II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1554 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 9 (legislative day, DECEMBER 8), 2006 

Received 

AN ACT 

To enhance and further research into paralysis and to improve rehabilitation and the quality of life for persons 

living with paralysis and other physical disabilities, 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, 


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HR 1554 RDS 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Christopher and Dana 

3 Reeve Quality of Life for Persons with Paralysis Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR 

5 PERSONS WITH PARALYSIS AND OTHER 

6 PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. 

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

8 Human Services (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec9 retary’’), acting through the Director of the Centers for 

10 Disease Control and Prevention, may study the unique 

11 health challenges associated with paralysis and other phys12 ical disabilities and carry out projects and interventions 

13 to improve the quality of life and long-term health status 

14 of persons with paralysis and other physical disabilities. 

15 The Secretary may carry out such projects directly and 

16 through awards of grants or contracts. 

17 (b) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.—Activities under sub18 section (a) may include— 

19 (1) the development of a national paralysis and 

20 physical disability quality-of-life action plan, to pro21 mote health and wellness in order to enhance full 

22 participation, independent living, self-sufficiency, 

23 and equality of opportunity in partnership with vol24 untary health agencies focused on paralysis and 

25 other physical disabilities, to be carried out in co26 ordination with the State-based Comprehensive PaVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:08 Dec 13, 2006 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1554.RDS H1554

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1 ralysis and Other Physical Disability Quality of Life 

2 Program of the Centers for Disease Control and 

3 Prevention; 

4 (2) support for programs to disseminate infor5 mation involving care and rehabilitation options and 

6 quality-of-life grant programs supportive of commu7 nity-based programs and support systems for per8 sons with paralysis and other physical disabilities; 

9 (3) in collaboration with other centers and na10 tional voluntary health agencies, the establishment 

11 of a hospital-based registry, and the conduct of rel12 evant population-based research, on motor disability 

13 (including paralysis); and 

14 (4) the development of comprehensive, unique, 

15 and innovative programs, services, and demonstra16 tions within existing State-based disability and 

17 health programs of the Centers for Disease Control 

18 and Prevention which are designed to support and 

19 advance quality-of-life programs for persons living 

20 with paralysis and other physical disabilities focus21 ing on— 

22 (A) caregiver education; 

23 (B) physical activity; 

24 (C) education and awareness programs for 

25 health care providers; 


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HR 1554 RDS 

1 (D) prevention of secondary complications; 

2 (E) home- and community-based interven3 tions; 

4 (F) coordination of services and removal of 

5 barriers that prevent full participation and inte6 gration into the community; and 

7 (G) recognition of the unique needs of un8 derserved populations. 

9 (c) GRANTS.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Sec10 retary may award grants in accordance with the following: 

11 (1) To State and local health and disability 

12 agencies for the purpose of— 

13 (A) establishing paralysis registries for the 

14 support of relevant population-based research; 

15 (B) developing comprehensive paralysis 

16 and other physical disability action plans and 

17 activities focused on the items listed in sub18 section (b)(4); 

19 (C) assisting State-based programs in es20 tablishing and implementing partnerships and 

21 collaborations that maximize the input and sup22 port of people with paralysis and other physical 

23 disabilities and their constituent organizations; 


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1 (D) coordinating paralysis and physical 

2 disability activities with existing State-based 

3 disability and health programs; 

4 (E) providing education and training op5 portunities and programs for health profes6 sionals and allied caregivers; and 

7 (F) developing, testing, evaluating, and 

8 replicating effective intervention programs to 

9 maintain or improve health and quality of life. 

10 (2) To nonprofit private health and disability 

11 organizations for the purpose of— 

12 (A) disseminating information to the pub13 lic; 

14 (B) improving access to services for per15 sons living with paralysis and other physical 

16 disabilities and their caregivers; 

17 (C) testing model intervention programs to 

18 improve health and quality of life; and 

19 (D) coordinating existing services with 

20 State-based disability and health programs. 

21 (d) COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary 

22 shall ensure that activities under this section are coordi23 nated as appropriate with other activities of the Public 

24 Health Service. 


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1 (e) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Decem2 ber 1, 2007, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress 

3 a report describing the results of the study under sub4 section (a) and, as applicable, the national plan developed 

5 under subsection (b)(1). 

6 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

7 purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized 

8 to be appropriated in the aggregate $25,000,000 for the 

9 fiscal years 2007 through 2010. 

10 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

11 It is the sense of the Congress that— 

12 (1) as science and research have advanced, so 

13 too has the need to increase strategic planning 

14 across the National Institutes of Health to identify 

15 research that is important to the advancement of 

16 biomedical science; and 

17 (2) research involving collaboration among the 

18 national research institutes and national centers of 

19 the National Institutes of Health is crucial for ad20 vancing research on paralysis and thereby improving 

21 rehabilitation and the quality of life for persons liv22 ing with paralysis and other physical disabilities. 

Passed the House of Representatives December 9 

(legislative day, December 8), 2006. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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