I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3034 

To provide for research and education with respect to uterine fibroids, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 22, 2005 

Mrs. JONES of Ohio (for herself, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. LEWIS

of Georgia, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. WATT, Ms. 

CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mrs. MCCARTHY, Ms. 

NORTON, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. 

JEFFERSON, Mr. ISSA, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, 

Mr. CARDIN, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr. WYNN, Mr. 

WEXLER, Ms. WATSON, and Ms. WATERS) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To provide for research and education with respect to uterine 

fibroids, 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 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 
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1 (1) The development of uterine fibroids is a 

2 common and significant health problem, affecting 

3 women, primarily of reproductive age, across all 

4 ages, racial backgrounds, and socioeconomic levels. 

5 (2) It is estimated that between 20 and 30 per6 cent of women of reproductive age have clinically 

7 recognized uterine fibroids, and screening studies in8 dicate the prevalence of uterine fibroids in women 

9 may be much higher. 

10 (3) Minority women are more likely to develop 

11 uterine fibroids, and through ultrasound screening of 

12 African American and Caucasian women for fibroids, 

13 we estimate that more than 80 percent of African 

14 Americans and about 70 percent of Caucasians de15 velop fibroids by the time they reach menopause and 

16 the tumors develop at younger ages in African 

17 Americans. 

18 (4) Symptomatic uterine fibroids can cause 

19 heavy bleeding, pain, and reproductive problems, in20 cluding infertility. There is no known cause of uter21 ine fibroids. 

22 (5) The presence of uterine fibroids is the most 

23 common reason for hysterectomies, accounting for 

24 approximately one-third of hysterectomies, or 

25 200,000 procedures annually and 22 percent of Afri-
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1 can American women and 7 percent of Caucasians 

2 have hysterectomies for fibroids. 

3 (6) Over five billion dollars are spent annually 

4 on hysterectomies, at approximately $6,000 for each 

5 surgery. 

6 (7) The Evidence Report and Summary on the 

7 Management of Uterine Fibroids, as compiled by the 

8 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality of the 

9 Department of Health and Human Services, held 

10 that there is a ‘‘remarkable lack of high quality evi11 dence supporting the effectiveness of most interven12 tions for symptomatic fibroids’’. 

13 (8) Current research and available data do not 

14 provide adequate information on the rates of preva15 lence and incidents of fibroids in Asian, Hispanic, 

16 and other minority women, the costs associated with 

17 treating fibroids, and the methods by which fibroids 

18 may be prevented in these women. 

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

20 (a) RESEARCH.—The Director of the National Insti21 tutes of Health (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Direc22 tor of NIH’’) shall expand, intensify, and coordinate pro23 grams for the conduct and support of research with re24 spect to uterine fibroids. 
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1 (b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Director of NIH shall 

2 carry out this section through the appropriate institutes, 

3 offices, and centers of the National Institutes of Health, 

4 including the National Institute of Child Health and 

5 Human Development, the National Institute of Environ6 mental Health Sciences, the Office of Research on Wom7 en’s Health, and the National Center on Minority Health 

8 and Health Disparities. 

9 (c) COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.—The Office of 

10 Research on Women’s Health shall coordinate activities 

11 under subsection (b) among the institutes, offices, and 

12 centers of the National Institutes of Health. 

13 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

14 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 

15 to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 

16 2006 through 2010. 

17 SEC. 4. EDUCATION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION 

18 WITH RESPECT TO UTERINE FIBROIDS. 

19 (a) UTERINE FIBROIDS PUBLIC EDUCATION PRO20 GRAM.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

21 acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease 

22 Control and Prevention, shall develop and disseminate to 

23 the public information regarding uterine fibroids, includ24 ing information on— 
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1 (1) the incidence and prevalence of uterine 

2 fibroids among women; 

3 (2) the elevated risk for minority women to de4 velop uterine fibroids; and 

5 (3) the availability, as medically appropriate, of 

6 a range of treatment options for symptomatic uter7 ine fibroids. 

8 (b) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The Sec9 retary may disseminate information under subsection (a) 

10 directly or through arrangements with nonprofit organiza11 tions, consumer groups, institutions of higher education, 

12 Federal, State, or local agencies, or the media. 

13 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

14 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 

15 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for 

16 each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010. 

17 SEC. 5. INFORMATION TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WITH 

18 RESPECT TO UTERINE FIBROIDS. 

19 (a) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The Sec20 retary of Health and Human Services, acting through the 

21 Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Ad22 ministration, shall develop and disseminate to health care 

23 providers information on uterine fibroids for the purpose 

24 of ensuring that health care providers remain informed 

25 about current information on uterine fibroids. Such infor-
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1 mation shall include the elevated risk for minority women 

2 to develop uterine fibroids and the range of available op3 tions for the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids. 

4 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

5 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 

6 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for 

7 each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010. 

8 SEC. 6. DEFINITION. 

9 In this Act, the term ‘‘minority women’’ means 

10 women who are members of a racial and ethnic minority 

11 group, as defined in section 1707(g) of the Public Health 

12 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)). 

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