I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6791 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase Federal excise 
taxes on tobacco products and to dedicate the revenues from the in-
creased taxes to the war on cancer. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 1, 2008 
Mr. HIGGINS (for himself and Mr. ISRAEL) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase 
Federal excise taxes on tobacco products and to dedicate 
the revenues from the increased taxes to the war on 
cancer. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Cancer Fund 
Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are— 
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(1) to establish a National Cancer Fund in 
order to accelerate progress in the war on cancer 
and to expand federally funded cancer research and 
control programs with the goal of reducing cancer 
mortality to zero, to benefit cancer patients, ensure 
a high quality of life for cancer survivors, and pro-
vide for palliative and end-of-life care, 
(2) to prepare for the looming impact of an 
aging American population and the anticipated fi-
nancial burden associated with medical treatment 
and lost productivity, along with the toll of human 
suffering that accompanies a cancer diagnosis, and 
(3) to support the advancement of science and 
the development of advanced technologies and medi-
cine to improve the prevention, early detection, and 
treatment of cancer. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL CANCER FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to trust fund 
code) is amended by adding at the end thereof the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘SEC. 9511. NATIONAL CANCER FUND. 
‘‘(a) CREATION OF TRUST FUND.—There is estab-
lished in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund 
to be known as the ‘National Cancer Fund’, consisting of 
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such amounts as may be appropriated or credited to the 
National Cancer Fund as provided in this section or sec-
tion 9602(b). 
‘‘(b) TRANSFER OF FUNDS TO THE NATIONAL CAN-
CER FUND.—There are hereby appropriated to the Na-
tional Cancer Fund amounts equivalent to so much of the 
taxes received in the Treasury under chapter 52 (relating 
to tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes) as 
are attributable to the amendments made by the National 
Cancer Fund Act of 2008. 
‘‘(c) EXPENDITURES
FROM
NATIONAL
CANCER 
FUND.—Amounts in the National Cancer Fund shall be 
available, as provided by appropriation Acts, for making 
expenditures for— 
‘‘(1) cancer research, with an emphasis on most 
lethal forms of cancer, defined as those cancers with 
5 year survival rates below 50 percent, along with an 
additional emphasis on rare cancers, and focusing on 
the development of effective prevention, early detec-
tion tools, and treatments, 
‘‘(2) development and expansion of NIH cancer 
programs to explore cancer biology, expand high-risk 
high-reward research, support large-scale collabo-
rative projects, and support other programs to accel-
erate the research and development, and the delivery 
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of cancer prevention and early detection tools, treat-
ments, and therapies, 
‘‘(3) increased study of the long-term effects of 
cancer treatment on cancer survivors and the chal-
lenges associated with access to quality follow up 
care and may provide for the expansion and coordi-
nation of cancer survivorship research activities at 
National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers, 
‘‘(4) expansion of breast and cervical cancer 
early detection and treatment programs that cover 
screening and treatment for women who do not have 
access to health care, 
‘‘(5) expansion of colorectal cancer early detec-
tion and treatment programs to cover men and 
women who do not otherwise have access to health 
care, 
‘‘(6) development and expansion of early detec-
tion and treatment programs to cover men and 
women who do not otherwise have access to health 
care, 
‘‘(7) expansion of access to cancer-related clin-
ical trials and health care for underserved and 
underinsured populations, 
‘‘(8) increased access for federally sponsored 
cancer clinical trials, 
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‘‘(9) implementation of a nationwide tobacco 
cessation program, and 
‘‘(10) expansion and support of regulatory 
sciences to speed the development of biomarkers, ad-
vanced 
disease 
modeling, 
co-development 
of 
diagnostics and therapeutics, enhanced clinical trial 
design, biological standards for baseline metrics, and 
other tools for assessing the efficacy of new thera-
peutic agents in order to expedite the delivery of 
more effective cancer treatments to patients, 
‘‘(11) development and expansion of the cancer 
workforce, and 
‘‘(12) other such cancer-related activities as 
deemed appropriate.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for such subchapter A is amended by adding at the end 
the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 9511. National Cancer Fund.’’. 
SEC. 4. PRESIDENT’S CANCER PANEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 415(a) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285a–4) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(a) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) The President’s Cancer Panel (hereafter in 
this section referred to as the ‘Panel’) shall be com-
posed of 5 persons appointed by the President who, 
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by virtue of their training, experience, and back-
ground, are exceptionally qualified to appraise the 
cancer research, control, and regulatory programs of 
the Federal Government. At least 3 members of the 
Panel shall be distinguished scientists or physicians, 
including one who is an expert in public health, and 
one who has a related area of expertise in basic re-
search. 
‘‘(2) Members of the Panel shall be appointed 
for five-year terms, except that (i) any member ap-
pointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expi-
ration of the term for which the member’s prede-
cessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the 
remainder of such term, and (ii) a member may 
serve until the member’s successor has taken office. 
If a vacancy occurs in the Panel, the President shall 
make an appointment to fill the vacancy not later 
than 90 days after the date the vacancy occurred.’’. 
(b) DUTIES.—Section 415(b) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285a–4) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.— 
‘‘(1) The Panel shall monitor the development 
and execution of the cancer-related programs and 
activities of the Federal Government and shall re-
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