I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 663
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment
of a National Center for Social Work Research.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 14, 2001
Mr. HUTCHINSON (for himself, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. ABER-
CROMBIE, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. BENTSEN, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. BONIOR,
Mr. LEACH, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr.
UPTON, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. HILLIARD, Ms. KIL-
PATRICK, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, and Mr.
TOWNS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for
the establishment of a National Center for Social Work
Research.
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 Center for
Social Work Research Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Social workers focus on the improvement of
individual and family functioning and the creation of
effective health and mental health prevention and
treatment interventions in order for individuals to
become more productive members of society.
(2) Social workers provide front line prevention
and treatment services in the areas of school vio-
lence, aging, teen pregnancy, child abuse, domestic
violence, juvenile crime, and substance abuse, par-
ticularly in rural and underserved communities.
(3) Social workers are in a unique position to
provide valuable research information on these com-
plex social concerns, taking into account a wide
range of social, medical, economic and community
influences from an interdisciplinary, family-centered
and community-based approach.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR SO-
CIAL WORK RESEARCH.
Title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
281 et seq.), as amended by title I of Public Law 106–
525, is amended—
(1) in section 401(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 281(b)(2)),
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(H) The National Center for Social Work Re-
search.’’; and
(2) in part E (42 U.S.C. 287 et seq.), by add-
ing at the end the following:
‘‘Subpart 7—National Center for Social Work Research
‘‘SEC. 485J. PURPOSE OF CENTER.
‘‘The general purpose of the National Center for So-
cial Work Research (referred to in this subpart as the
‘Center’) is the conduct and support of, and dissemination
of targeted research on social work methods and outcomes
related to problems of significant social concern. The Cen-
ter shall promote research and training designed to inform
social work practice, thus increasing the knowledge base
which promotes a healthier America. In addition, the Cen-
ter shall provide policymakers with empirically-based re-
search information to better understand complex social
issues and make informed funding decisions about service
effectiveness and cost efficiency.
‘‘SEC. 485K. SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—To carry out the purpose de-
scribed in section 485J, the Director of the Center may
provide research training and instruction and establish, in
the Center and in other nonprofit institutions, research
traineeships and fellowships in the study and investigation
of the prevention of disease, health promotion, the associa-
tion of socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, age, and
geographical location and health, the social work care of
persons with and families of individuals with acute and
chronic illnesses, child abuse, neglect, and youth violence,
and child and family care to address problems of signifi-
cant social concern especially in underserved populations
and underserved geographical areas.
‘‘(b) STIPENDS AND ALLOWANCES.—The Director of
the Center may provide individuals receiving training and
instruction or traineeships or fellowships under subsection
(a) with such stipends and allowances (including amounts
for travel and subsistence and dependency allowances) as
the Director determines necessary.
‘‘(c) GRANTS.—The Director of the Center may make
grants to nonprofit institutions to provide training and in-
struction and traineeships and fellowships under sub-
section (a).
‘‘SEC. 485L. ADVISORY COUNCIL.
‘‘(a) DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish an advisory council for the Center that shall ad-
vise, assist, consult with, and make recommenda-
tions to the Secretary and the Director of the Center
on matters related to the activities carried out by
and through the Center and the policies with respect
to such activities.
‘‘(2) GIFTS.—The advisory council for the Cen-
ter may recommend to the Secretary the acceptance,
in accordance with section 231, of conditional gifts
for study, investigations, and research and for the
acquisition of grounds or construction, equipment, or
maintenance of facilities for the Center.
‘‘(3) OTHER
DUTIES
AND
FUNCTIONS.—The
advisory council for the Center—
‘‘(A)(i) may make recommendations to the
Director of the Center with respect to research
to be conducted by the Center;
‘‘(ii) may review applications for grants
and cooperative agreements for research or
training and recommend for approval applica-
tions for projects that demonstrate the prob-
ability of making valuable contributions to
human knowledge; and
‘‘(iii) may review any grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement proposed to be made or
entered into by the Center;
‘‘(B) may collect, by correspondence or by
personal investigation, information relating to
studies that are being carried out in the United
States or any other country and, with the ap-
proval of the Director of the Center, make such
information available through appropriate publi-
cations; and
‘‘(C) may appoint subcommittees and con-
vene workshops and conferences.
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The advisory council shall
be composed of the ex officio members described in
paragraph (2) and not more than 18 individuals to
be appointed by the Secretary under paragraph (3).
‘‘(2) EX
OFFICIO
MEMBERS.—The ex officio
members of the advisory council shall include—
‘‘(A) the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, the Director of NIH, the Director of
the Center, the Chief Social Work Officer of the
Veterans’ Administration, the Assistant Sec-
retary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Asso-
ciate Director of Prevention Research at the
National Institute of Mental Health, the Direc-
tor of the Division of Epidemiology and Serv-
ices Research, the Assistant Secretary of
Health and Human Services for the Adminis-
tration for Children and Families, the Assistant
Secretary of Education for the Office of Edu-
cational Research and Improvement, the Assist-
ant Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop-