II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2115 

To provide for the establishment of a fund to provide for an expanded 

and sustained national investment in biomedical research. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 12, 2014 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. REED, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. BROWN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. CASEY, Mr. CARDIN, Mrs. BOXER, and Mrs. 

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

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of a fund to provide 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. BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FUND. 

6 (a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 

7 establish a Biomedical Research Fund (referred to in this 

8 section as the ‘‘Fund’’), to be administered by the Sec9 retary of the Treasury, to provide for an expanded and 


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1 sustained national investment in biomedical research 

2 through the programs and agencies described in sub3 section (b)(2). 

4 (b) USE OF FUND.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year, 

6 amounts shall be transferred from the Fund to the 

7 accounts related to the programs and agencies de8 scribed in paragraph (2) to ensure that funding for 

9 such programs and agencies for such fiscal year does 

10 not fall below 105 percent of the level of funding 

11 provided for the fiscal year immediately preceding 

12 the fiscal year for which the determination is being 

13 made and an additional amount to account for any 

14 increases in the Gross Domestic Product for the 

15 year involved. 

16 (2) AGENCIES.—The programs and agencies de17 scribed in this paragraph are the following: 

18 (A) The National Institutes of Health. 

19 (B) The Centers for Disease Control and 

20 Prevention. 

21 (C) The Department of Defense health 

22 program. 

23 (D) The medical and prosthetics research 

24 program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 


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1 (c) MINIMUM CONTINUED FUNDING REQUIRE2 MENT.—Amounts appropriated for each of the programs 

3 and agencies described in subsection (b)(2) for a fiscal 

4 year shall not be less than the amounts appropriated for 

5 such programs and agencies for fiscal year 2014. 

6 (d) FUNDING.—There are hereby authorized to be 

7 appropriated, and appropriated, to the Fund, out of any 

8 monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such 

9 sums as may be necessary in each fiscal year to enable 

10 the transfers to be made in accordance with subsection 

11 (b)(1). 

12 (e) TRANSFER AUTHORITY.—The Committee on Ap13 propriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appro14 priations of the House of Representatives may provide for 

15 the transfer of funds in the Fund to eligible programs and 

16 agencies under this section, subject to subsection (b). 

17 (f) EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN PAYMENTS FROM SE18 QUESTRATION.— 

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

20 Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 

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

22 after ‘‘Advances to the Unemployment Trust Fund 

23 and Other Funds (16–0327–0–1–600).’’ the fol24 lowing: 

25 ‘‘Biomedical Research Fund.’’. 


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1 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The amendment made by 

2 this section shall apply to any sequestration order 

3 issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency 

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

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

Æ 


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