A year after tainted drugs from a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts caused a meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people, legislation backed by U.S. Sen.Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) which would give the Food and Drug Administrationmore power to oversee the industry is on its way to President Obama's desk.

"I worked with others members of Congress for a year to find a solution that would help prevent a repeat of the tragic meningitis outbreak that has killed 16 Tennesseans and made so many others so sick," said Alexander in a news release. "Those Tennesseans deserve this bill, which will make it clear exactly who is in charge of overseeing each compounding facility, so there will be no questions about who’s on the flagpole."

President Obama is expected to sign the bill.

Tennessee enacted strong controls over the compounding pharmacies operating in the state this past April.