IB 

Union Calendar No. 235 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1727 

[Report No. 110–378] 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 28, 2007 

Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mrs. BONO, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

OCTOBER 15, 2007 

Additional sponsors: Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. 

MCNULTY, Mr. STARK, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. 

DELAHUNT, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. MCHUGH, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. RANGEL, 

Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. DENT, Mr. TERRY, Mr. 

TIERNEY, Mr. WALZ of Minnesota, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. WEXLER, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. SUTTON, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. WELCH of Vermont, Mr. WYNN, Mr. 

HONDA, Mr. WALDEN of Oregon, Mr. LAMPSON, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. ENGEL, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. OLVER, Mr. ALLEN, 

Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Ms. MCCOLLUM of 

Minnesota, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mr. MARSHALL, Ms. 

KAPTUR, Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN, Mr. PATRICK MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. TIBERI, Mr. WOLF, Ms. LEE, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. 

BERMAN, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. HARMAN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. ALTMIRE, 

Mr. KILDEE, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. GORDON

of Tennessee, and Ms. PRYCE of Ohio 

OCTOBER 15, 2007 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 


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[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 28, 2007] 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Reeve Paralysis Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Table of contents. 

TITLE I—PARALYSIS RESEARCH 

Sec. 101. Activities of the National Institutes of Health with respect to research 

on paralysis. 

TITLE II—PARALYSIS REHABILITATION RESEARCH AND CARE 

Sec. 201. Activities of the National Institutes of Health with respect to research 

with implications for enhancing daily function for persons with 

paralysis. 

TITLE III—IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PERSONS WITH 

PARALYSIS AND OTHER PHYSICAL DISABILITIES 

Sec. 301. Programs to improve quality of life for persons with paralysis and 

other physical disabilities. 


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1 TITLE I—PARALYSIS RESEARCH 

2 SEC. 101. ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF 

3 HEALTH WITH RESPECT TO RESEARCH ON PA4 RALYSIS. 

5 (a) COORDINATION.—The Director of the National In6 stitutes of Health (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Director’’), 

7 pursuant to the general authority of the Director, may de8 velop mechanisms to coordinate the paralysis research and 

9 rehabilitation activities of the Institutes and Centers of the 

10 National Institutes of Health in order to further advance 

11 such activities and avoid duplication of activities. 

12 (b) CHRISTOPHER AND DANA REEVE PARALYSIS RE13 SEARCH CONSORTIA.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director may make 

15 awards of grants to public or private entities to pay 

16 all or part of the cost of planning, establishing, im17 proving, and providing basic operating support for 

18 consortia in paralysis research. The Director shall 

19 designate each consortium funded through such grants 

20 as a Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Research 

21 Consortium. 

22 (2) RESEARCH.—Each consortium under para23 graph (1)— 

24 (A) may conduct basic, translational, and 

25 clinical paralysis research; 


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1 (B) may focus on advancing treatments and 

2 developing therapies in paralysis research; 

3 (C) may focus on one or more forms of pa4 ralysis that result from central nervous system 

5 trauma or stroke; 

6 (D) may facilitate and enhance the dissemi7 nation of clinical and scientific findings; and 

8 (E) may replicate the findings of consortia 

9 members or other researchers for scientific and 

10 translational purposes. 

11 (3) COORDINATION OF CONSORTIA; REPORTS.— 

12 The Director may, as appropriate, provide for the co13 ordination of information among consortia under 

14 paragraph (1) and ensure regular communication 

15 among members of the consortia, and may require the 

16 periodic preparation of reports on the activities of the 

17 consortia and the submission of the reports to the Di18 rector. 

19 (4) ORGANIZATION OF CONSORTIA.—Each con20 sortium under paragraph (1) may use the facilities of 

21 a single lead institution, or be formed from several co22 operating institutions, meeting such requirements as 

23 may be prescribed by the Director. 

24 (c) PUBLIC INPUT.—The Director may provide for a 

25 mechanism to educate and disseminate information on the 


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1 existing and planned programs and research activities of 

2 the National Institutes of Health with respect to paralysis 

3 and through which the Director can receive comments from 

4 the public regarding such programs and activities. 

5 TITLE II—PARALYSIS REHABILI6 TATION RESEARCH AND CARE 

7 SEC. 201. ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF 

8 HEALTH WITH RESPECT TO RESEARCH WITH 

9 IMPLICATIONS FOR ENHANCING DAILY FUNC10 TION FOR PERSONS WITH PARALYSIS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director, pursuant to the gen12 eral authority of the Director, may make awards of grants 

13 to public or private entities to pay all or part of the costs 

14 of planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic 

15 operating support to multicenter networks of clinical sites 

16 that will collaborate to design clinical rehabilitation inter17 vention protocols and measures of outcomes on one or more 

18 forms of paralysis that result from central nervous system 

19 trauma, disorders, or stroke, or any combination of such 

20 conditions. 

21 (b) RESEARCH.—A multicenter network of clinical 

22 sites funded through this section may— 

23 (1) focus on areas of key scientific concern, in24 cluding— 

25 (A) improving functional mobility; 


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1 (B) promoting behavioral adaptation to 

2 functional losses, especially to prevent secondary 

3 complications; 

4 (C) assessing the efficacy and outcomes of 

5 medical rehabilitation therapies and practices 

6 and assisting technologies; 

7 (D) developing improved assistive tech8 nology to improve function and independence; 

9 and 

10 (E) understanding whole body system re11 sponses to physical impairments, disabilities, 

12 and societal and functional limitations; and 

13 (2) replicate the findings of network members or 

14 other researchers for scientific and translation pur15 poses. 

16 (c) COORDINATION OF CLINICAL TRIALS NETWORKS; 

17 REPORTS.—The Director may, as appropriate, provide for 

18 the coordination of information among networks funded 

19 through this section and ensure regular communication 

20 among members of the networks, and may require the peri21 odic preparation of reports on the activities of the networks 

22 and submission of reports to the Director. 


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1 TITLE III—IMPROVING QUALITY 

2 OF LIFE FOR PERSONS WITH 

3 PARALYSIS AND OTHER PHYS4 ICAL DISABILITIES 

5 SEC. 301. PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR 

6 PERSONS WITH PARALYSIS AND OTHER PHYS7 ICAL DISABILITIES. 

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

9 Human Services (in this title referred to as the ‘‘Sec10 retary’’) may study the unique health challenges associated 

11 with paralysis and other physical disabilities and carry out 

12 projects and interventions to improve the quality of life and 

13 long-term health status of persons with paralysis and other 

14 physical disabilities. The Secretary may carry out such 

15 projects directly and through awards of grants or contracts. 

16 (b) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.—Activities under subsection 

17 (a) may include— 

18 (1) the development of a national paralysis and 

19 physical disability quality of life action plan, to pro20 mote health and wellness in order to enhance full par21 ticipation, independent living, self-sufficiency, and 

22 equality of opportunity in partnership with vol23 untary health agencies focused on paralysis and other 

24 physical disabilities, to be carried out in coordination 


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1 with the State-based Disability and Health Program 

2 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 

3 (2) support for programs to disseminate infor4 mation involving care and rehabilitation options and 

5 quality of life grant programs supportive of commu6 nity-based programs and support systems for persons 

7 with paralysis and other physical disabilities; 

8 (3) in collaboration with other centers and na9 tional voluntary health agencies, the establishment of 

10 a population-based database that may be used for lon11 gitudinal and other research on paralysis and other 

12 disabling conditions; and 

13 (4) the replication and translation of best prac14 tices and the sharing of information across States, as 

15 well as the development of comprehensive, unique, and 

16 innovative programs, services, and demonstrations 

17 within existing State-based disability and health pro18 grams of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven19 tion which are designed to support and advance qual20 ity of life programs for persons living with paralysis 

21 and other physical disabilities focusing on— 

22 (A) caregiver education; 

23 (B) promoting proper nutrition, increasing 

24 physical activity, and reducing tobacco use; 


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1 (C) education and awareness programs for 

2 health care providers; 

3 (D) prevention of secondary complications; 

4 (E) home- and community-based interven5 tions; 

6 (F) coordinating services and removing bar7 riers that prevent full participation and integra8 tion into the community; and 

9 (G) recognizing the unique needs of under10 served populations. 

11 (c) GRANTS.—The Secretary may award grants in ac12 cordance with the following: 

13 (1) To State and local health and disability 

14 agencies for the purpose of— 

15 (A) establishing a population-based data16 base that may be used for longitudinal and other 

17 research on paralysis and other disabling condi18 tions; 

19 (B) developing comprehensive paralysis and 

20 other physical disability action plans and activi21 ties focused on the items listed in subsection 

22 (b)(4); 

23 (C) assisting State-based programs in estab24 lishing and implementing partnerships and col25 laborations that maximize the input and support 


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1 of people with paralysis and other physical dis2 abilities and their constituent organizations; 

3 (D) coordinating paralysis and physical 

4 disability activities with existing State-based 

5 disability and health programs; 

6 (E) providing education and training op7 portunities and programs for health professionals 

8 and allied caregivers; and 

9 (F) developing, testing, evaluating, and rep10 licating effective intervention programs to main11 tain or improve health and quality of life. 

12 (2) To private health and disability organiza13 tions for the purpose of— 

14 (A) disseminating information to the pub15 lic; 

16 (B) improving access to services for persons 

17 living with paralysis and other physical disabil18 ities and their caregivers; 

19 (C) testing model intervention programs to 

20 improve health and quality of life; and 

21 (D) coordinating existing services with 

22 State-based disability and health programs. 

23 (d) COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary 

24 shall ensure that activities under this section are coordiVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:05 Oct 16, 2007 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1727.RH H1727

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1 nated as appropriate by the agencies of the Department of 

2 Health and Human Services. 

3 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

4 purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to 

5 be appropriated $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 

6 through 2011. 


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Union Calendar No. 235 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1727 

[Report No. 110

–378] 

A BILL 

To enhance and further research into paralysis and 

ical disabilities, and for other purposes. for persons living with paralysis and other physto improve rehabilitation and the quality of life 

OCTOBER 15, 2007 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


bajohnson on PROD1PC69 with BILLS