Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§256c Bulk purchases of vaccines for certain programs

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES › Part Part D— - Primary Health Care › Subpart subpart viii— - bulk purchases of vaccines for certain programs › § 256c

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Within 180 days after October 27, 1992, the Secretary, via the CDC Director and HRSA Administrator, must negotiate with vaccine makers to set agreements so entities that provide immunizations with help under section 254b can buy vaccines at agreed prices. When practicable, those prices should match prices under section 247b(j)(1). The Secretary may enter, change, extend, end, or refuse these agreements. States need not cut or stop vaccines they supply to those entities.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §256c

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Not later than 180 days after October 27, 1992, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in consultation with the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall enter into negotiations with manufacturers of vaccines for the purpose of establishing and maintaining agreements under which entities described in paragraph (2) may purchase vaccines from the manufacturers at the prices specified in the agreements.
(2)The entities referred to in paragraph (1) are entities that provide immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases with assistance provided under section 254b of this title.
(b)In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that the prices provided for in agreements under such subsection are comparable to the prices provided for in agreements negotiated by the Secretary on behalf of grantees under section 247b(j)(1) of this title.
(c)In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary, in the discretion of the Secretary, may enter into the agreements described in such subsection (and may decline to enter into such agreements), may modify such agreements, may extend such agreements, and may terminate such agreements.
(d)This section may not be construed as requiring any State to reduce or terminate the supply of vaccines provided by the State to any of the entities described in subsection (a)(2).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 104–299 substituted “with assistance provided under section 254b of this title” for “under the programs established in section 254b, 254c, 256, and 256a of this title.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–299 effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 5 of Pub. L. 104–299, as amended, set out as a note under section 233 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 256c

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73