House Bill 547 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Sam JonesRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Creates the Medical Research Supply Assurance and Trade Resilience Act to safeguard critical research and medical supply chains against global trade disruptions.

Summary

HB547 creates a state program and fund to safeguard Alabama's medical research and healthcare supply chains from global trade disruptions by stockpiling essential supplies, supporting domestic substitutes, and improving trade resilience.

What This Bill Does

The bill would establish an Essential Medical Supply Resilience Grant Program to award grants to eligible Alabama hospitals, research universities, biotech companies, and health care facilities facing higher costs, delays, or shortages due to trade disruptions. It would create and maintain a strategic reserve of essential research and clinical supplies and set up a Medical Supply Chain Vulnerability Advisory Board to assess risks and recommend actions. It would provide support to navigate customs and licensing, promote domestic substitutes and in-state production, and create a state treasury fund to administer grants, stockpiles, and reserves. The act would take effect on October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Eligible institutions in Alabama (hospitals, research universities, biotechnology companies, and health care facilities) and their operations, who could receive grants and access the reserve.
• Alabama Department of Public Health, which would administer the program, manage the strategic reserve, and provide implementation support.
• In-state manufacturers and suppliers, which could gain opportunities through grants and partnerships to produce essential inputs.
• Alabama residents indirectly, through improved resilience and stability of medical and research supply availability during global trade disruptions.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Essential Medical Supply Resilience Grant Program to award grants to eligible institutions facing costs, delays, or shortages due to trade instability; grants may fund substitute sourcing, stockpiling, domestic supplier development, or related strategies.
• Requires the department to identify critical imported biomedical inputs at risk, support research into tariff-neutral substitutes, and promote in-state production partnerships; grants prioritized for highest exposure to disruptions.
• Establishes and maintains a strategic reserve of essential research and clinical supplies (reagents, PPE, diagnostic kits, lab consumables) accessible during documented trade disruptions.
• Provides department support for customs clearance, import licensing, and health material regulations, with potential collaboration with federal agencies to expedite barrier resolution.
• Creates the Medical Supply Chain Vulnerability Advisory Board (five members with balanced representation) to assess resilience, recommend policy actions, and issue annual reports; terms and diversity requirements are specified.
• Establishes the Medical Research Supply Assurance and Trade Resilience Program Fund in the State Treasury to fund grants, supplies, and reserves; funds come from gifts, grants, federal funds, or appropriations and are subject to state budgeting laws.
• Authorizes the department to adopt necessary rules to implement the act; makes the act effective October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 3, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health