I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2157

To provide for uterine fibroid research and education, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 20, 2003

Mrs. JONES of Ohio introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL

To provide for uterine fibroid research and education, 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 ‘‘Uterine Fibroid Re5 search and Education Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 

8 (1) The development of uterine fibroids is a 

9 common and significant health problem, affecting 

10 women of all ages, racial backgrounds, and socio11 economic levels. 
2

•HR 2157 IH 

1 (2) It has been estimated that between 20 and 

2 30 percent of women of reproductive age have uter3 ine fibroids, though not all have been diagnosed. 

4 Studies indicate the prevalence could be much high5 er. 

6 (3) Symptomatic uterine fibroids can cause 

7 heavy bleeding, pain, and reproductive problems, in8 cluding infertility. There is no known cause of uter9 ine fibroids. 

10 (4) Uterine fibroids are the most common indi11 cation for hysterectomy, accounting for approxi12 mately one-third of hysterectomies, or 200,000 pro13 cedures annually. 

14 (5) African American women are 2 to 3 times 

15 more likely to develop uterine fibroids than women 

16 of other racial groups. 

17 (6) The estimated annual charges for inpatient 

18 care for uterine fibroids totaled more than 

19 $2,000,000,000 in 1997. 

20 (7) The Agency for Healthcare Research and 

21 Quality found a ‘‘remarkable lack of high quality 

22 evidence supporting the effectiveness of most inter23 ventions for symptomatic fibroids’’. 
3

•HR 2157 IH 

1 SEC. 3. RESEARCH WITH RESPECT TO UTERINE FIBROIDS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National In3 stitutes of Health (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Di4 rector of NIH’’) shall expand, intensify, and coordinate 

5 programs for the conduct and support of research with 

6 respect to uterine fibroids. 

7 (b) ADMINISTRATION.—

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of NIH shall 

9 carry out this section through the appropriate insti10 tutes, offices, and centers, including the National In11 stitute of Child Health and Human Development, 

12 the National Institute of Environmental Health 

13 Sciences, the Office of Research on Women’s Health, 

14 the National Center on Minority Health and Health 

15 Disparities, and any other agencies that the Director 

16 of NIH determines to be appropriate. 

17 (2) COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.—The Office 

18 of Research on Women’s Health shall coordinate ac19 tivities under paragraph (1) among the institutes, 

20 offices, and centers of the National Institutes of 

21 Health. 

22 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

23 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 

24 to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 

25 2004 through 2008. 
4

•HR 2157 IH 

1 SEC. 4. INFORMATION AND EDUCATION WITH RESPECT TO 

2 UTERINE FIBROIDS. 

3 (a) UTERINE FIBROIDS PUBLIC EDUCATION PRO4 GRAM.—

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

6 Human Services (referred to in this section as the 

7 ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Director of the 

8 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall 

9 develop and disseminate to the public information 

10 regarding uterine fibroids, including information 

11 on—

12 (A) the incidence and prevalence of uterine 

13 fibroids; 

14 (B) the elevated risk for minority women; 

15 and 

16 (C) the availability, as medically appro17 priate, of a range of treatment options for 

18 symptomatic uterine fibroids. 

19 (2) DISSEMINATION.—The Secretary may dis20 seminate information under paragraph (1) directly, 

21 or through arrangements with nonprofit organiza22 tions, consumer groups, institutions of higher edu23 cation (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Edu24 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), Federal, 

25 State, or local agencies, or the media. 
5

•HR 2157 IH 

1 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For 

2 the purpose of carrying out this subsection, there 

3 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may 

4 be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2004 

5 through 2008. 

6 (b) UTERINE FIBROIDS INFORMATION PROGRAM FOR

7 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.—

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 

9 through the Administrator of the Health Resources 

10 and Services Administration, shall develop and dis11 seminate to health care providers information on 

12 uterine fibroids, including information on the ele13 vated risk for minority women and the range of 

14 available options for the treatment of symptomatic 

15 uterine fibroids. 

16 (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For 

17 the purpose of carrying out this subsection, there 

18 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may 

19 be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2004 

20 through 2008. 

21 (c) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 

22 term ‘‘minority’’, with respect to women, means women 

23 who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups with-
6

•HR 2157 IH 

1 in the meaning of section 1707 of the Public Health Serv2 ice Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6).

Æ