I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2447 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for an NIH research 

strategic plan. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 19, 2015 

Mr. HARRIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 

an NIH research strategic plan. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. NIH RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN. 

4 Section 402 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 282) is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (b), by amending paragraph 

7 (5) to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘(5) shall ensure that scientifically based stra9 tegic planning is implemented in support of research 

10 priorities as determined by the agencies of the NaVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 May 28, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2447.IH H2447

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2447 IH

1 tional Institutes of Health, including through devel2 opment, use, and updating of the research strategic 

3 plan under subsection (m);’’; and 

4 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(m) RESEARCH STRATEGIC PLAN.— 

6 ‘‘(1) FIVE-YEAR PLANS FOR BIOMEDICAL RE7 SEARCH STRATEGY.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For each successive 

9 five-year period beginning with the period of fis10 cal years 2016 through 2020, the Director of 

11 NIH, in consultation with the entities described 

12 in subparagraph (B), shall develop and main13 tain a biomedical research strategic plan. 

14 ‘‘(B) ENTITIES DESCRIBED.—The entities 

15 described in this subparagraph are the directors 

16 of the national research institutes and national 

17 centers, researchers, patient advocacy groups, 

18 and industry leaders. 

19 ‘‘(2) USE OF PLAN.—The Director of NIH and 

20 the directors of the national research institutes and 

21 national centers shall use the strategic plan— 

22 ‘‘(A) to identify research opportunities; 

23 and 

24 ‘‘(B) to develop individual strategic plans 

25 for the research activities of each of the naVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 May 28, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2447.IH H2447

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2447 IH

1 tional research institutes and national centers 

2 that— 

3 ‘‘(i) have a common template; and 

4 ‘‘(ii) identify strategic focus areas in 

5 which the resources of the national re6 search institutes and national centers can 

7 best contribute to the goal of expanding 

8 knowledge on human health in the United 

9 States through biomedical research. 

10 ‘‘(3) CONTENTS OF PLANS.— 

11 ‘‘(A) STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS.—The stra12 tegic focus areas identified pursuant to para13 graph (2)(B) shall— 

14 ‘‘(i) be identified in a manner that— 

15 ‘‘(I) considers the return on in16 vestment to the United States public 

17 through the investments of the Na18 tional Institutes of Health in bio19 medical research; and 

20 ‘‘(II) contributes to expanding 

21 knowledge to improve the United 

22 States public’s health through bio23 medical research; and 

24 ‘‘(ii) include overarching and trans25 National Institutes of Health strategic 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2447 IH

1 focus areas, to be known as Mission Pri2 ority Focus Areas, which best serve the 

3 goals of preventing or eliminating the bur4 den of a disease or condition and scientif5 ically merit enhanced and focused research 

6 over the next 5 years. 

7 ‘‘(B) RARE AND PEDIATRIC DISEASES AND

8 CONDITIONS.—In developing and maintaining a 

9 strategic plan under this subsection, the Direc10 tor of NIH shall ensure that rare and pediatric 

11 diseases and conditions remain a priority. 

12 ‘‘(4) INITIAL PLAN.—Not later than 270 days 

13 after the date of enactment of this subsection, the 

14 Director of NIH and the directors of the national re15 search institutes and national centers shall— 

16 ‘‘(A) complete the initial strategic plan re17 quired by paragraphs (1) and (2); and 

18 ‘‘(B) make such initial strategic plan pub19 licly available on the website of the National In20 stitutes of Health. 

21 ‘‘(5) REVIEW; UPDATES.— 

22 ‘‘(A) PROGRESS REVIEWS.—Not less than 

23 annually, the Director of NIH, in consultation 

24 with the directors of the national research insti25 tutes and national centers, shall conduct 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 2447 IH

1 progress reviews for each strategic focus area 

2 identified under paragraph (2)(B). 

3 ‘‘(B) UPDATES.—Not later than the end of 

4 the 5-year period covered by the initial strategic 

5 plan under this subsection, and every 5 years 

6 thereafter, the Director of NIH, in consultation 

7 with the directors of the national research insti8 tutes and national centers, stakeholders in the 

9 scientific field, advocates, and the public at 

10 large, shall— 

11 ‘‘(i) conduct a review of the plan, in12 cluding each strategic focus area identified 

13 under paragraph (2)(B); and 

14 ‘‘(ii) update such plan in accordance 

15 with this section.’’. 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS