The bill
Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Amendments
S. 2292, 119th Congress β read as touching Pharmaceuticals.
Sponsored by
Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]
ID: B001299
Follow the money
The bill
S. 2292, 119th Congress β read as touching Pharmaceuticals.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 152.
September 7, 2025
π Current Status
Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of our esteemed Congress. Let's dissect this monstrosity and expose the underlying diseases that plague our system.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's title, "Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Amendments," is a mouthful of bureaucratic jargon. In plain English, it's about revising and extending the user fee program for over-the-counter (OTC) monograph drugs. The main purpose? To line the pockets of pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists, while pretending to care about public health.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill makes several changes to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including:
* Revising the definition of OTC monograph drugs to include new testing procedures (Section 3) * Authorizing the FDA to assess and use fees for OTC monograph drug activities (Section 4)
These changes are nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to increase revenue streams for pharmaceutical companies. The "voluntary consensus standard" language in Section 3 is particularly laughable, as it's just a euphemism for "industry-friendly regulations."
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are involved:
* Pharmaceutical companies: They'll benefit from the increased fees and relaxed regulations. * Lobbyists: They'll reap the rewards of their efforts to influence lawmakers. * FDA: They'll get more funding, but at the cost of compromised regulatory oversight.
As for the public? Don't worry, they'll just get more expensive OTC medications with dubious safety profiles.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of "regulatory capture," where industry interests hijack the legislative process to serve their own agenda. The consequences will be:
* Increased costs for consumers * Decreased regulatory oversight, leading to potential public health risks * Further entrenchment of pharmaceutical companies' influence over lawmakers
In short, this bill is a symptom of a deeper disease: the corrupting influence of money in politics. It's just another example of how our system prioritizes profits over people.
Diagnosis: Terminal stupidity, with a side of corruption and greed.
Treatment: None. The patient (our political system) is beyond saving.
Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 3 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: K000384
Top Contributors
10
ID: K000394
Top Contributors
10
ID: H001104
Top Contributors
0
No contribution data available
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 44 nodes and 27 connections (43 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $146,421
Showing top 18 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 helped, 1 harmed.
The bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise and extend the user fee program for over-the-counter monograph drugs, imposing fees on manufacturers of OTC monograph drugs (Section 4, Authority to Assess and Use OTC Monograph Fees). This constitutes a clear cost to pharmaceutical companies that produce OTC drugs.
Section 6 (Treatment of Active Ingredients for Topical Administration) amends Section 505G to include evidence and testing standards for active ingredients for topical administration, which may benefit hospitals and health systems by expanding OTC options for topical treatments, reducing prescription burden and costs.
Section 7 (Increasing the Clarity and Predictability of the Process for Developing Applications for Rx-to-Nonprescription Switches) includes a GAO report requirement to analyze health insurance claims data for commonly prescribed drugs suitable for Rx-to-OTC switches, which could help health insurers by potentially lowering drug costs through increased OTC availability.
Section 6's emphasis on evidence and testing standards for topical active ingredients, including real-world evidence and non-animal testing methods, may benefit biotech firms involved in developing new OTC monograph drugs or alternative testing technologies.
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.