To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for expedited approval of priority nonprescription drugs, and for other purposes.

HR9774, introduced on July 20, 2026, by Rep. Latta (R-OH) with one Democratic cosponsor, proposes amending the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to create an expedited approval process for priority nonprescription drugs. The bill is in the earliest legislative stage—referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. No committee hearings or markups have occurred. The bill does not authorize any specific funding amount; it is a regulatory process change, not a spending bill. The money trail is indirect: if enacted, it could reduce FDA review times and costs for companies seeking to switch prescription drugs to OTC status, potentially expanding market access for certain drugs. However, actual funding for FDA implementation would require a separate appropriations bill. The bill's single cosponsor and early stage indicate low legislative momentum. No convergence with other signals is present—the recent presidential action on chemical manufacturing regulatory relief is unrelated to drug approval processes. Structural winners would be large pharmaceutical companies with established drugs that could be switched to OTC, such as JNJ and LLY, but the impact is speculative and years away. The legislative path requires committee approval, House passage, Senate introduction and passage, and presidential signature—a multi-year process with low probability in the current Congress.