I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1757 

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct or support 

a comprehensive study comparing total health outcomes, including risk 

of autism, in vaccinated populations in the United States with such 

outcomes in unvaccinated populations in the United States, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 25, 2013 

Mr. POSEY (for himself and Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 

and Commerce 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 

conduct or support a comprehensive study comparing 

total health outcomes, including risk of autism, in vaccinated populations in the United States with such outcomes in unvaccinated populations in the United States, 

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 ‘‘Vaccine Safety Study 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds as follows: 

3 (1) Securing the health of the Nation’s children 

4 is our most important concern as parents and stew5 ards of the Nation’s future. 

6 (2) The Nation’s vaccine program has greatly 

7 reduced human suffering from infectious disease by 

8 preventing and reducing the outbreak of vaccine-pre9 ventable diseases. 

10 (3) Total health outcomes are the best measure 

11 of the success of any public health effort, including 

12 security from both chronic and infectious disease. 

13 (4) Childhood immunizations are an important 

14 tool in protecting children from infectious disease. 

15 (5) The number of immunizations administered 

16 to infants, pregnant women, children, teenagers, and 

17 adults has grown dramatically over recent years. 

18 (6) The incidence of chronic, unexplained dis19 eases such as autism, learning disabilities, and other 

20 neurological disorders appears to have increased dra21 matically in recent years. 

22 (7) Individual vaccines are tested for safety, but 

23 little safety testing has been conducted for inter24 action effects of multiple vaccines. 

25 (8) The strategy of aggressive, early childhood 

26 immunization against a large number of infectious 


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1 diseases has never been tested in its entirety against 

2 alternative strategies, either for safety or for total 

3 health outcomes. 

4 (9) Childhood immunizations are the only 

5 health interventions that are required by States of 

6 all citizens in order to participate in civic society. 

7 (10) Public confidence in the management of 

8 public health can only be maintained if these State 

9 government-mandated, mass vaccination programs— 

10 (A) are tested rigorously and in their en11 tirety against all reasonable safety concerns; 

12 and 

13 (B) are verified in their entirety to produce 

14 superior health outcomes. 

15 (11) There are numerous United States popu16 lations in which a practice of no vaccination is fol17 lowed and which therefore provide a natural com18 parison group for comparing total health outcomes. 

19 (12) No comparative study of such health out20 comes has ever been conducted. 

21 (13) Given rising concern over the high rates of 

22 childhood neurodevelopmental disorders such as au23 tism and other chronic conditions, the need for such 

24 studies is becoming urgent. 


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1 SEC. 3. STUDY ON HEALTH OUTCOMES IN VACCINATED 

2 AND UNVACCINATED AMERICAN POPU3 LATIONS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

5 Human Services (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec6 retary’’), acting through the Director of the National In7 stitutes of Health, shall conduct or support a comprehen8 sive study— 

9 (1) to compare total health outcomes, including 

10 the incidence and risk of autism, in vaccinated popu11 lations in the United States with such outcomes in 

12 unvaccinated populations in the United States; and 

13 (2) to determine whether exposure to vaccines 

14 or vaccine components is associated with autism 

15 spectrum disorders, chronic conditions, or other neu16 rological conditions. 

17 (b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 

18 shall be construed to authorize the conduct or support of 

19 any study in which an individual or population is encour20 aged or incentivized to remain unvaccinated. 

21 (c) QUALIFICATIONS.—With respect to each investi22 gator carrying out the study under this section, the Sec23 retary shall ensure that the investigator— 

24 (1) is objective; 


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1 (2) is qualified to carry out such study, as evi2 denced by training experiences and demonstrated 

3 skill; 

4 (3) is not currently employed by any Federal, 

5 State, or local public health agency; 

6 (4) is not currently a member of a board, com7 mittee, or other entity responsible for formulating 

8 immunization policy on behalf of any Federal, State, 

9 or local public health agency or any component 

10 thereof; 

11 (5) has no history of a strong position on the 

12 thimerosal or vaccine safety controversy; and 

13 (6) is not currently an employee of, or other14 wise directly or indirectly receiving funds from, a 

15 pharmaceutical company or the Centers for Disease 

16 Control. 

17 (d) TARGET POPULATIONS.—The Secretary shall 

18 seek to include in the study under this section populations 

19 in the United States that have traditionally remained 

20 unvaccinated for religious or other reasons, which popu21 lations may include Old Order Amish, members of clinical 

22 practices (such as the Homefirst practice in Chicago) who 

23 choose alternative medical practices, practitioners of 

24 anthroposophic lifestyles, and others who have chosen not 

25 to be vaccinated. 


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1 (e) TIMING.—Not later than 120 days after the date 

2 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a 

3 request for proposals to conduct the study required by this 

4 section. Not later than 120 days after receipt of any such 

5 proposal, the Secretary shall approve or disapprove the 

6 proposal. If the Secretary disapproves the proposal, the 

7 Secretary shall provide the applicant involved with a writ8 ten explanation of the reasons for the disapproval. 

9 (f) TRANSPARENCY.—To facilitate further research 

10 by the Secretary or others, the Secretary shall ensure the 

11 preservation of all data, including all data sets, collected 

12 or used for purposes of the study under this section. 

Æ 


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