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Improvement Act, the Secretary shall establish a process 
for certifying patient safety organizations. 
‘‘(b) PROCESS.—The process established under sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
‘‘(1) Certification of patient safety organiza-
tions by the Secretary or by such other national or 
State governmental organizations as the Secretary 
determines appropriate. 
‘‘(2) If the Secretary allows other governmental 
organizations to certify patient safety organizations 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish a 
process for approving such organizations. Any such 
approved organization shall conduct certifications 
and reviews in accordance with this section. 
‘‘(3) A review of each certification under para-
graph (1) (including a review of compliance with 
each criterion in this section and any related imple-
menting standards as determined by the Secretary 
through rulemaking) not less often than every 3 
years, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(4) Revocation of any such certification by the 
Secretary or other such governmental organization 
that issued the certification, upon a showing of 
cause.
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‘‘(c) CRITERIA.—A patient safety organization must 
meet the following criteria as conditions of certification: 
‘‘(1) The mission of the patient safety organiza-
tion is to conduct activities that are to improve pa-
tient safety and the quality of health care delivery 
and is not in conflict of interest with the providers 
that contract with the patient safety organization. 
‘‘(2) The patient safety organization has appro-
priately qualified staff, including licensed or certified 
medical professionals. 
‘‘(3) The patient safety organization, within any 
2 year period, contracts with more than 1 provider 
for the purpose of receiving and reviewing patient 
safety work product. 
‘‘(4) The patient safety organization is not a 
component of a health insurer or other entity that 
offers a group health plan or health insurance cov-
erage. 
‘‘(5) The patient safety organization is man-
aged, controlled, and operated independently from 
any provider that contracts with the patient safety 
organization for reporting patient safety work prod-
uct. 
‘‘(6) To the extent practical and appropriate, 
the patient safety organization collects patient safety
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work product from providers in a standardized man-
ner that permits valid comparisons of similar cases 
among similar providers. 
‘‘(d) ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR COMPONENT ORGA-
NIZATIONS.—If a patient safety organization is a compo-
nent of another organization, the patient safety organiza-
tion must, in addition to meeting the criteria described 
in subsection (c), meet the following criteria as conditions 
of certification: 
‘‘(1) The patient safety organization maintains 
patient safety work product separately from the rest 
of the organization, and establishes appropriate se-
curity measures to maintain the confidentiality of 
the patient safety work product. 
‘‘(2) The patient safety organization does not 
make an unauthorized disclosure under this Act of 
patient safety work product to the rest of the orga-
nization in breach of confidentiality. 
‘‘(3) The mission of the patient safety organiza-
tion does not create a conflict of interest with the 
rest of the organization.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
937 of the Public Health Service Act (as redesignated by 
subsection (a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
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‘‘(e) PATIENT SAFETY
AND QUALITY IMPROVE-
MENT.—For the purpose of carrying out part C, there are 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec-
essary for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2008.’’. 
SEC. 102. PROMOTING THE DIFFUSION AND INTEROPER-
ABILITY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYS-
TEMS INVOLVED WITH HEALTH CARE DELIV-
ERY. 
(a) VOLUNTARY STANDARDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall—
(A) develop or adopt voluntary national 
standards that promote the interoperability of 
information technology systems involved with 
health care delivery, including but not limited to 
computerized physician order entry; 
(B) in developing or adopting such stand-
ards, take into account—
(i) the ability of such systems to cap-
ture and aggregate clinically specific data 
to enable evidence-based medicine and 
other applications that promote the elec-
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tronic exchange of patient medical record 
information; and 
(ii) the cost that meeting such stand-
ards would have on providing health care 
in the United States and the increased effi-
ciencies in providing such care achieved 
under the standards; 
(C) in developing or adopting such stand-
ards and to the extent practicable, test the effi-
cacy, usability, and scalability of proposed inter-
operability standards within a variety of clinical 
settings, including an urban academic medical 
center, a rural hospital, a community health 
center, and a community hospital; and 
(D) submit a report to the Congress con-
taining recommendations on such standards. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—In developing or adopting 
standards under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary 
shall consider the recommendations of the National 
Committee on Vital Health Statistics for the stand-
ardization of message formatting, coding, and vocab-
ulary for interoperability of information technology 
systems involved with health care delivery. The Sec-
retary shall consult with representatives of the 
health information technology industry and the pro-
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vider community who are involved with the develop-
ment of interoperability standards. 
(b) UPDATES.—The Secretary shall provide for the 
ongoing review and periodic updating of the standards de-
veloped under subsection (a). 
SEC. 103. REQUIRED USE OF PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION 
TECHNOLOGY. 
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 
U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 502, by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(w) If it is a drug or biological product, unless it 
includes a unique product identifier for the drug or bio-
logical product as required by regulations under section 
510(q).’’; and 
(2) in section 510, by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(q)(1) The Secretary shall issue, and may periodi-
cally revise, regulations requiring the manufacturer of any 
drug or biological product that is subject to regulation by 
the Food and Drug Administration, or the packager or 
labeler of a drug or biological product that is subject to 
regulation by the Food and Drug Administration, to in-
clude a unique product identifier on the packaging of the 
drug or biological product.
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‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term 
‘unique product identifier’ means an identification that—
‘‘(A) is affixed by the manufacturer, labeler, or 
packager to each drug or biological product de-
scribed in paragraph (1) at each packaging level; 
‘‘(B) uniquely identifies the item and meets the 
standards required by this section; and 
‘‘(C) can be read by a scanning device or other 
technology acceptable to the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) A unique product identifier required by regula-
tions issued or revised under paragraph (1) shall be based 
on—
‘‘(A) the National Drug Code maintained by 
the Food and Drug Administration; 
‘‘(B) commercially accepted standards estab-
lished by organizations that are accredited by the 
American National Standards Institute, such as the 
Health Industry Business Communication Council or 
the Uniform Code Council; or 
‘‘(C) other identification formats that the Sec-
retary deems appropriate. 
‘‘(4) The Secretary may, at the Secretary’s discre-
tion, waive the requirements of this section, or add addi-
tional provisions that are necessary to safeguard the pub-
lic health.’’.
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SEC. 104. GRANTS FOR ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTION PRO-
GRAMS. 
(a) GRANTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) may make grants to qualified practi-
tioners for the purpose of establishing electronic pre-
scription programs. 
(2) MATCHING FUNDS.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—With respect to the 
costs of establishing an electronic prescription 
program, a condition for the receipt of a grant 
under paragraph (1) is that the qualified practi-
tioner involved agree to make available (directly 
or through donations from public or private en-
tities) non-Federal contributions toward such 
costs in an amount that is not less than 50 per-
cent of such costs. 
(B) DETERMINATION
OF
AMOUNT
CON-
TRIBUTED.—Non-Federal 
contributions 
re-
quired in subparagraph (A) may be in cash or 
in kind, fairly evaluated, including equipment or 
services. Amounts provided by the Federal Gov-
ernment, or services assisted or subsidized to 
any significant extent by the Federal Govern-
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ment, may not be included in determining the 
amount of such non-Federal contributions. 
(b) STUDY.—
(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality, shall support a study to as-
sess existing scientific evidence regarding the effec-
tiveness and cost-effectiveness of the use of elec-
tronic prescription programs intended to improve the 
efficiency of prescription ordering and the safe and 
effective use of prescription drugs. The study shall 
address the following: 
(A) The ability of such programs to reduce 
medical errors and improve the quality and 
safety of patient care. 
(B) The impact of the use of such pro-
grams on physicians, pharmacists, and patients, 
including such factors as direct and indirect 
costs, changes in productivity, and satisfaction. 
(C) The effectiveness of strategies for over-
coming barriers to the use of electronic pre-
scription programs.
(2) REPORT.—The Secretary shall ensure that, 
not later than 18 months after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, a report containing the findings of
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the study under paragraph (1) is submitted to the 
appropriate committees of the Congress. 
(3) DISSEMINATION OF FINDINGS.—The Sec-
retary shall disseminate the findings of the study 
under paragraph (1) to appropriate public and pri-
vate entities. 
(c) DEVELOPMENT OF MODEL.—The Secretary, act-
ing through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Re-
search and Quality, may develop an Internet-based mathe-
matical model that simulates the cost and effectiveness of 
electronic prescription programs for qualified practi-
tioners. The model may be designed to allow qualified 
practitioners to estimate, through an interactive interface, 
the impact of electronic prescribing on their practices, in-
cluding the reduction in drug-related health care errors. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘electronic prescription pro-
gram’’—
(A) means a program for the electronic 
submission and processing of prescriptions; and 
(B) includes the hardware (including com-
puters and other electronic devices) and soft-
ware programs for the electronic submission of 
prescriptions to pharmacies, the processing of
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such submissions by pharmacies, and decision-
support programs. 
(2) The term ‘‘qualified practitioner’’ means a 
practitioner licensed by law to administer or dis-
pense prescription drugs. 
SEC. 105. GRANTS TO HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH 
CARE PROVIDERS FOR INFORMATION TECH-
NOLOGIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall make grants to hospitals and other health 
care providers (but not more than 1 grant to any 1 hos-
pital or provider) to pay the costs of acquiring or imple-
menting information technologies whose purposes are—
(1) to improve quality of care and patient safe-
ty; and 
(2) to reduce adverse events and health care 
complications resulting from medication errors. 
(b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—In making grants 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give special con-
sideration to applicants who seek to promote the following: 
(1) Interoperability across hospital services or 
departments using standards developed or adopted 
by the Secretary under section 102.
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(2) Electronic communication of patient data 
across the spectrum of health care delivery. 
(3) Computerized physician order entry or bar 
coding applications. 
(4) Electronic communication of patient data in 
hospitals that provide services to underserved or low-
income populations. 
(5) Improved clinical decisionmaking through 
acquisition and implementation of decision-support 
technologies. 
(c) CERTAIN GRANT CONDITIONS.—A condition for 
the receipt of a grant under subsection (a) is that the ap-
plicant involved meet the following requirements: 
(1) The applicant agrees to carry out a pro-
gram to measure, analyze, and report patient safety 
and medical errors at the hospital or other health 
care provider involved, to submit to the Secretary a 
description of the methodology that will be used, and 
to have such program in effect as soon as prac-
ticable after the application for the grant is ap-
proved, without regard to whether information tech-
nologies under the grant have been implemented. 
(2) The applicant has arranged for an evalua-
tion that addresses the effectiveness and cost-effec-
tiveness of the information technology for which the
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grant is provided and its impact on the quality and 
safety of patient care, submitted the evaluation plan 
to the Secretary, and received approval from the 
Secretary of the applicant’s methodology. 
(3) The applicant has or is developing a patient 
safety evaluation system (as that term is defined in 
section 921 of the Public Health Service Act (as 
amended by section 101)) for reporting health care 
errors to a patient safety organization. 
(4) The applicant agrees to provide the Sec-
retary with such information as the Secretary may 
require regarding the use of funds under this pro-
gram or its impact. 
(5) The applicant provides assurances satisfac-
tory to the Secretary that any information tech-
nology planned, acquired, or implemented with grant 
funds under this section will be part of an informa-
tion program that—
(A) carries out the purposes described in 
subsection (a); and 
(B) is comprehensive or will be expanded 
to become comprehensive, regardless of whether 
Federal assistance is available for such expan-
sion.
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(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO GRANTEES.—The 
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality, shall provide technical 
assistance to applicants and grantees to ensure the appro-
priate evaluation of the information technologies for which 
grants are awarded under this section, such as—
(1) reviewing and providing technical assistance 
on the applicant’s proposed evaluation; 
(2) developing mechanisms to ensure ongoing 
communications between grantees and evaluators to 
facilitate the identification and resolution of prob-
lems as they arise, ensure mutual learning, and pro-
mote the rapid dissemination of information; 
(3) reviewing the interim and final reports re-
quired under subsection (e); and 
(4) disseminating evidence-based information in 
interim and final reports to patient safety organiza-
tions, as appropriate. 
(e) EVALUATION REPORTS BY GRANTEE.—A condi-
tion for the receipt of a grant under subsection (a) is that 
the applicant agree to submit an interim and a final report 
to the Secretary in accordance with this subsection.
(1) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the implementation of information technologies 
under the grant is completed, the applicant will sub-
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mit an interim report to the Secretary describing the 
initial effectiveness of such technologies in carrying 
out the purposes described in subsection (a). 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 3 years 
after the implementation of information technologies 
under the grant is completed, the applicant will sub-
mit a final report to the Secretary describing the ef-
fectiveness and cost-effectiveness of such tech-
nologies and addressing other issues determined to 
be important in carrying out the purposes described 
in subsection (a). 
(3) RELATION TO DISBURSEMENT OF GRANT.—
In disbursing a grant under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall withhold 1⁄3 of the grant until the grant-
ee submits to the Secretary the report required in 
paragraph (1). 
(f) REPORTS BY SECRETARY.—
(1) INTERIM REPORTS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Through the fiscal year 
preceding the fiscal year in which the final re-
port under paragraph (2) is prepared, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate periodic re-
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ports on the grant program under subsection 
(a). Such reports shall be submitted not less 
frequently than once each fiscal year, beginning 
with fiscal year 2004. 
(B) CONTENTS.—A report under subpara-
graph (A) shall include information on—
(i) the number of grants made; 
(ii) the nature of the projects for 
which funding is provided under the grant 
program; 
(iii) the geographic distribution of 
grant recipients; and 
(iv) such other matters as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date on which the last of the reports is due 
under subsection (e)(2), the Secretary shall submit 
a final report to the committees referred to in para-
graph (1)(A) on the grant program under subsection 
(a), together with such recommendations for legisla-
tion and administrative action as the Secretary de-
termines appropriate. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section:
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(1) The term ‘‘costs’’, with respect to informa-
tion technologies referred to in subsection (a), in-
cludes total expenditures incurred for—
(A) purchasing, leasing, and installing 
computer software and hardware, including 
hand-held computer technologies; 
(B) making improvements to existing com-
puter software and hardware; and 
(C) purchasing or leasing communications 
capabilities necessary for clinical data access, 
storage, and exchange. 
(2) The term ‘‘health care provider’’ has the 
same meaning given to the term ‘‘provider’’ in sec-
tion 921 of the Public Health Services Act (as 
amended by this Act). 
(h) TERMINATION OF GRANT AUTHORITIES.—The 
authority of the Secretary to make grants under sub-
section (a) terminates upon the expiration of fiscal year 
2011. 
(i) MATCHING FUNDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to the costs of 
a grant to be carried out under this section, such 
grant may be made only if the applicant agrees to 
make available (directly or through donations from 
public or private entities) non-Federal contributions
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toward such costs in an amount that is not less than 
50 percent of such costs ($1 for each $1 of Federal 
funds provided in the grant). 
(2) DETERMINATION
OF
AMOUNTS
CONTRIB-
UTED.—Amounts provided by the Federal Govern-
ment, or services assisted or subsidized to any sig-
nificant extent by the Federal Government, may not 
be included in determining the amount of such non-
Federal contributions. 
SEC. 
106. 
AUTHORIZATION 
OF 
APPROPRIATIONS 
FOR 
GRANTS UNDER SECTIONS 104 AND 105. 
For the purpose of carrying out sections 104 and 
105, there are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2004 and 2005. 
TITLE 
II—MEDICAL 
INFORMA-
TION 
TECHNOLOGY 
ADVI-
SORY BOARD. 
SEC. 201. MEDICAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY 
BOARD. 
Title XI of the Social Security Act is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘MEDICAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY BOARD 
‘‘SEC. 1180. (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 months 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Secretary shall appoint an advisory board to be
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known as the ‘Medical Information Technology Advi-
sory Board’ (in this section referred to as the 
‘MITAB’). 
‘‘(2) CHAIRMAN.—The Secretary shall des-
ignate one member as chairman. The chairman shall 
be an individual affiliated with an organization hav-
ing expertise creating American National Standards 
Institute (ANSI) accepted standards in health care 
information technology and a member of the Na-
tional Committee for Vital and Health Statistics. 
‘‘(b) COMPOSITION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The MITAB shall consist 
of not more than 17 members that include—
‘‘(A) experts from the fields of medical in-
formation, information technology, medical con-
tinuous quality improvement, medical records 
security and privacy, individual and institu-
tional health care clinical providers, health re-
searchers, and health care purchasers; 
‘‘(B) one or more staff experts from each 
of the following: the Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services, the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality, and the Institute of 
Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences;
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‘‘(C) representatives of private organiza-
tions with expertise in medical infomatics; 
‘‘(D) a representative of a teaching hos-
pital; and 
‘‘(E) one or more representatives of the 
health care information technology industry. 
‘‘(2) TERMS OF APPOINTMENT.—The term of 
any appointment under paragraph (1) to the 
MITAB shall be for the life of the MITAB. 
‘‘(3) MEETINGS.—The MITAB shall meet at 
the call of its chairman or a majority of its mem-
bers. 
‘‘(4) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the MITAB 
shall be filled in the same manner in which the origi-
nal appointment was made not later than 30 days 
after the MITAB is given notice of the vacancy and 
shall not affect the power of the remaining members 
to execute the duties of the MITAB. 
‘‘(5) COMPENSATION.—Members of the MITAB 
shall receive no additional pay, allowances, or bene-
fits by reason of their service on the MITAB. 
‘‘(6) EXPENSES.—Each member of the MITAB 
shall receive travel expenses and per diem in lieu of 
subsistence in accordance with sections 5702 and 
5703 of title 5, United States Code.
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‘‘(c) DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The MITAB shall on an 
ongoing basis advise, and make recommendations to, 
the Secretary regarding medical information tech-
nology, including the following: 
‘‘(A) The best current practices in medical 
information technology. 
‘‘(B) Methods for the adoption (not later 
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of 
this section) of a uniform health care informa-
tion system interface between and among old 
and new computer systems. 
‘‘(C) Recommendations for health care vo-
cabulary, messaging, and other technology 
standards (including a common lexicon for com-
puter technology) necessary to achieve the 
interoperability of health care information sys-
tems for the purposes described in subpara-
graph (E). 
‘‘(D) Methods of implementing—
‘‘(i) health care information tech-
nology 
interoperability 
standardization; 
and 
‘‘(ii) records security.
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‘‘(E) Methods to promote information ex-
change among health care providers so that 
long-term compatibility among information sys-
tems is maximized, in order to do one or more 
of the following: 
‘‘(i) To maximize positive outcomes in 
clinical care—
‘‘(I) by providing decision sup-
port for diagnosis and care; and 
‘‘(II) by assisting in the emer-
gency treatment of a patient pre-
senting at a facility where there is no 
medical record for the patient. 
‘‘(ii) To contribute to (and be con-
sistent with) the development of the pa-
tient assessment instrument provided for 
under section 545 of the Medicare, Med-
icaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement 
and Protection Act of 2000, and to assist 
in minimizing the need for new and dif-
ferent records as patients move from pro-
vider to provider. 
‘‘(iii) To reduce or eliminate the need 
for redundant records, paperwork, and the
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repetitive taking of patient histories and 
administering of tests. 
‘‘(iv) To minimize medical errors, 
such as administration of contraindicated 
drugs. 
‘‘(v) To provide a compatible informa-
tion technology architecture that facilitates 
future quality and cost-saving needs and 
that avoids the financing and development 
of information technology systems that are 
not readily compatible. 
‘‘(2) REPORTS.—
‘‘(A) INITIAL REPORT.—No later than 18 
months after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the MITAB shall submit to Congress 
and the Secretary an initial report concerning 
the matters described in paragraph (1). The re-
port shall include—
‘‘(i) the practices described in para-
graph (1)(A), including the status of 
health care information technology stand-
ards being developed by private sector and 
public-private groups;
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‘‘(ii) recommendations for accelerating 
the development of common health care 
terminology standards; 
‘‘(iii) recommendations for completing 
development of health care information 
system messaging standards; and 
‘‘(iv) progress toward meeting the 
deadline described in paragraph (1)(B) for 
adoption of methods described in such 
paragraph. 
‘‘(B) 
SUBSEQUENT
REPORTS.—During 
each of the 2 years after the year in which the 
report is submitted under subparagraph (A), 
the MITAB shall submit to Congress and the 
Secretary an annual report relating to addi-
tional recommendations, best practices, results 
of information technology improvements, anal-
yses of private sector efforts to implement the 
interoperability standards established in section 
102 of the Patient Safety and Quality Improve-
ment Act, and such other matters as may help 
ensure the most rapid dissemination of best 
practices in health care information technology. 
‘‘(d) STAFF AND SUPPORT SERVICES.—
‘‘(1) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—
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‘‘(A) APPOINTMENT.—The Chairman shall 
appoint an executive director of the MITAB. 
‘‘(B) COMPENSATION.—The executive di-
rector shall be paid the rate of basic pay for 
level V of the Executive Schedule. 
‘‘(2) 
STAFF.—With 
the 
approval 
of 
the 
MITAB, the executive director may appoint such 
personnel as the executive director considers appro-
priate. 
‘‘(3) APPLICABILITY OF CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—
The staff of the MITAB shall be appointed without 
regard to the provisions of title 5, United States 
Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
service, and shall be paid without regard to the pro-
visions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 
53 of such title (relating to classification and Gen-
eral Schedule pay rates). 
‘‘(4) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—With the 
approval of the MITAB, the executive director may 
procure temporary and intermittent services under 
section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code. 
‘‘(e) POWERS.—
‘‘(1) HEARINGS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.—For 
the purpose of carrying out its duties, the MITAB 
may hold such hearings and undertake such other
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activities as the MITAB determines to be necessary 
to carry out its duties. 
‘‘(2) DETAIL OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Upon 
the request of the MITAB, the head of any Federal 
agency is authorized to detail, without reimburse-
ment, any of the personnel of such agency to the 
MITAB to assist the MITAB in carrying out its du-
ties. Any such detail shall not interrupt or otherwise 
affect the civil service status or privileges of the 
Federal employee. 
‘‘(3) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.—Upon the re-
quest of the MITAB, the head of a Federal agency 
shall provide such technical assistance to the 
MITAB as the MITAB determines to be necessary 
to carry out its duties. 
‘‘(4) OBTAINING INFORMATION.—The MITAB 
may secure directly from any Federal agency infor-
mation necessary to enable it to carry out its duties, 
if the information may be disclosed under section 
552 of title 5, United States Code. Upon request of 
the Chairman of the MITAB, the head of such agen-
cy shall furnish such information to the MITAB. 
‘‘(f) TERMINATION.—The MITAB shall terminate 30 
days after the date of submission of its final report under 
subsection (c)(2)(B).
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‘‘(g) APPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The provisions of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
apply to the MITAB. 
‘‘(h) FUNDING.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year 
to carry out this section.’’.
Passed the House of Representatives March 12, 
2003. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.