WASHINGTON, D.C. (KDAL) – The first stand alone piece of legislation introduced by U-S Senator Tina Smith is designed to close a loophole allowing big pharmaceutical companies to keep cheaper generic drugs off the market.

The bill called “Expanding Access to Low Cost Generic Drugs Act” is similar to a policy endorsed by the Trump administration and Smith tells the KDAL morning show she expects to see bi-partisan support for the measure.

Smith, a member of the Senate Health Committee, says during her travels around Minnesota the topic of high prescription drug prices almost always comes up.

Her bill would give the Food and Drug Administration the ability to act as a stronger watchdog and get affordable generic drugs to consumers more quickly.

Currently big drug companies pay generic manufacturers to keep those cheaper drugs off the market longer, a practice called “pay for delay.”