Defense Production Act
In support of national defense, HHS leverages Defense Production Act (DPA) authorities to build a robust and resilient public health supply chain capable of responding to emergency public health threats. These authorities can be used across the federal government to ensure that the domestic industrial base can provide essential materials and goods necessary and appropriate for the national defense. At HHS, DPA authorities may applied to:
- Emergency preparedness activities conducted pursuant to Title VI of the Stafford Act,
- Public health supply chain and industrial base activities related to health resources as defined by Executive Order (EO) 13603,
- Protection and restoration of critical infrastructure, and
- Continuity of Government.
The Defense Production Act and Emergency Response Authorities (DPA-ERA) Office administers Presidential authorities delegated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to accelerate, expand, and preserve the supply of materials and services within the public health industrial base. HHS strategically leverages DPA enabling authorities and provisions to help design, build, and sustain long-term domestic capabilities and capacity to manufacture medical countermeasures for future public health threats, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, emerging infectious diseases (EID), and other public health emergencies. HHS also ensures the availability of medical countermeasures necessary to respond to public health threats.
