Enhancing the Stature and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at the NIH Act

To improve, coordinate, and enhance rehabilitation research at the National Institutes of Health. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Enhancing the Stature and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at the NIH Act 2. Improving medical rehabilitation research at the National Institutes of Health Section 452 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 285g–4 (1) in subsection (b), by striking conduct and support conduct, support, and coordination (2) in subsection (c)(1)(C), by striking of the Center within the Center (3) in subsection (d)— (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: (1) The Director of the Center, on behalf of the Director of NIH and the Director of the Institute and in consultation with the coordinating committee established under subsection (e) and the advisory board established under subsection (f), shall develop a comprehensive plan (referred to in this section as the Research Plan (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking and priorities for such research; and priorities for such research, and existing resources to support the purpose described in subsection (b); (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and inserting ; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: (C) include objectives, benchmarks, and guiding principles for conducting, supporting, and coordinating medical rehabilitation research, consistent with the purpose described in subsection (b). ; (C) in paragraph (4)— (i) by striking the first sentence and inserting the following: The Director of the Center, in consultation with the Director of the Institute, the coordinating committee established under subsection (e), and the advisory board established under subsection (f), shall periodically, or not less than every 5 years, revise and update the Research Plan, as appropriate. Not later than 30 days after the Research Plan is so revised and updated, the Director of the Center shall transmit the revised and updated Research Plan to the President and the appropriate committees of Congress. (D) by adding at the end the following: (5) The Director of the Center, in consultation with the Director of the Institute, shall annually prepare a report for the coordinating committee established under subsection (e) and the advisory board established under subsection (f) that describes and analyzes the progress during the preceding fiscal year in achieving the objectives, benchmarks, and guiding principles described in paragraph (2)(C) and includes expenditures of the Center and other agencies of the National Institutes of Health for carrying out the Research Plan. The report shall include recommendations for revising and updating the Research Plan, and such initiatives as the Director of the Center and the Director of the Institute determine appropriate. In preparing the report, the Director of the Center and the Director of the Institute shall consult with the Director of NIH, and the report shall reflect an assessment of the Research Plan by the Director of NIH. ; (4) in subsection (e)— (A) in paragraph (2), by inserting periodically, or not less than every 5 years, host a scientific conference or workshop on medical rehabilitation research and The Coordinating Committee shall (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting the Director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives within the Office of the Director of NIH, shall be composed of (C) in paragraph (4), by striking Director of the Center Director of the Center, acting in the capacity of a designee of the Director of NIH (5) in subsection (f)(3)(B), by adding at the end the following: (xii) The Director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. ; and (6) by adding at the end the following: (g) The Director of the Center, in consultation with the Director of the Institute, the Coordinating Committee, and the Advisory Board, shall develop guidelines governing the funding for medical rehabilitation research by the Center and other agencies of the National Institutes of Health. At a minimum, such guidelines shall reflect the purpose of the Center described in subsection (b) and be consistent with the Research Plan. (h) (1) The Secretary and the heads of other Federal agencies shall jointly review the programs carried out (or proposed to be carried out) by each such official with respect to medical rehabilitation research and, as appropriate, enter into agreements preventing duplication among such programs. (2) The Secretary shall enter into interagency agreements relating to the coordination of medical rehabilitation research conducted by agencies of the National Institutes of Health and other agencies of the Federal Government. (i) For purposes of this section, the term medical rehabilitation research . 3. Requirements of certain agreements for enhancing coordination and preventing duplicative programs of medical rehabilitation research Section 3 of the National Institutes of Health Amendments of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 285g–4 (1) in subsection (a), by striking (a) In general (2) by striking subsection (b).

Summary: Enhancing the Stature and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at the NIH Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise requirements for medical rehabilitation research. The purpose of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) is revised to include coordination of research and research training. The NCMRR must develop and periodically update a comprehensive research plan for medical rehabilitation research. Currently, this research plan is developed and updated by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Prior to updating the research plan, the NCMRR must report on progress in achieving the goals and objectives described in the plan. The Medical Rehabilitation Coordinating Committee must periodically host a scientific conference or workshop on medical rehabilitation research.