx Act or the USTRx Act
This bill establishes the role of Chief Pharmaceutical Trade Negotiator within the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The negotiator must conduct trade negotiations, enforce trade agreements relating to U.S. pharmaceutical products, and address acts, policies, or practices of high-income countries that adversely impact the market access of U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The USTR must annually compile a list of high-income countries based on official statistics of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of the World Bank. Based on that list, the negotiator must submit a report describing (1) such countries' actions and impacts relating to the pharmaceutical trade, and (2) the current status of any responsive actions taken by the United States.
The bill also requires the USTR to submit to Congress a plan to respond to certain adverse acts, policies, or practices of high-income countries that are related to the trade of pharmaceutical products.
Text of the bill
Not later than 30 days after the United States Trade Representative determines that an act, policy, or practice of a country included in the most recent list required under section 4(a) meets any of the criteria described in section 4(b)(2), the United States Trade Representative shall submit to Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a plan to respond to the act, policy, or practice, which may include initiating an investigation under title III of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2411 et seq.), in accordance with section 302(b)(1) of that Act.