United States · Bill · HR
H.R. 2470 (108th)
MEDDS Act
Introduced
12 June 2003
Last action
19 June 2003 · Referred
Status
Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
Sponsors
Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43], Rep. Kucinich, Dennis J. [D-OH-10], Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12], Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13], Rep. Crowley, Joseph [D-NY-14], Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10], Rep. McNulty, Michael R. [D-NY-23], Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13], Del. Christensen, Donna M. [D-VI-At Large], Rep. Evans, Lane [D-IL-17], Rep. Owens, Major R. [D-NY-11], Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7], Rep. Andrews, Robert E. [D-NJ-1], Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-11]
Subjects
Healthcare
Source updated
18 August 2025
Summary
Medicines to Eliminate Diseases in Developing States Act or MEDDS Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to encourage developing countries and pharmaceutical companies to make medicines for HIV/AIDS and other diseases available without charge or at affordable prices in developing countries. Prohibits agencies from obligating or expending Federal funds to seek the revocation or revision of any intellectual property or competition law or policy of a developing country that regulates medicines for HIV/AIDS and other diseases, if the law or policy promotes access to such medicines for the population of the country. Prohibits the USTR from initiating a proceeding in the World Trade Organization (WTO) challenging any law or policy of a developing country that promotes such access. Requires the President to direct the U.S. respresentative to the WTO to urge the WTO to exempt developing countries from the application of any provision of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) or other trade agreements that would prohibit or restrict those countries from establishing law or policy promoting access to medicines for HIV/AIDS and other diseases for their populations, and to support full implementation of the Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health. Requires the USTR to oppose the inclusion in future trade agreements of any provision that would prohibit or otherwise restrict developing countries from establishing or implementing the laws or policies encouraged by this Act.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
12 June 2003
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Source: IntroReferral
12 June 2003
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Source: IntroReferral
12 June 2003
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
12 June 2003
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
19 June 2003
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
Source: Committee
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Introduced in House · 12 June 2003 · Download file
Documents
3 official files
Introduced in House (text)
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Introduced in House (text)
Introduced in House · EN · 12 June 2003
Introduced in House (PDF)
Introduced in House · EN · 12 June 2003
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Introduced in House
summary · EN · 12 June 2003
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Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Sponsors
- Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Kucinich, Dennis J. [D-OH-10] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Crowley, Joseph [D-NY-14] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. McNulty, Michael R. [D-NY-23] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13] · D · Cosponsor
- Del. Christensen, Donna M. [D-VI-At Large] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Evans, Lane [D-IL-17] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Owens, Major R. [D-NY-11] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Andrews, Robert E. [D-NJ-1] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-11] · D · Cosponsor
- · hswm00 · Standing
- · hsfa00 · Standing
Related records
No cross-record relationships stored yet.
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/2470
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/108/hr/2470
- us · 108-hr-2470 · source updated 18 August 2025