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Biomaterials Access Assurance Act of 1998

Public Law 105-230 · H.R. 872 · 105th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Aug 13, 1998 · Commerce

Sponsor: Rep. George Gekas (R-PA-17)

Cosponsors (135): Rep. Brian Bilbray,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Biomaterials Access Assurance Act of 1998 - Provides that, in any civil action covered by this Act, a biomaterials supplier (one who supplies components or raw materials used to manufacture implants) may raise any exclusion set forth in section 5 and move for dismissal or summary judgment under section 6 of this Act.

(Sec. 5) Exempts a biomaterials supplier from liability for harm to a claimant caused by an implant, with exceptions in the case of a supplier who: (1) is a registered manufacturer of the implant; (2) held title to the implant and then acted as a seller after the implant's initial sale by the manufacturer (or is related by common ownership or control to such a seller); or (3) furnishes raw materials or components that fail to meet applicable contractual requirements or specifications. Declares that a supplier may be considered a manufacturer of an implant, for purposes of such civil actions, only if the supplier registered or was required to register with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and included or was required to include the implant on a list of devices filed pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

(Sec. 6) Sets forth procedures relating to the dismissal of civil actions against suppliers.

(Sec. 7) Allows, on a motion by a manufacturer or a claimant within a specified period after final judgment, a biomaterials supplier who was earlier dismissed from the action to be impleaded (brought back into the action) in certain circumstances.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Energy and Commerce Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee
  • Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.

  1. Aug 13, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-230.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Aug 4, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Jul 30, 1998FloorFloor · Received in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  8. FloorFloor · Mr. Gekas asked unanimous consent to discharge the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and consider.
  9. Jul 14, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
  10. Jun 24, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Energy and Commerce Committee
  11. Jun 17, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  13. May 22, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
  14. Apr 1, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
  15. Sep 11, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  17. Jun 12, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  18. May 9, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  19. Mar 14, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  20. Feb 27, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  22. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.