I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4701 

To provide for scientific frameworks with respect to vector-borne diseases. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2014 

Mr. GIBSON (for himself, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. SMITH of New 

Jersey, Mr. WOLF, and Mr. BARLETTA) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To provide for scientific frameworks with respect to vectorborne diseases. 

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 ‘‘Vector-Borne Disease 

5 Research Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SCIENTIFIC FRAMEWORK FOR VECTOR-BORNE DIS7 EASES. 

8 Subpart 6 of part C of title IV of the Public Health 

9 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285f et seq.) is amended by adding 

10 at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 447D. SCIENTIFIC FRAMEWORK FOR VECTOR-BORNE 

2 DISEASES. 

3 ‘‘(a) DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC FRAMEWORK

4 FOR VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES.— 

5 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For each vector-borne dis6 ease identified under subsection (b), the Directors 

7 shall develop a scientific framework for the conduct 

8 or support of research on such vector-borne disease. 

9 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The scientific framework 

10 with respect to a vector-borne disease shall include 

11 the following: 

12 ‘‘(A) CURRENT STATUS.— 

13 ‘‘(i) COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE

14 LITERATURE.—A summary of findings 

15 from the current literature in the areas 

16 of— 

17 ‘‘(I) the prevention, diagnosis, 

18 and treatment of acute and chronic 

19 vector-borne disease; 

20 ‘‘(II) the fundamental environ21 mental and biologic process that regu22 late acute and chronic vector-borne 

23 disease; and 

24 ‘‘(III) the epidemiology of acute 

25 and chronic vector-borne disease. 


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1 ‘‘(ii) NUMBER OF INCIDENCES INTER2 NATIONALLY.—An assessment of the inci3 dence of acute and chronic vector-borne 

4 disease reported internationally. 

5 ‘‘(iii) SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES.—The 

6 identification of relevant and diverse 

7 emerging scientific areas, and promising 

8 scientific advances, in basic, translational, 

9 and clinical science relating to the areas 

10 described in subclauses (I) and (II) of 

11 clause (i). 

12 ‘‘(iv) RESEARCHERS.—A description 

13 of the availability of individuals who— 

14 ‘‘(I) conduct scientific research in 

15 the areas described in clause (i); and 

16 ‘‘(II) represent a diversity of sci17 entific perspectives relevant to such 

18 areas. 

19 ‘‘(v) COORDINATED RESEARCH INITIA20 TIVES.—The identification of the types of 

21 initiatives and partnerships for the coordi22 nation of intramural and extramural re23 search of the National Institutes of Health 

24 and the Centers for Disease Control and 

25 Prevention in the areas described in clause 


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1 (i) with research of the relevant national 

2 research institutes, Federal agencies, and 

3 non-Federal public and private entities in 

4 such areas. 

5 ‘‘(vi) RESEARCH RESOURCES.—The 

6 identification of public and private re7 sources, such as patient registries, that are 

8 available to facilitate research relating to 

9 each of the areas described in clause (i). 

10 ‘‘(B) IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH

11 QUESTIONS.—The identification of research 

12 questions relating to basic, translational, and 

13 clinical science in the areas described in sub14 clauses (I) and (II) of subparagraph (A)(i) that 

15 have not been adequately addressed with re16 spect to acute or chronic vector-borne disease. 

17 ‘‘(C) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Recommenda18 tions for appropriate actions that should be 

19 taken to advance research in the areas de20 scribed in subparagraph (A)(i) and to address 

21 the research questions identified in subpara22 graph (B), as well as for appropriate bench23 marks to measure progress on achieving such 

24 action, including the following: 


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1 ‘‘(i) RESEARCHERS.—Ensuring ade2 quate availability of individuals described 

3 in subparagraph (A)(iv). 

4 ‘‘(ii) COORDINATED RESEARCH INI5 TIATIVES.—Promoting and developing ini6 tiatives and partnerships described in sub7 paragraph (A)(v). 

8 ‘‘(iii) RESEARCH RESOURCES.—Devel9 oping additional public and private re10 sources described in subparagraph (A)(vi) 

11 and strengthening existing resources. 

12 ‘‘(3) TIMING.— 

13 ‘‘(A) INITIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUBSE14 QUENT UPDATE.—For each vector-borne dis15 ease identified under subsection (b)(1), the Di16 rectors shall— 

17 ‘‘(i) develop a scientific framework 

18 under this subsection not later than 18 

19 months after the date of the enactment of 

20 this section; and 

21 ‘‘(ii) review and update the scientific 

22 framework not later than 5 years after its 

23 initial development. 

24 ‘‘(B) OTHER UPDATES.—The Directors 

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1 work developed under this subsection as nec2 essary. 

3 ‘‘(4) PUBLIC NOTICE.—With respect to each 

4 scientific framework developed under this subsection, 

5 not later than 30 days after the date of completion 

6 of the framework, the Directors shall— 

7 ‘‘(A) submit such framework to the Com8 mittee on Energy and Commerce and the Com9 mittee on Appropriations of the House of Rep10 resentatives, and the Committee on Health, 

11 Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Com12 mittee on Appropriations of the Senate; and 

13 ‘‘(B) make such framework publicly avail14 able on the Internet Web site of the Depart15 ment of Health and Human Services. 

16 ‘‘(b) IDENTIFICATION OF VECTOR-BORNE DIS17 EASES.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 

19 after the date of the enactment of this section, the 

20 Directors shall identify 2 or more bacterial or para21 sitic vector-borne diseases that each have a high in22 cidence domestically. 

23 ‘‘(2) TREATING TICK-BORNE DISEASES AS A

24 SINGLE VECTOR-BORNE DISEASE.—For purposes of 

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1 section and developing scientific frameworks for such 

2 diseases under subsection (a), tick-borne diseases, 

3 including Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases 

4 that are known to be transmitted by ticks to humans 

5 in the United States, shall be treated as a single vec6 tor-borne disease. 

7 ‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES.— 

8 Subject to paragraph (2), the Directors may, at any 

9 time, identify other vector-borne diseases for pur10 poses of this section. In identifying a vector-borne 

11 disease pursuant to the previous sentence, the Direc12 tors may consider additional metrics of progress 

13 against such type of vector-borne disease. 

14 ‘‘(c) WORKING GROUPS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For each vector-borne dis16 ease identified under subsection (b), the Directors 

17 shall convene a working group in accordance with 

18 the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Directors 

19 (or their designees) shall participate in the meetings 

20 of each such working group. 

21 ‘‘(2) MEMBERS.—Each working group convened 

22 under this subsection shall be comprised of the fol23 lowing members: 

24 ‘‘(A) One or more representatives of each 

25 of the following: 


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1 ‘‘(i) The National Institutes of 

2 Health. 

3 ‘‘(ii) The Centers for Disease Control 

4 and Prevention. 

5 ‘‘(iii) Other agencies or offices of the 

6 Department of Health and Human Serv7 ices, as determined appropriate by the Di8 rectors. 

9 ‘‘(iv) Other Federal agencies, as de10 termined appropriate by the Directors. 

11 ‘‘(B) One or more representatives of each 

12 of the following categories: 

13 ‘‘(i) Physicians with experience in di14 agnosing and treating stages or manifesta15 tions of the relevant vector-borne disease. 

16 ‘‘(ii) Non-Federal scientists or re17 searchers with expertise, and representing 

18 a diversity of perspectives, regarding the 

19 science pertaining to vector-borne diseases. 

20 ‘‘(iii) Patients and their family mem21 bers. 

22 ‘‘(iv) Nonprofit organizations that ad23 vocate for patients by promoting education, 

24 services, or research. 


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1 ‘‘(v) Other individuals whose expertise 

2 is determined by the Directors to be bene3 ficial to the functioning of the working 

4 group. 

5 ‘‘(C) One individual appointed by the 

6 Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

7 ‘‘(D) One individual appointed by the Ma8 jority Leader of the Senate. 

9 ‘‘(3) FACA SUNSET INAPPLICABLE.—Section 

10 14(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 

11 U.S.C. App.; relating to termination of advisory 

12 committees) shall not apply to a working group con13 vened under paragraph (1). 

14 ‘‘(4) OTHER WORKING GROUPS.—If the Direc15 tors, in addition to convening the working groups re16 quired by this subsection, choose to continue any 

17 working group on any vector-borne disease in exist18 ence on the date of enactment of the Vector-Borne 

19 Disease Research Accountability and Transparency 

20 Act of 2014, any such working group is deemed to 

21 be an advisory committee subject to the Federal Ad22 visory Committee Act. 

23 ‘‘(d) PUBLIC HEARINGS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Directors shall, within 

25 60 days after identifying a vector-borne disease 


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1 under section (b), and annually thereafter, convene 

2 public forums— 

3 ‘‘(A) to seek public input on the develop4 ment of the scientific framework for such vec5 tor-borne disease under this section and 

6 progress in addressing related chronic condi7 tions; and 

8 ‘‘(B) to identify, and seek public input on, 

9 potential emerging strains in species of patho10 genic organisms. 

11 ‘‘(2) PARTICIPANTS.—The participants at the 

12 forums convened under this subsection shall be re13 searchers, physicians, patients, and other members 

14 of the public. 

15 ‘‘(e) REPORTING.— 

16 ‘‘(1) BIENNIAL REPORTS.—The Directors shall 

17 ensure that each biennial report under section 403 

18 includes information on actions undertaken to carry 

19 out each scientific framework developed under sub20 section (a) with respect to a vector-borne disease, in21 cluding the following: 

22 ‘‘(A) Information on research grants 

23 awarded by the National Institutes of Health 

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1 vention for research relating to such vector2 borne disease. 

3 ‘‘(B) An assessment of the progress made 

4 in improving outcomes. 

5 ‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL ONE-TIME REPORTS.— 

6 ‘‘(A) FRAMEWORKS.—For each vector7 borne disease identified under subsection (b)(1), 

8 the Directors shall, not later than 6 years after 

9 the initial development of a scientific framework 

10 for such disease under subsection (a), submit a 

11 report to the Congress on the effectiveness of 

12 the framework (including the update required 

13 by subsection (a)(3)(A)(ii)) in improving the 

14 prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment 

15 of such disease. 

16 ‘‘(B) TOTAL NUMBER OF WORKING

17 GROUPS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

18 of enactment of this section, the Directors shall 

19 submit a report to the Congress identifying the 

20 total number of working groups convened under 

21 this section. 

22 ‘‘(f) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXCEPTION FUND23 ING.—The Directors shall consider each relevant scientific 

24 framework developed under subsection (a) when making 


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1 recommendations for exception funding for grant applica2 tions. 

3 ‘‘(g) DEFINITION.—In this section: 

4 ‘‘(1) The term ‘Directors’ means the Director 

5 of NIH and the Director of the Centers for Disease 

6 Control and Prevention acting jointly. 

7 ‘‘(2) The term ‘vector-borne disease’ means an 

8 infection transmitted to humans or other animals by 

9 ticks, mosquitoes, or fleas, such as Lyme disease.’’. 

Æ 


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