with respect to the various racial and minority
populations.
‘‘(B) With respect to grants, cooperative
agreements, and contracts that are available
under the sections specified in subparagraph
(A), the Secretary shall—
‘‘(i) carry out activities to inform enti-
ties, as appropriate, that the entities may
be eligible for awards of such assistance;
‘‘(ii) provide technical assistance to
such entities in the process of preparing
and submitting applications for the awards
in accordance with the policies of the Sec-
retary regarding such application; and
‘‘(iii) inform populations, as appro-
priate, that members of the populations
may be eligible to receive services or other-
wise participate in the activities carried out
with such awards.
‘‘(3) CULTURAL COMPETENCY OF SERVICES.—
The Secretary shall ensure that information and
services provided pursuant to subsection (b) are pro-
vided in the language, educational, and cultural con-
text that is most appropriate for the individuals for
whom the information and services are intended.
‘‘(e) GRANTS
AND CONTRACTS REGARDING DU-
TIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out subsection
(b), the Deputy Assistant Secretary may make
awards of grants, cooperative agreements, and con-
tracts to public and nonprofit private entities.
‘‘(2) PROCESS
FOR
MAKING
AWARDS.—The
Deputy Assistant Secretary shall ensure that grant
awards under paragraph (1) are made only on a
competitive basis, and that a grant is awarded for
a proposal only if the proposal has been rec-
ommended for such an award through a process of
peer review.
‘‘(3) EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION.—The
Deputy Assistant Secretary, directly or through con-
tracts with public and private entities, shall provide
for evaluations of projects carried out with awards
made under paragraph (1) during the preceding 2
fiscal years. The report shall be included in the re-
port required under subsection (f) for the fiscal year
involved.
‘‘(f) REPORTS.—
‘‘(1) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Not later than Feb-
ruary 1 of fiscal year 1999 and of each second year
thereafter, the Deputy Assistant Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Commerce of the House of
Representatives, and to the Committee on Labor
and Human Resources of the Senate, a report de-
scribing the activities carried out under this section
during the preceding 2 fiscal years and evaluating
the extent to which such activities have been effec-
tive in improving the health of racial and ethnic mi-
nority groups. Each such report shall include the re-
ports submitted to the Deputy Assistant Secretary
under paragraph (2).
‘‘(2) REPORTS OF CERTAIN AGENCIES.—Each
fiscal year, the heads of the agencies of the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services shall submit to
the Deputy Assistant Secretary a report summariz-
ing the minority health activities of each of the re-
spective agencies. The report for a fiscal year shall
be submitted not later than the date specified by the
Deputy Assistant Secretary.
‘‘(g) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section:
‘‘(1) The term ‘racial and ethnic minority
group’ means American Indians (including Alaska
Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts); Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders; Blacks; and Hispanics.
‘‘(2) The term ‘Hispanic’ means individuals
whose origin is Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban,
Central or South American, or any other Spanish-
speaking country.
‘‘(h) FUNDING.—For the purpose of carrying out this
section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1998
through 2002.’’.
(b) MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENT.—Section 1707 of
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6) is
amended in the heading for the section by striking ‘‘ES-
TABLISHMENT OF’’.
SEC. 3. REVISION AND EXTENSION OF PROGRAM FOR OF-
FICE OF RESEARCH ON MINORITY HEALTH.
Section 404 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 283b) is amended by striking subsection (b) and
adding after subsection (a) the following subsections:
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION REGARDING
MINORITY
HEALTH
CONDITIONS.—With respect to
minority health conditions, the Director of the Office
shall plan, coordinate, and evaluate research and
other activities conducted or supported by the agen-
cies of the National Institutes of Health, and shall
assist in the administration of section 492B with re-
spect to the inclusion of members of minority groups
as subjects in clinical research. In carrying out the
preceding sentence, the Director of the Office shall
evaluate the activities of each of such agencies and
shall provide for the periodic reevaluation of such ac-
tivities.
‘‘(2) CONSULTATIONS.—The Director of the Of-
fice shall carry out this section (including developing
and revising the plan required in subsection (c)) in
consultation with the heads of the agencies of the
National Institutes of Health, with the advisory
councils of the agencies, and with the advisory coun-
cil established under subsection (e).
‘‘(3) COORDINATION.—The Director of the Of-
fice shall act as the primary Federal official with re-
sponsibility for overseeing all research on minority
health conditions that is conducted or supported by
the National Institutes of Health, and—
‘‘(A) shall serve to represent minority
health programs of the National Institutes of
Health at all relevant Executive branch task
forces and committees; and
‘‘(B) shall maintain communications with
all relevant Public Health Service agencies, and
with various other departments of the Federal
Government, to ensure the timely transmission
between the agencies of information concerning
advances in research on minority health condi-
tions and the clinical treatment of such condi-
tions, and to ensure dissemination of such in-
formation to affected communities and health
care providers.
‘‘(c) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR EXPENDITURE OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the provisions of
this subsection and other applicable law, the Direc-
tor of the Office, in carrying out subsection (b),
shall—
‘‘(A) establish a comprehensive plan for
the conduct and support by the National Insti-
tutes of Health of activities with respect to mi-
nority health conditions, including research on
such conditions and the training of individuals
to conduct such research (which plan shall be
first established under this subparagraph not
later than 12 months after the date of the en-
actment of the Disadvantaged Minority Health
Improvement Amendments Act of 1997);
‘‘(B) ensure that the Plan establishes pri-
orities among the activities with respect to mi-
nority health that such agencies are authorized
to carry out;
‘‘(C) ensure that the Plan establishes ob-
jectives regarding such activities, describes the
means for achieving the objectives, and des-
ignates the date by which the objectives are ex-
pected to be achieved;
‘‘(D) ensure that all amounts appropriated
for such activities are expended in accordance
with the Plan;
‘‘(E) review the Plan not less than annu-
ally, and revise the Plan as appropriate; and
‘‘(F) ensure that the Plan serves as a
broad, binding statement of policies regarding
such activities of the agencies, but does not re-
move the responsibility of the heads of the
agencies for the approval of specific programs
or projects, or for other details of the daily ad-
ministration of such activities, in accordance
with the Plan.
‘‘(2) CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF PLAN.—With
respect to activities of the agencies of the National
Institutes of Health that relate to minority health
conditions, the Director of the Office shall ensure
that the Plan—
‘‘(A) provides for basic research;
‘‘(B) provides for applied research;
‘‘(C) provides for research that is con-
ducted by the agencies;
‘‘(D) provides for research that is sup-
ported by the agencies;
‘‘(E) provides for proposals developed pur-
suant to solicitations by the agencies and for
proposals developed independently of such so-
licitations; and
‘‘(F) provides for behavioral research and
social sciences research.
‘‘(d) EQUITY REGARDING VARIOUS GROUPS.—The
Director of the Office shall ensure that activities under
subsection (b) equitably address all racial and ethnic mi-
nority groups.
‘‘(e) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—In carrying out sub-
section (b), the Secretary shall establish an advisory
committee to be known as the Advisory Committee
on Research on Minority Health (in this subsection
referred to as the ‘Advisory Committee’).
‘‘(2) COMPOSITION.—
‘‘(A) VOTING
AND
NONVOTING
MEM-
BERS.—The Advisory Committee shall be com-
posed of voting members appointed in accord-
ance with subparagraph (B) and the ex officio
nonvoting members described in subparagraph
(C).
‘‘(B) VOTING MEMBERS.—
‘‘(i) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Advisory
Committee shall include not fewer than 12
voting members who are not officers or
employees of the Federal Government.
Such members shall be appointed from
among physicians, practitioners, scientists,
consumers and other health professionals,
whose clinical practices, research speciali-
zation, or professional expertise includes a
significant focus on research on minority
health or on the barriers that minorities
must overcome to participate in clinical
trials. The racial and ethnic minority
groups shall be equally representative of
the minority groups served by the Office.
‘‘(ii) APPOINTING OFFICIAL.—Except
as provided in clause (iii), the voting mem-
bers of the Advisory Committee shall be
appointed by the Director of the Office.
‘‘(iii) ADDITIONAL
APPOINTMENT.—
One voting member of the Advisory Com-
mittee shall be appointed from among the
voting members of the Advisory Committee
on Minority Health established under sec-
tion 1707(c). The appointment under the
preceding sentence shall be made by the
Chair of the Advisory Committee under
such section, in consultation with the other
members of such Advisory Committee.
‘‘(C) EX OFFICIO NONVOTING MEMBERS.—
The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority
Health, the Director of the Office, and the di-
rectors of each of the national research insti-
tutes shall serve as ex officio nonvoting mem-
bers of the Advisory Committee (except that
any of such directors may designate an official
of the institute involved to serve as such mem-
ber of the Committee in lieu of the director).
‘‘(3) CHAIR.—The Director of the Office shall
serve as the chair of the Advisory Committee.
‘‘(4) 
DUTIES.—The 
Advisory 
Committee
shall—
‘‘(A) advise the Director of the Office on
appropriate research and training activities to
be undertaken by the national research insti-
tutes with respect to—
‘‘(i) research and training on minority
health;
‘‘(ii) research and training on racial
and ethnic differences in clinical drug
trials, including responses to pharma-
cological drugs;
‘‘(iii) research and training on racial
and ethnic differences in disease etiology,
course, and treatment; and
‘‘(iv) research and training on minor-
ity health conditions which require a multi-
disciplinary approach;
‘‘(B) report to the Director of the Office
on such research and training;
‘‘(C) provide recommendations to such Di-
rector regarding activities of the Office (includ-
ing recommendations on priorities in carrying
out research described in subparagraph (A));
and
‘‘(D) assist in monitoring compliance with
section 492B regarding the inclusion of minori-
ties in clinical research.
‘‘(5) BIENNIAL REPORT.—
‘‘(A) PREPARATION.—The Advisory Com-
mittee shall prepare a biennial report describing
the activities of the Committee, including find-
ings made by the Committee regarding—
‘‘(i) compliance with section 492B;
‘‘(ii) the extent of expenditures made
for research and training on minority
health by the agencies of the National In-
stitutes of Health; and
‘‘(iii) the level of funding needed for
such research and training.
‘‘(B) SUBMISSION.—The report required in
subparagraph (A) shall be submitted to the Di-
rector of NIH for inclusion in the report re-
quired in section 403.
‘‘(f) REPRESENTATIVES OF MINORITIES AMONG RE-
SEARCHERS.—The Secretary, acting through the Assist-
ant Secretary for Personnel Administration and in collabo-
ration with the Director of the Office, shall determine the
extent to which minorities are represented among senior
physicians and scientists of the national research insti-
tutes and among physicians and scientists conducting re-
search with funds provided by such institutes, and as ap-
propriate, carry out activities to increase the extent of
such representation.
‘‘(g) REQUIREMENT REGARDING GRANTS AND CON-
TRACTS.—Any award of a grant, cooperative agreement,
or contract that the Director of the Office is authorized
to make shall be made only on a competitive basis.
‘‘(h) MINORITY HEALTH INITIATIVE.—With respect
to the program that was being conducted through the Of-
fice as of May 1997 and was known as the Minority
Health Initiative, the Director of NIH, in collaboration
with the Director of the Office, shall—
‘‘(1) provide for the continuation of the pro-
gram;
‘‘(2) provide for expanding the scope of the pro-
gram by establishing timetables with benchmarks
pertaining to the dual goals of research and train-
ing; and
‘‘(3) prepare biennial reports on the program
and submit the reports to the Director of NIH for
inclusion in the biennial reports required in section
403.
‘‘(i) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this part:
‘‘(1) The term ‘minority health conditions’, with
respect to individuals who are members of racial and
ethnic minority groups, means all diseases, dis-
orders, and conditions (including with respect to
mental health)—
‘‘(A) unique to, more serious, or more
prevalent in such individuals;
‘‘(B) for which the factors of medical risk
or types of medical intervention are different
for such individuals, or for which it is unknown
whether such factors or types are different for
such individuals; or
‘‘(C) with respect to which there has been
insufficient research involving such individuals
as subjects or insufficient data on such individ-
uals.
‘‘(2) The term ‘research on minority health’
means research on minority health conditions, in-
cluding research on preventing such conditions.
‘‘(3) The term ‘racial and ethnic minority
group’ has the meaning given such term in section
1707(g).
‘‘(j) FUNDING.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of carry-
ing out this section, there are authorized to be ap-
propriated such sums as may be necessary for each
of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002.
‘‘(2) MINORITY HEALTH INITIATIVE.—For the
purpose of carrying out subsection (h), there are au-
thorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary for each of the fiscal years 1998 through
2002. Such authorization is in addition to the au-
thorization of appropriations established in para-
graph (1) with respect to such purpose.’’.
SEC. 4. OTHER PROGRAMS REGARDING MINORITY HEALTH.
(a) COLLECTION OF HEALTH DATA.—Section 306(n)
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242k(n)) is
amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘1998’’ and
inserting ‘‘2002’’; and
(2) in paragraph (2), in the first sentence—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘1993,’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘for each of the fiscal
years 1994 through 1998’’ and inserting the
following: ‘‘for fiscal year 1997, and such sums
as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
1998 through 2002’’.
(b) GRANTS TO STATES FOR LOAN REPAYMENT PRO-
GRAMS.—Section 338L(l)(1) of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 254t(l)(1)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘is authorized’’ and inserting
‘‘are authorized’’; and
(2) by inserting before the period the following:
‘‘, and such sums as may be necessary for each of
the fiscal years 1998 through 2002’’.
(c) STUDENT LOAN FUNDS.—Section 724(f)(1) of
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 292t(f)(1)) is
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘is authorized’’ and inserting
‘‘are authorized’’; and
(2) by inserting before the period the following:
‘‘, and such sums as may be necessary for each of
the fiscal years 1998 through 2002’’.
(d) 
STUDENTS
OF
EXCEPTIONAL
FINANCIAL
NEED.—Section 736(c) of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 293(c)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘is authorized’’ and inserting
‘‘are authorized’’; and
(2) by inserting before the period the following:
‘‘, and such sums as may be necessary for each of
the fiscal years 1998 through 2002’’.
(e) SCHOLARSHIPS
GENERALLY; OTHER
PUR-
POSES.—Section 737(h)(1) of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 293a(h)(1)) is amended by inserting before
the period the following: ‘‘and for each of the fiscal years
1998 through 2002’’.
(f) LOAN REPAYMENTS AND FELLOWSHIPS REGARD-
ING FACULTY POSITIONS.—Section 738(c) of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293b(c)) is amended—