I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6163 
To amend title IV of the Public Health Service Act to provide for a National 
Pediatric Research Network, including with respect to pediatric rare 
diseases or conditions. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 19, 2012 
Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS (for herself, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. HARPER, Ms. 
DEGETTE, and Mr. KING of New York) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend title IV of the Public Health Service Act to 
provide for a National Pediatric Research Network, in-
cluding with respect to pediatric rare diseases or condi-
tions. 
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 Pediatric Re-
search Network Act of 2012’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONAL PEDIATRIC RESEARCH NETWORK. 
Section 409D of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 284h; relating to the Pediatric Research Initiative) 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (f); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) NATIONAL PEDIATRIC RESEARCH NETWORK.— 
‘‘(1) NETWORK.—In carrying out the Initiative, 
the Director of NIH, acting through the Director of 
the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of 
Child Health and Human Development and in col-
laboration with other appropriate national research 
institutes and national centers that carry out activi-
ties involving pediatric research, may provide for the 
establishment of a National Pediatric Research Net-
work consisting of the pediatric research consortia 
receiving awards under paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) PEDIATRIC RESEARCH CONSORTIA.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the 
Institute may award cooperative agreements 
and grants to public or private nonprofit enti-
ties— 
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‘‘(i) for planning, establishing, or 
strengthening pediatric research consortia; 
and 
‘‘(ii) for providing basic operating 
support for such consortia, including with 
respect to— 
‘‘(I) basic, clinical, behavioral, or 
translational research to meet unmet 
needs for pediatric research; and 
‘‘(II) training researchers in pe-
diatric research techniques. 
‘‘(B) RESEARCH.—The Director of NIH 
shall ensure that— 
‘‘(i) each consortium receiving an 
award under subparagraph (A) conducts or 
supports at least one category of research 
described in subparagraph (A)(ii)(I) and 
collectively such consortia conduct or sup-
port all such categories of research; and 
‘‘(ii) one or more such consortia pro-
vides training described in subparagraph 
(A)(ii)(II). 
‘‘(C) NUMBER OF CONSORTIA.—The Direc-
tor of NIH may make awards under this para-
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graph for not more than 20 pediatric research 
consortia. 
‘‘(D) ORGANIZATION
OF
CONSORTIUM.— 
Each consortium receiving an award under sub-
paragraph (A) shall— 
‘‘(i) be formed from a collaboration of 
cooperating institutions; 
‘‘(ii) be coordinated by a lead institu-
tion; and 
‘‘(iii) meet such requirements as may 
be prescribed by the Director of NIH. 
‘‘(E) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Any 
support received by a consortium under sub-
paragraph (A) shall be used to supplement, and 
not supplant, other public or private support for 
activities authorized to be supported under this 
paragraph. 
‘‘(F) DURATION OF SUPPORT.—Support of 
a consortium under subparagraph (A) may be 
for a period of not to exceed 5 years. Such pe-
riod may be extended by the Director of NIH 
for additional periods of not more than 5 years. 
‘‘(3) COORDINATION
OF
CONSORTIA
ACTIVI-
TIES.—The Director of NIH shall— 
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