To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for an NIH research strategic plan.

Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop and maintain a biomedical research strategic plan. The NIH must use the strategic plan to identify research opportunities and to develop individual strategic plans for each of the national research institutes and national centers. Strategic plans must identify strategic focus areas in a manner that considers the return on investment of biomedical research and contributes to expanding knowledge to improve the public's health. Strategic focus areas must include overarching Mission Priority Focus Areas, which serve the goal of preventing or eliminating the burden of a medical condition. The NIH must: (1) ensure that rare and pediatric diseases and conditions remain a priority under the strategic plan, (2) publish the initial strategic plan within 270 days, (3) conduct progress reviews for each strategic focus area at least annually, and (4) update the strategic plan every five years.

SECTION 1. NIH RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN.

    Section 402 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 282) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by amending paragraph (5) to read as 
        follows:
            ``(5) shall ensure that scientifically based strategic 
        planning is implemented in support of research priorities as 
        determined by the agencies of the National Institutes of 
        Health, including through development, use, and updating of the 
        research strategic plan under subsection (m);''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(m) Research Strategic Plan.--
            ``(1) Five-year plans for biomedical research strategy.--
                    ``(A) In general.--For each successive five-year 
                period beginning with the period of fiscal years 2016 
                through 2020, the Director of NIH, in consultation with 
                the entities described in subparagraph (B), shall 
                develop and maintain a biomedical research strategic 
                plan.
                    ``(B) Entities described.--The entities described 
                in this subparagraph are the directors of the national 
                research institutes and national centers, researchers, 
                patient advocacy groups, and industry leaders.
            ``(2) Use of plan.--The Director of NIH and the directors 
        of the national research institutes and national centers shall 
        use the strategic plan--
                    ``(A) to identify research opportunities; and
                    ``(B) to develop individual strategic plans for the 
                research activities of each of the national research 
                institutes and national centers that--
                            ``(i) have a common template; and
                            ``(ii) identify strategic focus areas in 
                        which the resources of the national research 
                        institutes and national centers can best 
                        contribute to the goal of expanding knowledge 
                        on human health in the United States through 
                        biomedical research.
            ``(3) Contents of plans.--
                    ``(A) Strategic focus areas.--The strategic focus 
                areas identified pursuant to paragraph (2)(B) shall--
                            ``(i) be identified in a manner that--
                                    ``(I) considers the return on 
                                investment to the United States public 
                                through the investments of the National 
                                Institutes of Health in biomedical 
                                research; and
                                    ``(II) contributes to expanding 
                                knowledge to improve the United States 
                                public's health through biomedical 
                                research; and
                            ``(ii) include overarching and trans-
                        National Institutes of Health strategic focus 
                        areas, to be known as Mission Priority Focus 
                        Areas, which best serve the goals of preventing 
                        or eliminating the burden of a disease or 
                        condition and scientifically merit enhanced and 
                        focused research over the next 5 years.
                    ``(B) Rare and pediatric diseases and conditions.--
                In developing and maintaining a strategic plan under 
                this subsection, the Director of NIH shall ensure that 
                rare and pediatric diseases and conditions remain a 
                priority.
            ``(4) Initial plan.--Not later than 270 days after the date 
        of enactment of this subsection, the Director of NIH and the 
        directors of the national research institutes and national 
        centers shall--
                    ``(A) complete the initial strategic plan required 
                by paragraphs (1) and (2); and
                    ``(B) make such initial strategic plan publicly 
                available on the website of the National Institutes of 
                Health.
            ``(5) Review; updates.--
                    ``(A) Progress reviews.--Not less than annually, 
                the Director of NIH, in consultation with the directors 
                of the national research institutes and national 
                centers, shall conduct progress reviews for each 
                strategic focus area identified under paragraph (2)(B).
                    ``(B) Updates.--Not later than the end of the 5-
                year period covered by the initial strategic plan under 
                this subsection, and every 5 years thereafter, the 
                Director of NIH, in consultation with the directors of 
                the national research institutes and national centers, 
                stakeholders in the scientific field, advocates, and 
                the public at large, shall--
                            ``(i) conduct a review of the plan, 
                        including each strategic focus area identified 
                        under paragraph (2)(B); and
                            ``(ii) update such plan in accordance with 
                        this section.''.