To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for arthritis research and public health, and for other purposes.

Summary: Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2008 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Program, which may include: (1) conducting, supporting, and promoting the coordination of research, investigations, demonstrations, training, and studies relating to the control, prevention, and surveillance of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases; (2) providing training, technical assistance, supplies, equipment, or services and assigning any officer or employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to a state or local health agency; (3) providing additional grant support to encourage the expansion of research related to the prevention and management of arthritis at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); (4) carrying out national education and outreach activities to support, develop, and implement education initiatives and outreach strategies appropriate for arthritis and other rheumatic diseases; and (5) awarding grants to states or Indian tribes to support comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and to provide public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities related to arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.

Allows the Secretary, in carrying out national education and outreach activities, to: (1) emphasize prevention, early diagnosis, and appropriate management of arthritis and opportunities for effective patient self-management; and (2) give priority to reaching high-risk or underserved populations.

Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2013.

(Sec. 3) Authorizes the Secretary to expand and intensify programs of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) concerning juvenile arthritis and related conditions.

(Sec. 4) Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to award grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, public or nonprofit private entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on juvenile arthritis. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information are made available to NIH.

Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to support the development of a national juvenile arthritis population-based database to: (1) collect specific data for follow-up studies regarding the prevalence and incidence of juvenile arthritis; and (2) capture information on evidence-based health outcomes related to specific therapies and interventions.

Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2013.

(Sec. 5) Requires the Secretary to support activities that provide for: (1) an increase in the number and size of institutional training grants to support pediatric rheumatology training; and (2) an expansion of public-private partnerships to promote educational training and fellowship opportunities for pediatric rheumatologists. Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2013.

Requires the Secretary to establish and carry out a pediatric rheumatology loan repayment program through which the Secretary shall repay student loans in exchange for service as a pediatric rheumatologist in an area with both a shortage of pediatric rheumatologists and the capacity to support pediatric rheumatology. Requires the Secretary to periodically assess: (1) the extent to which the loan repayment program is needed; and (2) the extent to which the program is effective in increasing the number of pediatric rheumatologists nationally and in areas with a shortage. Terminates the program if the Secretary determines it is no longer needed.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Arthritis Prevention, Control, and 
Cure Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. ENHANCING THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVITIES RELATED TO ARTHRITIS OF 
              THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION THROUGH 
              THE NATIONAL ARTHRITIS ACTION PLAN.

    Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 314 the following:

``SEC. 315. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ARTHRITIS ACTION PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment of Program.--The Secretary may develop and 
implement a National Arthritis Action Program (in this section referred 
to as the `Program') consistent with this section.
    ``(b) Control, Prevention, and Surveillance.--
            ``(1) In general.--Under the Program, the Secretary, acting 
        through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention, may, directly or through competitive grants to 
        eligible entities, conduct, support, and promote the 
        coordination of research, investigations, demonstrations, 
        training, and studies relating to the control, prevention, and 
        surveillance of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.
            ``(2) Training and technical assistance.--With respect to 
        the planning, development, and operation of any activity 
        carried out under paragraph (1), the Secretary may provide 
        training, technical assistance, supplies, equipment, or 
        services, and may assign any officer or employee of the 
        Department of Health and Human Services to a State or local 
        health agency, or to any public or nonprofit entity designated 
        by a State health agency, in lieu of providing grant funds 
        under this subsection.
            ``(3) Arthritis prevention research at the centers for 
        disease control and prevention centers.--The Secretary may 
        provide additional grant support under this subsection to 
        encourage the expansion of research related to the prevention 
        and management of arthritis at the Centers for Disease Control 
        and Prevention.
            ``(4) Eligible entity.--For purposes of this subsection, 
        the term `eligible entity' means a national public or private 
        nonprofit entity that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the 
        Secretary, in the application described in subsection (e), the 
        ability of the entity to carry out the activities described in 
        paragraph (1).
    ``(c) Education and Outreach.--
            ``(1) In general.--Under the Program, the Secretary may 
        coordinate and carry out national education and outreach 
        activities, directly or through the provision of grants to 
        eligible entities, to support, develop, and implement education 
        initiatives and outreach strategies appropriate for arthritis 
        and other rheumatic diseases.
            ``(2) Initiatives and strategies.--Initiatives and 
        strategies implemented under paragraph (1) may include public 
        awareness campaigns, public service announcements, and 
        community partnership workshops, as well as programs targeted 
        at businesses and employers, managed care organizations, and 
        health care providers.
            ``(3) Priority.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary--
                    ``(A) may emphasize prevention, early diagnosis, 
                and appropriate management of arthritis, and 
                opportunities for effective patient self-management; 
                and
                    ``(B) may give priority to reaching high-risk or 
                underserved populations.
            ``(4) Collaboration.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall consult and collaborate with stake-holders from 
        the public, private, and nonprofit sectors with expertise 
        relating to arthritis control, prevention, and treatment.
            ``(5) Eligible entity.--For purposes of this subsection, 
        the term `eligible entity' means a national public or private 
        nonprofit entity that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the 
        Secretary, in the application described in subsection (e), the 
        ability of the entity to carry out the activities described in 
        paragraph (1).
    ``(d) Comprehensive State Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--Under the Program, the Secretary may 
        award grants to eligible entities to provide support for 
        comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and to 
        enable such entities to provide public health surveillance, 
        prevention, and control activities related to arthritis and 
        other rheumatic diseases.
            ``(2) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this subsection, an entity shall be a State or Indian tribe.
            ``(3) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this subsection, an entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary may 
        require, including a comprehensive arthritis control and 
        prevention plan that--
                    ``(A) is developed with the advice of stakeholders 
                from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors that 
                have expertise relating to arthritis control, 
                prevention, and treatment that increase the quality of 
                life and decrease the level of disability;
                    ``(B) is intended to reduce the morbidity of 
                arthritis, with priority on preventing and controlling 
                arthritis in at-risk populations and reducing 
                disparities in arthritis prevention, diagnosis, 
                management, and quality of care in underserved 
                populations;
                    ``(C) describes the arthritis-related services and 
                activities to be undertaken or supported by the entity; 
                and
                    ``(D) demonstrates the relationship the entity has 
                with the community and local entities and how the 
                entity plans to involve such community and local 
                entities in carrying out the activities described in 
                paragraph (1).
            ``(4) Use of funds.--An eligible entity may use amounts 
        received under a grant awarded under this subsection to 
        conduct, in a manner consistent with the comprehensive 
        arthritis control and prevention plan submitted by the entity 
        in the application under paragraph (3)--
                    ``(A) public health surveillance and 
                epidemiological activities relating to the prevalence 
                of arthritis and assessment of disparities in arthritis 
                prevention, diagnosis, management, and care;
                    ``(B) public information and education programs; 
                and
                    ``(C) education, training, and clinical skills 
                improvement activities for health professionals, 
                including allied health personnel.
    ``(e) General Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, except under subsection (d), an entity shall submit to 
the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such agreements, assurances, and information as the 
Secretary may require, including a description of how funds received 
under a grant awarded under this section will supplement or fulfill 
unmet needs identified in a comprehensive arthritis control and 
prevention plan of the entity.
    ``(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)).
            ``(2) State.--The term `State' means any State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the 
        Northern Mariana Islands.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section--
            ``(1) for fiscal year 2009, $32,000,000;
            ``(2) for fiscal year 2010, $34,000,000;
            ``(3) for fiscal year 2011, $36,000,000;
            ``(4) for fiscal year 2012, $38,000,000; and
            ``(5) for fiscal year 2013, $40,000,000.''.

SEC. 3. ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES WITH 
              RESPECT TO JUVENILE ARTHRITIS AND RELATED CONDITIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in 
coordination with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, 
may expand and intensify programs of the National Institutes of Health 
with respect to research and related activities concerning various 
forms of juvenile arthritis and related conditions.
    (b) Coordination.--The Director of the National Institutes of 
Health may coordinate the programs referred to in subsection (a) and 
consult with additional Federal officials, voluntary health 
associations, medical professional societies, and private entities as 
appropriate.

SEC. 4. PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES RELATED TO JUVENILE 
              ARTHRITIS AT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND 
              PREVENTION.

    Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 320A the following:

``SEC. 320B. SURVEILLANCE AND RESEARCH REGARDING JUVENILE ARTHRITIS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may award grants to and 
enter into cooperative agreements with public or nonprofit private 
entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on 
juvenile arthritis.
    ``(b) Technical Assistance.--In awarding grants and entering into 
agreements under subsection (a), the Secretary may provide direct 
technical assistance in lieu of cash.
    ``(c) Coordination With NIH.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
epidemiological and other types of information obtained under 
subsection (a) is made available to the National Institutes of Health.
    ``(d) Creation of a National Juvenile Arthritis Population-Based 
Database.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention and in collaboration with a national 
voluntary health organization with experience serving the juvenile 
arthritis population as well as the full spectrum of arthritis-related 
conditions, may support the development of a national juvenile 
arthritis population-based database to collect specific data for 
follow-up studies regarding the prevalence and incidence of juvenile 
arthritis, as well as capturing information on evidence-based health 
outcomes related to specific therapies and interventions.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013.''

SEC. 5. INVESTMENT IN TOMORROW'S PEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGISTS.

    (a) Enhanced Support.--
            (1) In general.--In order to ensure an adequate future 
        supply of pediatric rheumatologists, the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services, in consultation with the Administrator of 
        the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall support 
        activities that provide for--
                    (A) an increase in the number and size of 
                institutional training grants awarded to institutions 
                to support pediatric rheumatology training; and
                    (B) an expansion of public-private partnerships to 
                encourage academic institutions, private sector 
                entities, and health agencies to promote educational 
                training and fellowship opportunities for pediatric 
                rheumatologists.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $3,750,000 for 
        each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2013.
    (b) Pediatric Loan Repayment Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, in consultation with the Administrator of the Health 
        Resources and Services Administration, shall establish and, 
        subject to the determination under paragraph (3), carry out a 
        pediatric rheumatology loan repayment program.
            (2) Program administration.--Through the program 
        established under this subsection, the Secretary shall--
                    (A) enter into contracts with qualified health 
                professionals who are pediatric rheumatologists under 
                which--
                            (i) such professionals agree to provide 
                        health care in an area with a shortage of 
                        pediatric rheumatologists and that has the 
                        capacity to support pediatric rheumatology, as 
                        determined by the Secretary of Health and Human 
                        Services; and
                            (ii) the Federal Government agrees to 
                        repay, for each year of such service, not more 
                        than $25,000 of the principal and interest of 
                        the educational loans of such professionals; 
                        and
                    (B) in addition to making payments under paragraph 
                (1) on behalf of an individual, make payments to the 
                individual for the purpose of providing reimbursement 
                for tax liability resulting from the payments made 
                under paragraph (1), in an amount equal to 39 percent 
                of the total amount of the payments made for the 
                taxable year involved.
            (3) Determination of shortage areas.--For purposes of this 
        subsection, an area shall be determined to be an area with a 
        shortage of pediatric rheumatologists based on the ratio of the 
        number of children who reside in such area who are in need of 
        services of a pediatric rheumatologist to the number of 
        pediatric rheumatologists who furnish services within 100 miles 
        of the area.
            (4) Periodic assessments.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
                Services shall periodically assess--
                            (i) the extent to which the loan repayment 
                        program under this section is needed; and
                            (ii) the extent to which the program is 
                        effective in increasing the number of pediatric 
                        rheumatologists nationally and the number of 
                        pediatric rheumatologists in areas with a 
                        shortage of pediatric rheumatologists.
                In the case that the Secretary determines, pursuant to 
                an assessment under this subparagraph, that there is no 
                longer a need for the loan repayment program, such 
                program shall be terminated as of a date specified by 
                the Secretary.
                    (B) Annual reports.--The Secretary of Health and 
                Human Services shall annually report to Congress on the 
                periodic assessments conducted under subparagraph (A).
            (5) Funding.--
                    (A) In general.--For the purpose of carrying out 
                this subsection, the Secretary of Health and Human 
                Services may reserve, from amounts appropriated for the 
                Health Resources and Services Administration for the 
                fiscal year involved, such amounts as the Secretary 
                determines to be appropriate.
                    (B) Availability of funds.--Amounts made available 
                to carry out this section shall remain available until 
                the expiration of the second


              

                 fiscal year beginning after the fiscal year for which 
                such amounts were made available.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 27, 2008.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.