II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4879 

To prioritize funding for an expanded and sustained national investment 

in biomedical research. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 31, 2024 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. 

BROWN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Appropriations 

A BILL 

To prioritize funding for an expanded and sustained national 

investment in biomedical research. 

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 ‘‘American Cures Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. APPROPRIATIONS FOR INNOVATION. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are hereby authorized to be 

7 appropriated, and appropriated, out of any monies in the 

8 Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following: 


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1 (1) NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.—For 

2 the National Institutes of Health at the Department 

3 of Health and Human Services— 

4 (A) for fiscal year 2025, $52,468,000,000; 

5 (B) for fiscal year 2026, $56,665,000,000; 

6 (C) for fiscal year 2027, $61,198,000,000; 

7 (D) for fiscal year 2028, $66,094,000,000; 

8 (E) for fiscal year 2029, $71,382,000,000; 

9 (F) for fiscal year 2030, $77,093,000,000; 

10 (G) for fiscal year 2031, $83,260,000,000; 

11 (H) for fiscal year 2032, $89,921,000,000; 

12 (I) for fiscal year 2033, $97,115,000,000; 

13 (J) for fiscal year 2034, 

14 $104,884,000,000; and 

15 (K) for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal 

16 year thereafter, the amount appropriated under 

17 this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, in18 creased by the percentage increase (if any), 

19 during the previous fiscal year, in the Con20 sumer Price Index for all urban consumers pub21 lished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

22 (2) CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PRE23 VENTION.—For the Centers for Disease Control and 

24 Prevention at the Department of Health and Human 

25 Services— 


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1 (A) for fiscal year 2025, $9,960,000,000; 

2 (B) for fiscal year 2026, $10,757,000,000; 

3 (C) for fiscal year 2027, $11,618,000,000; 

4 (D) for fiscal year 2028, $12,547,000,000; 

5 (E) for fiscal year 2029, $13,551,000,000; 

6 (F) for fiscal year 2030, $14,635,000,000; 

7 (G) for fiscal year 2031, $15,806,000,000; 

8 (H) for fiscal year 2032, $17,070,000,000; 

9 (I) for fiscal year 2033, $18,436,000,000; 

10 (J) for fiscal year 2034, $19,911,000,000; 

11 and 

12 (K) for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal 

13 year thereafter, the amount appropriated under 

14 this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, in15 creased by the percentage increase (if any), 

16 during the previous fiscal year, in the Con17 sumer Price Index for all urban consumers pub18 lished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

19 (3) RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND

20 EVALUATION PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF

21 DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM.—For the research, de22 velopment, test, and evaluation program of the De23 partment of Defense health program— 

24 (A) for fiscal year 2025, $3,550,000,000; 

25 (B) for fiscal year 2026, $3,834,000,000; 


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1 (C) for fiscal year 2027, $4,141,000,000; 

2 (D) for fiscal year 2028, $4,472,000,000; 

3 (E) for fiscal year 2029, $4,830,000,000; 

4 (F) for fiscal year 2030, $5,216,000,000; 

5 (G) for fiscal year 2031, $5,633,000,000; 

6 (H) for fiscal year 2032, $6,084,000,000; 

7 (I) for fiscal year 2033, $6,571,000,000; 

8 (J) for fiscal year 2034, $7,096,000,000; 

9 and 

10 (K) for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal 

11 year thereafter, the amount appropriated under 

12 this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, in13 creased by the percentage increase (if any), 

14 during the previous fiscal year, in the Con15 sumer Price Index for all urban consumers pub16 lished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

17 (4) MEDICAL AND PROSTHETICS RESEARCH

18 PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF19 FAIRS.—For the medical and prosthetics research 

20 program of the Department of Veterans Affairs— 

21 (A) for fiscal year 2025, $1,018,000,000; 

22 (B) for fiscal year 2026, $1,099,000,000; 

23 (C) for fiscal year 2027, $1,187,000,000; 

24 (D) for fiscal year 2028, $1,282,000,000; 

25 (E) for fiscal year 2029, $1,385,000,000; 


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1 (F) for fiscal year 2030, $1,496,000,000; 

2 (G) for fiscal year 2031, $1,616,000,000; 

3 (H) for fiscal year 2032, $1,745,000,000; 

4 (I) for fiscal year 2033, $1,885,000,000; 

5 (J) for fiscal year 2034, $2,035,000,000; 

6 and 

7 (K) for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal 

8 year thereafter, the amount appropriated under 

9 this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, in10 creased by the percentage increase (if any), 

11 during the previous fiscal year, in the Con12 sumer Price Index for all urban consumers pub13 lished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

14 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated under 

15 subsection (a) shall remain available until expended. 

16 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

17 (1) CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PRE18 VENTION.—The term ‘‘Centers for Disease Control 

19 and Prevention’’ means the appropriations accounts 

20 that support the various institutes, offices, and cen21 ters that make up the Centers for Disease Control 

22 and Prevention. 

23 (2) RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND

24 EVALUATION PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF

25 DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘research, 


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1 development, test, and evaluation program of the 

2 Department of Defense health program’’ means the 

3 appropriations accounts that support the various in4 stitutes, offices, and centers that make up the re5 search, development, test, and evaluation program of 

6 the Department of Defense health program. 

7 (3) MEDICAL AND PROSTHETICS RESEARCH

8 PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF9 FAIRS.—The term ‘‘medical and prosthetics research 

10 program of the Department of Veterans Affairs’’ 

11 means the appropriations accounts that support the 

12 various institutes, offices, and centers that make up 

13 the medical and prosthetics research program of the 

14 Department of Veterans Affairs. 

15 (4) NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.—The 

16 term ‘‘National Institutes of Health’’ means the ap17 propriations accounts that support the various insti18 tutes, offices, and centers that make up the National 

19 Institutes of Health. 

20 (d) EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN APPROPRIATIONS FROM

21 SEQUESTRATION.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 255(g)(1)(A) of the 

23 Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 

24 Act (2 U.S.C. 905(g)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting 

25 after ‘‘Advances to the Unemployment Trust Fund 


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1 and Other Funds (16–0327–0–1–600).’’ the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘Appropriations under the American 

4 Cures Act.’’. 

5 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The amendment made by 

6 this section shall apply to any sequestration order 

7 issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency 

8 Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.) 

9 on or after the date of enactment of this Act. 

10 (e) BUDGETARY EFFECTS.— 

11 (1) STATUTORY PAYGO SCORECARDS.—The 

12 budgetary effects of this section shall not be entered 

13 on either PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to 

14 section 4(d) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 

15 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(d)). 

16 (2) SENATE PAYGO SCORECARDS.—The budg17 etary effects of this section shall not be entered on 

18 any PAYGO scorecard maintained for purposes of 

19 section 4106 of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress). 

Æ 


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