I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1020 
To declare adequate pain care research, education, and treatment as national 
public health priorities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 1, 2005 
Mr. ROGERS of Michigan introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Commit-
tees on Ways and Means, Armed Services, and Veterans’ Affairs, for a 
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To declare adequate pain care research, education, and treat-
ment as national public health priorities, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘National Pain Care Policy Act of 2005’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. White House Conference on Pain Care. 
Sec. 3. National Center for Pain and Palliative Care Research. 
Sec. 4. Pain care education and training. 
Sec. 5. Public awareness campaign on pain management. 
Sec. 6. Pain care initiative in military health care facilities. 
Sec. 7. Pain care standards in Medicare Advantage plans. 
Sec. 8. Pain care standards in TRICARE plans. 
Sec. 9. Annual report on medicare expenditures for pain care services. 
Sec. 10. Pain care initiative in veterans health care facilities. 
SEC. 2. WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON PAIN CARE. 
(a) CONVENING.—Not later than June 30, 2006, the 
President shall convene a conference to be known as the 
White House Conference on Pain Care (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Conference’’). 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Conference 
shall be to— 
(1) increase the recognition of pain as a signifi-
cant public health problem in the United States; 
(2) assess the adequacy of diagnosis and treat-
ment for primary and secondary pain, including 
acute, chronic, intractable, and end-of-life pain; 
(3) identify barriers to appropriate pain care, 
including— 
(A) lack of understanding and education 
among employers, patients, providers, regu-
lators, and third-party payors; 
(B) barriers to access to care at the pri-
mary, specialty, and tertiary care levels; and
(C) gaps in basic and clinical research on 
the symptoms and causes of, and potential 
treatments to improve, pain care; and 
(4) establish an agenda for action in both the 
public and private sectors that will reduce such bar-
riers and significantly improve the state of pain care 
research, education, and clinical care in the United 
States by 2010. 
(c) CHAIR.—The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall serve as the chair of the Conference. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fis-
cal year 2006. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL CENTER FOR PAIN AND PALLIATIVE 
CARE RESEARCH. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 401(b)(2) of the Pub-
lic Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281(b)(2)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(H) The National Center for Pain and Pallia-
tive Care Research.’’. 
(b) OPERATION.—Part E of title IV of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 287 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: