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S. 5481

BillFederalSenateIn Committee
A bill to clarify that agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services do not have the authority to regulate the practice of medicine.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · December 11, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Congress
118th (2023–2025)
Introduced
December 11, 2024
Cosponsors (0)
None
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Summary

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The Right to Treat Act would prevent federal health agencies, including the FDA, NIH, and CDC, from regulating the practice of medicine. It would also prohibit federal laws from restricting doctors' ability to prescribe FDA-approved drugs for uses not originally approved by the agency, a practice known as off-label prescribing. The bill would apply broadly to medical practice decisions, though it specifically carves out exceptions for laws related to abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, and certain other medical interventions. The legislation contains no funding provisions or implementation timelines. If passed, this bill would fundamentally shift regulatory authority away from federal health agencies to individual doctors and states, though it would not affect existing laws governing abortion, end-of-life care, or gender-related medical treatments.

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