A bill to speed up the flow of medical supplies and other crucial cargo across United States ports is headed to the floor of the House of Representatives. 

The Facilitate Access to Swiftly Transport Goods during a Publicly Announced State of Emergency Situation, or FAST PASS, Act was passed out of committee on March 23. It would mandate the secretary of transportation to study how critical cargo can be expedited in emergencies like hurricanes and pandemics. 

“Congestion and supply chain crunches at American ports for emergency supplies and other critical cargo can be a matter of life and death,” Democratic co-sponsor Rep. John Garamendi said. “I am pleased to have co-authored the FAST PASS Act with Congressman [Mike] Ezell to ensure the U.S. Department of Transportation can expedite delivery of critical cargo at our nation’s ports when American jobs and, even more importantly, lives are on the line.”

Among its key provisions, the FAST PASS Act would look into the movement of cargo that isn't considered critical during emergencies, formulate recommendations for how commercial and government data can be used to prioritize cargo that needs to be moved quickly, and put together options for possible pilot programs to test those recommendations.