Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases Research Act of 1996

Summary: Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases Research Act of 1996 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require specified institutes of the National Institutes of Health to expand and intensify research on osteoporosis and related bone diseases.  Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Osteoporosis and Related Bone 
Diseases Research Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a condition 
        characterized by an excessive loss of bone tissue and an 
        increased susceptibility to fractures of the hip, spine, and 
        wrist;
            (2) osteoporosis is a threat to an estimated 25,000,000 
        Americans, 80 percent of whom are women, many of whose cases go 
        undiagnosed because the condition develops without symptoms 
        until a strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture;
            (3) between 3 and 4 million Americans have Paget's disease, 
        osteogenesis imperfecta, hyperparathyroidism, and other related 
        metabolic bone diseases;
            (4) osteoporosis is responsible for 1,500,000 bone 
        fractures annually, including more than 250,000 hip fractures, 
        500,000 vertebral fractures, 200,000 fractures of the wrist, 
        and the remaining fractures at other limb sites;
            (5) 1 of every 2 women and 1 of every 8 men over age 50 
        will develop fractures associated with osteoporosis;
            (6) direct medical costs of osteoporosis are estimated to 
        be $10,000,000,000 annually for the United States, not 
        including the costs of family care and lost work for 
        caregivers;
            (7) direct medical costs of osteoporosis are expected to 
        increase precipitously because the proportion of the population 
        comprised of older persons is expanding and each generation of 
        older persons tends to have a higher incidence of osteoporosis 
        than preceding generations;
            (8) technology now exists, and new technology is 
        developing, that will permit early diagnosis and prevention of 
        osteoporosis as well as management of the condition once it has 
        developed;
            (9) funding for research on osteoporosis and related bone 
        diseases is severely constrained at key research institutes, 
        including the National Institute of Arthritis and 
        Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the National Institute on 
        Aging, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and 
        Kidney Diseases, the National Institute of Dental Research, and 
        the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development;
            (10) further research is needed to improve medical 
        knowledge concerning--
                    (A) cellular mechanisms related to the processes of 
                bone resorption and bone formation, and the effect of 
                different agents on bone remodeling;
                    (B) risk factors for osteoporosis, including newly 
                discovered risk factors, risk factors related to groups 
                not ordinarily studied (such as men and minorities), 
                risk factors related to genes that help to control 
                skeletal metabolism, and risk factors relating to the 
                relationship of aging processes to the development of 
                osteoporosis;
                    (C) bone mass measurement technology, including 
                more widespread and cost-effective techniques for 
                making more precise measurements and for interpreting 
                measurements;
                    (D) calcium (including bioavailability, intake 
                requirements, and the role of calcium in building 
                heavier and denser skeletons), and vitamin D and its 
                role as an essential vitamin in adults;
                    (E) prevention and treatment, including the 
                efficacy of current therapies, alternative drug 
                therapies for prevention and treatment, and the role of 
                exercise; and
                    (F) rehabilitation; and
            (11) further educational efforts are needed to increase 
        public and professional knowledge of the causes of, methods for 
        avoiding, and treatment of osteoporosis.

SEC. 3. OSTEOPOROSIS RESEARCH.

    Subpart 4 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 285d et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section:

``SEC. 442A. RESEARCH ON OSTEOPOROSIS AND RELATED DISEASES.

    ``(a) Expansion of Research.--The Director of the Institute, the 
Director of the National Institute on Aging, the Director of the 
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the 
Director of the National Institute of Dental Research, and the Director 
of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development shall 
expand and intensify research on osteoporosis and related bone 
diseases. The research shall be in addition to research that is 
authorized under any other provision of law.
    ``(b) Mechanisms for Expansion of Research.--Each of the Directors 
specified in subsection (a) shall, in carrying out such subsection, 
provide for one or more of the following:
            ``(1) Investigator-initiated research.
            ``(2) Funding for investigators beginning their research 
        careers.
            ``(3) Mentorship research grants.
            ``(4) Specialized centers.
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for the National 
Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 
$6,500,000 for the National Institute on Aging, $6,500,000 for the 
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 
$4,000,000 for the National Institute of Dental Research, and 
$3,000,000 for the National Institute of Child Health and Human 
Development for each of the fiscal years 1997 through 1999, and such 
sums as may be necessary for subsequent fiscal years. These funds are 
in addition to amounts authorized to be appropriated for biomedical 
research relating to osteoporosis and related bone diseases under any 
other provision of law.
    ``(d) Related Bone Diseases Defined.--As used in this section, the 
term `related bone diseases' includes--
            ``(1) Paget's disease, a bone disease characterized by 
        enlargement and loss of density with bowing and deformity of 
        the bones;
            ``(2) osteogenesis imperfecta, a familial disease marked by 
        extreme brittleness of the long bones;
            ``(3) hyperparathyroidism, a condition characterized by the 
        presence of excess parathormone in the body resulting in 
        disturbance of calcium metabolism with loss of calcium from 
        bone and renal damage;
            ``(4) hypoparathyroidism, a condition characterized by the 
        absence of parathormone resulting in disturbances of calcium 
        metabolism;
            ``(5) renal bone disease, a disease characterized by 
        metabolic disturbances from dialysis, renal transplants, or 
        other renal disturbances;
            ``(6) primary or postmenopausal osteoporosis and secondary 
        osteoporosis, such as that induced by corticosteroids; and
            ``(7) other general diseases of bone and mineral metabolism 
        including abnormalities of vitamin D.''.