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Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017

Public Law 115-176 · S. 204 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on May 30, 2018 · Health

Sponsor: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)

Cosponsors (46): Sen. John Barrasso,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 250 yea, 169 nay250–169
  • 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.

Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017

(Sec.2)This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt, from specified requirements and restrictions under that Act and other laws, the provision of certain unapproved, investigational drugs to a terminally ill patient who has exhausted approved treatment options and is unable to participate in a clinical trial involving the drugs. The manufacturer or sponsor of an eligible investigational drug must report annually to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on any use of the drug in accordance with these provisions. The FDA shall post an annual summary report of such use on its website.

The bill limits the liability of a sponsor, manufacturer, prescriber, or dispenser that provides, or declines to provide, an eligible investigational drug to an eligible patient in accordance with the bill.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 250 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

250 yea169 nay8 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(22)

Republicans who voted yea(228)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 921 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

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

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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Related bills

4 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 878Related bill

    Right to Try Act of 2017

  • H.R. 2368Related bill

    Right to Try Act

  • H.R. 5247Related bill

    Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2018

  • H.Res. 905Procedurally-relatedRelated bill

    Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5515) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel st…

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. May 30, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-176.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. May 24, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. May 22, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by recorded vote: 250 - 169 (Roll no. 214).House roll call 214
  6. FloorFloor · On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 187 - 231 (Roll no. 213).House roll call 213
  7. FloorFloor · The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to strike everything after section 1 and insert a completely n…
  9. FloorFloor · Ms. Schakowsky moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. (CR H4363)
  10. FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  11. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on S. 204.
  12. FloorFloor · Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5515, S. 204 and S. 2155. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 5515, S. 204 and S. 2155. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 2155 and S. 204 under a closed rule. Also, the resolution provides for consi…
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 905.
  14. May 21, 2018FloorFloor · Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 905 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5515, S. 204 and S. 2155. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 5515, S. 204 and S. 2155. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 2155 and S. 204 un…
  15. Aug 11, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  16. Aug 4, 2017FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  18. Aug 3, 2017FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  19. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  20. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  22. Jan 24, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 753SenateSen. Ron JohnsonR-WI· offered Aug 3, 2017Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Aug 3, 2017: Amendment SA 753 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.