Bipartisan Health Bills Face Critical Public Health Vote

Why It Matters

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is moving two bipartisan health bills toward a floor vote, with a legislative hearing scheduled for Wednesday, May 13.

The bills on the table (one that would extend the federal government's cord blood and stem cell research programs, and another that would give the FDA broader authority to destroy dangerous imported goods at the border) reflect a rare patch of common ground in a committee better known lately for Medicaid fights. Both have attracted lobbying from patient advocacy groups and pharmaceutical companies, and both carry real consequences for public health infrastructure.

The subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), with Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) serving as ranking member. The full Energy and Commerce Committee is chaired by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY).

The Stem Cell Bill

H.R. 5160, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2025, would extend the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program through 2031 and increase its annual funding from $31 million to $33 million. It would also push back the deadline for maintaining the National Cord Blood Inventory from 2026 to 2031, giving federally supported programs additional time to collect and store cord blood units used in life-saving transplants.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and has drawn bipartisan cosponsors, including several committee members: Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), and Cliff Bentz (R-OR).

The lobbying trail behind the bill reflects organized advocacy from the medical community. The NMDP (formerly the National Marrow Donor Program) disclosed $110,000 in lobbying activity in the first quarter of 2026 that specifically cited H.R. 5160, listing "Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2025, Cellular Transplant related issues and initiatives; and Reauthorization related issues" among its lobbying priorities. The same organization separately disclosed $320,000 in first-quarter 2026 lobbying focused on continued funding for the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program.

The Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies also listed the bill in its 2026 filings, and a separate organization disclosed $10,000 in lobbying specifically aimed at securing passage of H.R. 5160. The New York Blood Center disclosed $10,000 in first-quarter 2026 lobbying on cord blood storage regulation, and Secretome Therapeutics disclosed $30,000 related to neonatal stem cell research education.

The C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program has been reauthorized repeatedly on a bipartisan basis since its original authorization. The current authorization expires in 2026, making this committee markup session a necessary step before the deadline.

The Hazardous Imports Bill

H.R. 2715, the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act, would expand the FDA's authority to destroy imported goods that pose a significant public health risk, going beyond the agency's current authority, which is limited to drugs and devices.

Under the bill, the Secretary of Health and Human Services could order the destruction of any article refused entry at U.S. borders that the Secretary determines presents a significant public health concern. Moving or introducing such articles into interstate commerce without authorization would become illegal. The FDA would be required to finalize implementing regulations within 90 days of enactment.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) and includes bipartisan cosponsors, among them committee members Reps. Troy Carter Sr. (D-LA) and Bilirakis.

Lobbying related to the bill's core policy area has been active. The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies disclosed $50,000 in first-quarter 2026 lobbying that explicitly cited "FDA Destruction Authority" among its issues, alongside drug supply chain security and the dangers of counterfeit medicines and drug importation. Novo Nordisk disclosed $20,000 in first-quarter 2026 lobbying on "issues related to tariffs and importation of counterfeit drugs" and compounding and counterfeit drug concerns.

The bill fits within a broader congressional focus on import safety that has surfaced repeatedly in the subcommittee's work, including attention to FDA food safety oversight and pharmaceutical supply chain vulnerabilities.

The Broader Context

The subcommittee held a hearing in April titled "Healthier America: Legislative Proposals to Improve Public Health," which served as a legislative precursor to this committee markup session, advancing bills through the standard subcommittee review process before a formal vote.

The full markup covers ten pieces of legislation. The hearing data identifies H.R. 5160 and H.R. 2715 specifically; the remaining eight bills on the agenda were not identified in available data.

The two confirmed bills represent a narrow but consequential slice of health policy. One extends a program that helps match patients with life-saving transplants. The other gives federal regulators more tools to keep dangerous imported products off U.S. shelves. Neither is expected to generate significant opposition, and the bipartisan cosponsor lists on both suggest the congressional markup hearing is more likely to be procedural than contentious.

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