May 12, 2021

President Biden Delivers First Speech to Joint Session of Congress; Reveals American Families Plan   President Biden delivered his first in-person speech to Congress as President while announcing his “American Families Plan.” The American Families Plan proposes to provide for additional educational opportunities for all Americans, extend middle-class tax cuts and create a national paid sick leave program.   President Biden’s fact sheet on the American Families Plan is available here.   Biden Administration Announces Support for WTO TRIPS Waiver Meanwhile, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced that the United States would support a proposed “TRIPS” waiver at the World Trade Organization. The waiver – if approved – would waive intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines. BioNJ believes there are alternatives – such as BIO’s proposed Global SHARE Program – rather than waiving intellectual property rights that would better ensure global vaccine access. Despite the U.S. change in policy on the proposed waiver, there remain several countries – including Germany, the U.K. and others - opposed to the waiver. Given All WTO members are required to support the waiver for it to move forward, we await the next steps in the process.    Subcommittees Hold Drug Pricing Hearing The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and the Committee on Education and Labor Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee each held separate hearings to investigate a number of drug pricing proposals. H.R. 3, the reference pricing proposal recently unveiled by Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and H.R. 19, the Republican drug pricing alternative, were among the legislative proposals examined during the hearings. Witnesses included experts in drug pricing and investments as well as Patient groups impacted by the potential for H.R. 3 to reduce Patient access to new and groundbreaking therapies. BioNJ continues to believe there are alternatives to H.R. 3 that would protect Patient access and innovation. We look forward to working with our New Jersey delegation to improve access to critical therapies for all New Jerseyans.

State Legislative Update As the NJ State Legislature’s budget committees continued consideration of the Governor’s proposed fiscal year 2022 budget, several other committees of the New Jersey Legislature held hearings on other pertinent legislative proposals. Department of Human Services Acting Commissioner Sarah Adelman recently testified on the Department’s budget proposal at a hearing of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The proposed budget includes an increase of $10,000 in the income eligibility thresholds for the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged & Disabled (PAAD) and Senior Gold programs – allowing more than 20,000 additional New Jersey residents to access this program. Budget hearings will continue as we near the June 30 end of the fiscal year.    Meanwhile, legislation to establish the New Jobs for New Jersey tax credit program passed through the General Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee. A-1679, sponsored by Assembly Representatives John Burzichelli, Dan Benson and Gabriela Mosquera, would use a refundable tax credit to help encourage small businesses to hire unemployed individuals. The legislation now awaits further consideration by the General Assembly.  In addition, Governor Murphy has signed into law A-1145, a proposal to help streamline permitting through the Electronic Permit Processing Review System. This system will allow for an estimated 80 percent of permitting applications to go online. BioNJ is pleased to have supported this proposal, and we thank Assembly Representatives Freiman, Karabinchak and Egan for their work in improving the State’s permitting system and the Governor for supporting that measure.    BioNJ also continues to support legislative proposals to provide clinical guidelines for the use of step therapy and create a Rare Disease Advisory Council. We look forward to both of these proposals becoming reality before the end of this fiscal year.

Congresswoman Sherrill Leads E-Labeling Sign-on Letter New Jersey Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) co-led a letter to the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations requesting that the Committee not include language in U.S. Food and Drug Administration FY2022 appropriations prohibiting prescribing information from being delivered in digital form. The FDA had first proposed a rule in 2014 to provide for electronic distribution of prescribing information to help modernize prescribing information while improving Patient safety and reducing fraud and waste. Congress has since used the annual appropriations process to block FDA from implementing the rule. Thank you to Congresswoman Sherrill for her work on this important issue. Click here for a press release on the Congresswoman’s letter.

We Invite You to Support BioNJ's Policy and Advocacy Efforts BioNJ is the voice of New Jersey’s life sciences sector in Trenton and Washington. BioNJ’s Public Policy Support Series sponsorship opportunities are available for 2021. Sponsorship opportunities help make sure that our message is delivered in both Trenton and Washington, D.C. Help ensure BioNJ continues to deliver our message of improved Patient access and enhanced innovation through a Public Policy Support Series Sponsorship. More information is available here.

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