‘‘(i) RESEARCHERS.—Ensuring ade-
quate availability of individuals described 
in subparagraph (A)(iv). 
‘‘(ii) COORDINATED
RESEARCH
INI-
TIATIVES.—Promoting and developing ini-
tiatives and partnerships described in sub-
paragraph (A)(v). 
‘‘(iii) RESEARCH RESOURCES.—Devel-
oping additional public and private re-
sources described in subparagraph (A)(vi) 
and strengthening existing resources. 
‘‘(3) TIMING.— 
‘‘(A) INITIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUBSE-
QUENT
UPDATE.—For each vector-borne dis-
ease identified under subsection (b)(1), the Di-
rectors shall— 
‘‘(i) develop a scientific framework 
under this subsection not later than 18 
months after the date of the enactment of 
this section; and 
‘‘(ii) review and update the scientific 
framework not later than 5 years after its 
initial development. 
‘‘(B) OTHER
UPDATES.—The Directors 
may review and update each scientific frame-
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work developed under this subsection as nec-
essary. 
‘‘(4) PUBLIC
NOTICE.—With respect to each 
scientific framework developed under this subsection, 
not later than 30 days after the date of completion 
of the framework, the Directors shall— 
‘‘(A) submit such framework to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce and the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives, and the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the Senate; and 
‘‘(B) make such framework publicly avail-
able on the Internet Web site of the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services. 
‘‘(b) IDENTIFICATION
OF
VECTOR-BORNE
DIS-
EASES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Directors shall identify 2 or more bacterial or para-
sitic vector-borne diseases that each have a high in-
cidence domestically. 
‘‘(2) TREATING
TICK-BORNE
DISEASES
AS
A 
SINGLE VECTOR-BORNE DISEASE.—For purposes of 
identifying vector-borne diseases under this sub-
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section and developing scientific frameworks for such 
diseases under subsection (a), tick-borne diseases, 
including Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases 
that are known to be transmitted by ticks to humans 
in the United States, shall be treated as a single vec-
tor-borne disease. 
‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES.— 
Subject to paragraph (2), the Directors may, at any 
time, identify other vector-borne diseases for pur-
poses of this section. In identifying a vector-borne 
disease pursuant to the previous sentence, the Direc-
tors may consider additional metrics of progress 
against such type of vector-borne disease. 
‘‘(c) WORKING GROUPS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For each vector-borne dis-
ease identified under subsection (b), the Directors 
shall convene a working group in accordance with 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Directors 
(or their designees) shall participate in the meetings 
of each such working group. 
‘‘(2) MEMBERS.—Each working group convened 
under this subsection shall be comprised of the fol-
lowing members: 
‘‘(A) One or more representatives of each 
of the following: 
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‘‘(i) 
The 
National 
Institutes 
of 
Health. 
‘‘(ii) The Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention. 
‘‘(iii) Other agencies or offices of the 
Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices, as determined appropriate by the Di-
rectors. 
‘‘(iv) Other Federal agencies, as de-
termined appropriate by the Directors. 
‘‘(B) One or more representatives of each 
of the following categories: 
‘‘(i) Physicians with experience in di-
agnosing and treating stages or manifesta-
tions of the relevant vector-borne disease. 
‘‘(ii) Non-Federal scientists or re-
searchers with expertise, and representing 
a diversity of perspectives, regarding the 
science pertaining to vector-borne diseases. 
‘‘(iii) Patients and their family mem-
bers. 
‘‘(iv) Nonprofit organizations that ad-
vocate for patients by promoting education, 
services, or research. 
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‘‘(v) Other individuals whose expertise 
is determined by the Directors to be bene-
ficial to the functioning of the working 
group. 
‘‘(C) One individual appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
‘‘(D) One individual appointed by the Ma-
jority Leader of the Senate. 
‘‘(3) FACA SUNSET
INAPPLICABLE.—Section 
14(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.; relating to termination of advisory 
committees) shall not apply to a working group con-
vened under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(4) OTHER WORKING GROUPS.—If the Direc-
tors, in addition to convening the working groups re-
quired by this subsection, choose to continue any 
working group on any vector-borne disease in exist-
ence on the date of enactment of the Vector-Borne 
Disease Research Accountability and Transparency 
Act of 2014, any such working group is deemed to 
be an advisory committee subject to the Federal Ad-
visory Committee Act. 
‘‘(d) PUBLIC HEARINGS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Directors shall, within 
60 days after identifying a vector-borne disease 
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under section (b), and annually thereafter, convene 
public forums— 
‘‘(A) to seek public input on the develop-
ment of the scientific framework for such vec-
tor-borne disease under this section and 
progress in addressing related chronic condi-
tions; and 
‘‘(B) to identify, and seek public input on, 
potential emerging strains in species of patho-
genic organisms. 
‘‘(2) PARTICIPANTS.—The participants at the 
forums convened under this subsection shall be re-
searchers, physicians, patients, and other members 
of the public. 
‘‘(e) REPORTING.— 
‘‘(1) BIENNIAL REPORTS.—The Directors shall 
ensure that each biennial report under section 403 
includes information on actions undertaken to carry 
out each scientific framework developed under sub-
section (a) with respect to a vector-borne disease, in-
cluding the following: 
‘‘(A) Information on research grants 
awarded by the National Institutes of Health 
and the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
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vention for research relating to such vector- 
borne disease. 
‘‘(B) An assessment of the progress made 
in improving outcomes. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL ONE-TIME REPORTS.— 
‘‘(A) FRAMEWORKS.—For each vector- 
borne disease identified under subsection (b)(1), 
the Directors shall, not later than 6 years after 
the initial development of a scientific framework 
for such disease under subsection (a), submit a 
report to the Congress on the effectiveness of 
the framework (including the update required 
by subsection (a)(3)(A)(ii)) in improving the 
prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment 
of such disease. 
‘‘(B) 
TOTAL
NUMBER
OF
WORKING 
GROUPS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Directors shall 
submit a report to the Congress identifying the 
total number of working groups convened under 
this section. 
‘‘(f) RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR EXCEPTION FUND-
ING.—The Directors shall consider each relevant scientific 
framework developed under subsection (a) when making 
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recommendations for exception funding for grant applica-
tions. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITION.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘Directors’ means the Director 
of NIH and the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention acting jointly. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘vector-borne disease’ means an 
infection transmitted to humans or other animals by 
ticks, mosquitoes, or fleas, such as Lyme disease.’’. 
Æ 
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