FDA User Fee Bill Easily Passes the House, On Pace for July Approval

The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) is set to be voted on in the Senate next week after receiving overwhelming approval from legislators in the US House of Representatives on 20 June.

The user fee legislation would reauthorize and make changes to a number of existing programs that provide industry funding for activities at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as make a litany of changes at the agency.

FDASIA is among the largest and-surprisingly-least controversial pieces of legislation to be considered in either chamber of Congress so far this session. The measure passed by a voice vote on 20 June, while earlier votes on the measure enjoyed near-unanimous support in both the House and Senate.

Some legislators said it represented a refreshing change of pace in an otherwise partisan Congress. "This bipartisan bill shows what Congress can accomplish when we focus on the important work of the American people," said Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Mike Enzi (R-WY). "We look forward to Senate passage next week and then sending a bill to the President for his signature."

"This bipartisan agreement represents more than 18 months of work from the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee," said Subcommittee Chairman Joe Pitts (R-PA). "[FDASIA] is a reflection of the hard work put in by both members [of Congress] and staff," added Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI).

If the bill remains on a similar pace through the Senate, it could be signed into law by President Barack Obama as early as the first week in July 2012.

Read more:

The Hill - House cheers, approves FDA reform bill

Bloomberg - House Passes Compromise FDA Reauthorization Measure

Politico - House extends FDA user fees

Harkin-Enzi Statement on House Passage of Bipartisan FDA User Fee Legislation

Upton, Pitts Statements on the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act