I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5295 

To consolidate activities of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 

into the National Institutes of Health as the National Institute for 

Research on Safety and Quality, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 4, 2019 

Mr. MEADOWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To consolidate activities of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality into the National Institutes of Health 

as the National Institute for Research on Safety and 

Quality, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Institute for 

5 Research on Safety and Quality Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CONSOLIDATING ACTIVITIES OF AGENCY FOR 

2 HEALTHCARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY INTO 

3 NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON 

4 SAFETY AND QUALITY. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF INSTITUTE.— 

6 (1) INCLUSION WITHIN NIH.—Section 401(b) of 

7 the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281(b)) is 

8 amended— 

9 (A) by redesignating paragraph (25) as 

10 paragraph (26); and 

11 (B) by inserting after paragraph (24) the 

12 following: 

13 ‘‘(25) National Institute for Research on Safety 

14 and Quality.’’. 

15 (2) INCREASE OF CAP ON NUMBER OF INSTI16 TUTES.—Section 401(d)(1) of the Public Health 

17 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281(d)(1)) is amended by 

18 striking ‘‘27’’ and inserting ‘‘28’’. 

19 (3) ESTABLISHMENT.—Part C of title IV of the 

20 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285 et seq.) 

21 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘Subpart 21—National Institute for Research on 

23 Safety and Quality 

24 ‘‘SEC. 464aa–1. PURPOSE OF INSTITUTE. 

25 ‘‘The general purpose of the National Institute for 

26 Research on Safety and Quality (hereafter in this subpart 


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1 referred to as the ‘Institute’) is to enhance the quality, 

2 appropriateness, and effectiveness of health services, and 

3 access to such services, through the establishment of a 

4 broad base of scientific research and through the pro5 motion of improvements in clinical and health system 

6 practices, including the prevention of diseases and other 

7 health conditions. 

8 ‘‘SEC. 464aa–2. PROMOTING HEALTH CARE QUALITY IM9 PROVEMENT. 

10 ‘‘The Director of the Institute shall promote health 

11 care quality improvement by conducting and supporting— 

12 ‘‘(1) research that develops and presents sci13 entific evidence regarding all aspects of health care, 

14 including— 

15 ‘‘(A) the development and assessment of 

16 methods for enhancing patient participation in 

17 their own care and for facilitating shared pa18 tient-physician decision making; 

19 ‘‘(B) the outcomes, effectiveness, and cost20 effectiveness of health care practices, including 

21 preventive measures and long-term care; 

22 ‘‘(C) existing and innovative technologies; 

23 ‘‘(D) the costs and utilization of, and ac24 cess to health care; 


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1 ‘‘(E) the ways in which health care services 

2 are organized, delivered, and financed and the 

3 interaction and impact of these factors on the 

4 quality of patient care; 

5 ‘‘(F) methods for measuring quality and 

6 strategies for improving quality; and 

7 ‘‘(G) ways in which patients, consumers, 

8 purchasers, and practitioners acquire new infor9 mation about best practices and health benefits, 

10 the determinants and impact of their use of this 

11 information; 

12 ‘‘(2) the synthesis and dissemination of avail13 able scientific evidence for use by patients, con14 sumers, practitioners, providers, purchasers, policy 

15 makers, and educators; and 

16 ‘‘(3) initiatives to advance private and public ef17 forts to improve health care quality. 

18 ‘‘SEC. 464aa–3. REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO RURAL 

19 AND INNER-CITY AREAS AND PRIORITY POP20 ULATIONS. 

21 ‘‘(a) RESEARCH, EVALUATIONS, AND DEMONSTRA22 TION PROJECTS.—In carrying out this subpart, the Direc23 tor of the Institute shall conduct and support research and 

24 evaluations, and support demonstration projects, with re25 spect to— 


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1 ‘‘(1) the delivery of health care in inner-city 

2 areas, and in rural areas (including frontier areas); 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(2) health care for priority populations, which 

5 shall include— 

6 ‘‘(A) low-income groups; 

7 ‘‘(B) minority groups; 

8 ‘‘(C) women; 

9 ‘‘(D) children; 

10 ‘‘(E) the elderly; and 

11 ‘‘(F) individuals with special health care 

12 needs, including individuals with disabilities and 

13 individuals who need chronic care or end-of-life 

14 health care. 

15 ‘‘(b) PROCESS TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE RE16 SEARCH.—The Director of the Institute shall establish a 

17 process to ensure that the requirements of subsection (a) 

18 are reflected in the overall portfolio of research conducted 

19 and supported by the Director of National Institutes of 

20 Health.’’. 

21 (b) TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later October 1, 2020, 

23 the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 

24 begin to transfer to the National Institute for Re25 search on Safety and Quality the authorities (includVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:18 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5295.IH H5295

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1 ing all budget authorities, available appropriations, 

2 and personnel), duties, obligations, and related legal 

3 and administrative functions prescribed by law or 

4 otherwise granted to the Agency for Healthcare Re5 search and Quality under title IX of the Public 

6 Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299 et seq.). The 

7 Secretary shall complete such transfer not later than 

8 October 1, 2021. 

9 (2) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Effective on Octo10 ber 1, 2021, title IX of the Public Health Service 

11 Act (42 U.S.C. 299 et seq.) is repealed. 

12 (3) REFERENCES.—Any reference to the Agen13 cy for Healthcare Research and Quality in any law, 

14 rule, regulation, certificate, directive, instruction, or 

15 other official paper in force on the date of enactment 

16 of this Act shall be considered to refer and apply to 

17 the National Institute for Research on Safety and 

18 Quality. 

19 (4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of 

20 the amount authorized to be appropriated under 

21 subparagraph (F) of section 402A(a)(1) of the Pub22 lic Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 282(a)(1)) for fis23 cal year 2020, the Secretary may use $256,000,000 

24 to carry out this subsection. 


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1 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 this section shall take effect on October 1, 2019. 

Æ 


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