By Wyeth Ruthven, Director of Congressional Relations and Public Relations, Health Industry Distributors Association
Supply chain disruptions have been a regular occurrence in the news. We’ve seen the consequences of delay on grocery shelves … and at the doctor’s office. Over the last several years, transportation delays posed significant healthcare challenges. Research by HIDA revealed that 31,000-46,000 containers of critical medical supplies encountered delays averaging 29 days within the transportation system. These delays, amounting to tons of medical products, impacted providers and patients alike.
Fortunately, Congress has begun to act.
The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee recently approved H.R. 6140, the Facilitate Access to Swiftly Transport Goods during a Publicly Announced State of Emergency Situation (FAST PASS) Act. H.R. 6140 is a bipartisan bill introduced by Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS) and John Garamendi (D-CA). The FAST PASS Act directs the Secretary of Transportation to initiate a study to examine efforts to expedite the movement of critical cargo across all modes of transportation during emergencies.
Both members of Congress hailed the progress of this legislation:
“The FAST PASS Act will help our supply chains respond faster to emergencies like hurricanes and pandemics,” said Congressman Ezell. “I was proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Congressman Garamendi, and I am grateful to our colleagues on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for advancing it to the House floor.”
“Congestion and supply chain crunches at American ports for emergency supplies and other critical cargo can be a matter of life and death,” said Congressman Garamendi. “I am pleased to have co-authored the FAST PASS Act with Congressman Ezell to ensure the U.S. Department of Transportation can expedite delivery of critical cargo at our nation’s ports when American jobs and, even more importantly, lives are on the line.”
HIDA has been working on Fast Pass for several years. This effort first began as a public-private partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic between healthcare distributors and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Thanks to Fast Pass, these ports saw an improvement in the flow of medical products. Shipping lines, terminal operators, dockworkers, and truckers all worked together to reduce the time of delivery of the much-needed medical supplies.
More remains to be done, but HIDA is optimistic that this bill will become law. We applaud Congress for acting in a bipartisan fashion to streamline the medical supply chain. The FAST PASS Act underscores our commitment to enhancing preparedness, and is crucial for bolstering resilience in times of crisis.