I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6483 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to require greater transparency 

and accountability within the grant-making process of the National Institutes of Health. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 28, 2023 

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

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to require greater 

transparency and accountability within the grant-making 

process of the National Institutes of Health. 

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 ‘‘Grant Reform And 

5 NIH Transparency Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘GRANT Act of 

6 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NIH DATABASE OF DENIALS. 

2 Section 402 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

3 U.S.C. 282) is amended by adding at the end the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(p) DATABASE OF DENIALS.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 

7 through the Director of NIH, shall establish and 

8 maintain a database of each research proposal that 

9 is denied a grant or other award by the National In10 stitutes of Health. 

11 ‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Secretary shall update 

12 the contents of the database under paragraph (1) 

13 not less than quarterly. 

14 ‘‘(3) CONTENTS.—The database under para15 graph (1) shall include, with respect to each denial 

16 described in such paragraph, an explanation of the 

17 basis for such denial. 

18 ‘‘(4) TIMING.— 

19 ‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT OF DATABASE.— 

20 The Secretary shall establish the database 

21 under paragraph (1) not later than 180 days 

22 after the date of enactment of this subsection. 

23 ‘‘(B) COVERED DENIALS.—The database 

24 under paragraph (1) shall include all denials 

25 described in such paragraph occurring on or 

26 after the date of enactment of this subsection.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. ACCESS BY INDEPENDENT, OUTSIDE RESEARCHERS 

2 TO INFORMATION ON NIH’S INTERNAL OPER3 ATIONS FOR MAKING AWARDS. 

4 Section 402 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 282), as amended, is further amended by adding 

6 at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(q) ACCESS TO NIH DATA BY INDEPENDENT, OUT8 SIDE RESEARCHER.— 

9 ‘‘(1) SHARING.—The Secretary, acting through 

10 the Director of NIH, shall share with researchers, 

11 on request, information concerning the internal oper12 ations of the National Institutes of Health in mak13 ing awards. 

14 ‘‘(2) RELATION TO OTHER LAW.—The obliga15 tion imposed by paragraph (1) to share information 

16 applies notwithstanding any other law, including sec17 tions 552(b), 552a, and 552b of title 5, United 

18 States Code. 

19 ‘‘(3) INFORMATION TO BE SHARED.—Except as 

20 provided in paragraph (4), the information required 

21 to be shared by paragraph (1) includes the following: 

22 ‘‘(A) Individual scores and written com23 ments on funded and unfunded proposals made 

24 by study section members and program staff of 

25 the National Institutes of Health (including the 

26 Center for Scientific Review and any national 


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1 research institute, national center, advisory 

2 council or board, or other office or agency of 

3 the National Institutes of Health) in carrying 

4 out applicable provisions of law, including sec5 tions 405(b)(2)(B)(ii), 405(b)(3)(B)(iii), 492, 

6 and 492A. 

7 ‘‘(B) The full text of funded proposals, un8 funded proposals, progress reports, and final re9 ports for research awards, including such 

10 awards consisting of a grant, a cooperative 

11 agreement, a contract, training, technical as12 sistance, or other transaction authority. 

13 ‘‘(C) The information in the database 

14 under subsection (p). 

15 ‘‘(D) Information on the performance of 

16 employees and agents of the National Institutes 

17 of Health in conducting research. 

18 ‘‘(E) The degree to which the National In19 stitutes of Health funds awards below the 

20 payline and the rationale for doing so. 

21 ‘‘(F) Any other information regarding 

22 making awards that is maintained by the Office 

23 of Portfolio Analysis, the Center for Scientific 

24 Review, or the Office of Evaluation, Perform25 ance, and Reporting. 


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1 ‘‘(G) Any other information in the posses2 sion of the National Institutes of Health that is 

3 requested in accordance with paragraph (1), in4 cluding any such— 

5 ‘‘(i) evaluation of performance; or 

6 ‘‘(ii) funding or peer-review model. 

7 ‘‘(4) REDACTION.—Before sharing information 

8 pursuant to paragraph (1) regarding an award, the 

9 Secretary shall redact the names of— 

10 ‘‘(A) the individuals serving as peer review11 ers for purposes of the research involved; and 

12 ‘‘(B) in the case of a grant or other award 

13 that was denied (as described in subsection 

14 (p)(1)) the individuals or other persons apply15 ing for the award. 

16 ‘‘(5) COVERED INFORMATION.— 

17 ‘‘(A) MAINTENANCE OF INFORMATION.— 

18 The Secretary shall maintain into perpetuity in19 formation that is— 

20 ‘‘(i) described in paragraph (1); and 

21 ‘‘(ii) in the possession of the National 

22 Institutes of Health on or after the date of 

23 enactment of this subsection. 


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1 ‘‘(B) EARLIER INFORMATION.—The Sec2 retary shall make a reasonable effort to recon3 struct information that— 

4 ‘‘(i) is requested pursuant to para5 graph (1); and 

6 ‘‘(ii) was in the possession of the Na7 tional Institutes of Health before the date 

8 of enactment of this subsection but has not 

9 been maintained in whole or in part.’’. 

Æ 


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