‘‘SEC. 315. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ARTHRITIS 
ACTION PLAN. 
‘‘The Secretary shall develop and implement a Na-
tional Arthritis Action Plan that consists of—
‘‘(1) the Federal arthritis prevention and con-
trol activities, as described in section 315A; 
‘‘(2) the State arthritis control and prevention 
programs, as described in section 315B; 
‘‘(3) the comprehensive arthritis action grant 
program, as described in section 315C; and 
‘‘(4) a national arthritis education and outreach 
program, as described in section 315D. 
‘‘SEC. 315A. FEDERAL ARTHRITIS PREVENTION AND CON-
TROL ACTIVITIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention, shall, directly, or through a grant to an eligible 
entity, conduct, support, and promote the coordination of 
research, investigations, demonstrations, training, and 
studies relating to the control, prevention, and surveillance 
of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.—The activities of the 
Secretary under subsection (a) shall include—
‘‘(1) the collection, publication, and analysis of 
data on the prevalence and incidence of arthritis and 
other rheumatic diseases;
‘‘(2) the development of uniform data sets for 
public health surveillance and clinical quality im-
provement activities; 
‘‘(3) the identification of evidence-based and 
cost-effective best practices for the prevention, diag-
nosis, management, and care of arthritis and other 
rheumatic diseases; 
‘‘(4) research, including research on behavioral 
interventions to prevent arthritis and on other evi-
dence-based best practices relating to arthritis pre-
vention, diagnosis, management, and care; and 
‘‘(5) demonstration projects, including commu-
nity-based and patient self-management programs of 
arthritis control, prevention, and care, and similar 
collaborations with academic institutions, hospitals, 
health insurers, researchers, health professionals, 
and nonprofit organizations. 
‘‘(c) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—With 
respect to the planning, development, and operation of any 
activity carried out under subsection (a), the Secretary 
may provide training, technical assistance, supplies, equip-
ment, or services, and may assign any officer or employee 
of the Department of Health and Human Services to a 
State or local health agency, or to any public or nonprofit
entity designated by a State health agency, in lieu of pro-
viding grant funds under this section. 
‘‘(d) ARTHRITIS PREVENTION RESEARCH AT THE 
CENTERS
FOR DISEASE CONTROL
AND PREVENTION 
CENTERS.—The Secretary shall provide additional grant 
support for research projects at the Centers for Prevention 
Research by the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion to encourage the expansion of research portfolios at 
the Centers for Prevention Research to include arthritis-
specific research activities related to the prevention and 
management of arthritis. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
2006 through 2010. 
‘‘SEC. 315B. STATE ARTHRITIS CONTROL AND PREVENTION 
PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to eligible entities to provide support for com-
prehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and 
to enable such entities to provide public health surveil-
lance, prevention, and control activities related to arthritis 
and other rheumatic diseases.
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an entity shall be a State or Indian 
tribe. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an entity shall submit to the Secretary 
an application at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such agreements, assurances, and information as 
the Secretary may require, including a comprehensive ar-
thritis control and prevention plan that—
‘‘(1) is developed with the advice of stake-
holders from the public, private, and nonprofit sec-
tors that have expertise relating to arthritis control, 
prevention, and treatment that increase the quality 
of life and decrease the level of disability; 
‘‘(2) is intended to reduce the morbidity of ar-
thritis, with priority on preventing and controlling 
arthritis in at-risk populations and reducing dispari-
ties in arthritis prevention, diagnosis, management, 
and quality of care in underserved populations; 
‘‘(3) describes the arthritis-related services and 
activities to be undertaken or supported by the enti-
ty; and 
‘‘(4) is developed in a manner that is consistent 
with the National Arthritis Action Plan or a subse-
quent strategic plan designated by the Secretary.
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity shall use 
amounts received under a grant awarded under subsection 
(a) to conduct, in a manner consistent with the com-
prehensive arthritis control and prevention plan submitted 
by the entity in the application under subsection (c)—
‘‘(1) public health surveillance and epidemiolog-
ical activities relating to the prevalence of arthritis 
and assessment of disparities in arthritis prevention, 
diagnosis, management, and care; 
‘‘(2) public information and education pro-
grams; and 
‘‘(3) education, training, and clinical skills im-
provement activities for health professionals, includ-
ing allied health personnel. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
2006 through 2010. 
‘‘SEC. 315C. COMPREHENSIVE ARTHRITIS ACTION GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to enable 
such eligible entities to assist in the implementation of a 
national strategy for arthritis control and prevention.
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an entity shall be a national public or 
private nonprofit entity. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an entity shall submit to the Secretary 
an application at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such agreements, assurances, and information as 
the Secretary may require, including a description of how 
funds received under a grant awarded under this section 
will—
‘‘(1) supplement or fulfill unmet needs identi-
fied in the comprehensive arthritis control and pre-
vention plan of a State or Indian tribe; 
‘‘(2) otherwise help achieve the goals of the Na-
tional Arthritis Action Plan or a subsequent stra-
tegic plan designated by the Secretary. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 
submitting applications proposing to carry out programs 
for controlling and preventing arthritis in at-risk popu-
lations or reducing disparities in underserved populations. 
‘‘(e) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity shall use 
amounts received under a grant awarded under subsection 
(a) for 1 or more of the following purposes: