,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hcb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #d1 #bjbe,mr4
 ,tillis 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,budd1 ,mrs4
 ,blackburn1 ,mr4 ,daines1 and ,mr4     
,lankford7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill
  ,to amend title ,,xi of the ,social   
,security ,act to equalize the          
negotiation period between              
small-molecule and biologic candidates  
under the ,drug ,price ,negotiation     
,program4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,ensuring ,pathways 
to ,innovative ,cures ,act of #bjbe or  
the ,,epic ,act of #bjbe4  #b4          
,equalizing the negotiation period      
between small-molecule and biologic     
candidates under the ,drug ,price       
,negotiation ,program ,section          
#aaib7;e77#a77;,a77ii7 of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acbj;f-#a7;e77#a77;,a77ii77 is         
amended-- 7#a7 by striking year1 at     

least #g and inserting 8year--  7,i7 for
 initial price applicability years #bjbf
 and #bjbg1 at least #g  2 and  7#b7 by 
adding at the end the following3  7,,ii7
 for initial price applicability year   
#bjbh and each subsequent initial price 
applicability year1 at least #aa years  
will have elapsed since the date of such
 approval2 and  4