I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 844
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 13, 2003
Mr. RODRIGUEZ (for himself, Mr. LEACH, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. TOWNS, 
Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. FROST, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. RAN-
GEL, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. 
WAXMAN, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. LEE, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mrs. 
TAUSCHER, Ms. NORTON, and Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce 
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 Director of the Office of Behav-
ioral and Social Sciences Research, the Chief 
Social Work Officer of the Veterans’ Adminis-
tration, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Health Affairs, the Associate Director of Pre-
vention Research at the National Institute of 
Mental Health, the Director of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, the Director of 
the Division of Epidemiology and Services Re-
search, the Assistant Secretary of Health and 
Human Services for the Administration for 
Children and Families, the Assistant Secretary
of Education for the Office of Educational Re-
search and Improvement, the Assistant Sec-
retary of Housing and Urban Development for 
Community Planning and Development, and the 
Assistant Attorney General for Office of Justice 
Programs (or the designees of such officers); 
and 
‘‘(B) such additional officers or employees 
of the United States as the Secretary deter-
mines necessary for the advisory council to ef-
fectively carry out its functions. 
‘‘(3) APPOINTED
MEMBERS.—The Secretary 
shall appoint not to exceed 18 individuals to the ad-
visory council, of which—
‘‘(A) not more than two-thirds of such in-
dividual shall be appointed from among the 
leading representatives of the health and sci-
entific disciplines (including public health and 
the behavioral or social sciences) relevant to the 
activities of the Center, and at least 7 such in-
dividuals shall be professional social workers 
who are recognized experts in the area of clin-
ical practice, education, policy, or research; and 
‘‘(B) not more than one-third of such indi-
viduals shall be appointed from the general
public and shall include leaders in fields of pub-
lic policy, law, health policy, economics, and 
management. 
The Secretary shall make appointments to the advi-
sory council in such a manner as to ensure that the 
terms of the members do not all expire in the same 
year. 
‘‘(4) COMPENSATION.—Members of the advi-
sory council who are officers or employees of the 
United States shall not receive any compensation for 
service on the advisory council. The remaining mem-
bers shall receive, for each day (including travel 
time) they are engaged in the performance of the 
functions of the advisory council, compensation at 
rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual 
rate in effect for an individual at grade GS–18 of 
the General Schedule. 
‘‘(c) TERMS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term of office of an in-
dividual appointed to the advisory council under sub-
section (b)(3) shall be 4 years, except that any indi-
vidual appointed to fill a vacancy on the advisory 
council shall serve for the remainder of the unex-
pired term. A member may serve after the expiration
of the member’s term until a successor has been ap-
pointed. 
‘‘(2) REAPPOINTMENTS.—A member of the ad-
visory council who has been appointed under sub-
section (b)(3) for a term of 4 years may not be re-
appointed to the advisory council prior to the expira-
tion of the 2-year period beginning on the date on 
which the prior term expired. 
‘‘(3) VACANCY.—If a vacancy occurs on the ad-
visory council among the members under subsection 
(b)(3), the Secretary shall make an appointment to 
fill that vacancy not later than 90 days after the 
date on which the vacancy occurs. 
‘‘(d) CHAIRPERSON.—The chairperson of the advi-
sory council shall be selected by the Secretary from among 
the members appointed under subsection (b)(3), except 
that the Secretary may select the Director of the Center 
to be the chairperson of the advisory council. The term 
of office of the chairperson shall be 2 years. 
‘‘(e) MEETINGS.—The advisory council shall meet at 
the call of the chairperson or upon the request of the Di-
rector of the Center, but not less than 3 times each fiscal 
year. The location of the meetings of the advisory council 
shall be subject to the approval of the Director of the Cen-
ter.
‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.—The Director of 
the Center shall designate a member of the staff of the 
Center to serve as the executive secretary of the advisory 
council. The Director of the Center shall make available 
to the advisory council such staff, information, and other 
assistance as the council may require to carry out its func-
tions. The Director of the Center shall provide orientation 
and training for new members of the advisory council to 
provide such members with such information and training 
as may be appropriate for their effective participation in 
the functions of the advisory council. 
‘‘(g) COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—The ad-
visory council may prepare, for inclusion in the biennial 
report under section 485M—
‘‘(1) comments with respect to the activities of 
the advisory council in the fiscal years for which the 
report is prepared; 
‘‘(2) comments on the progress of the Center in 
meeting its objectives; and 
‘‘(3) recommendations with respect to the fu-
ture direction and program and policy emphasis of 
the center. 
The advisory council may prepare such additional reports 
as it may determine appropriate.
‘‘SEC. 485M. BIENNIAL REPORT. 
‘‘The Director of the Center, after consultation with 
the advisory council for the Center, shall prepare for inclu-
sion in the biennial report under section 403, a biennial 
report that shall consist of a description of the activities 
of the Center and program policies of the Director of the 
Center in the fiscal years for which the report is prepared. 
The Director of the Center may prepare such additional 
reports as the Director determines appropriate. The Di-
rector of the Center shall provide the advisory council of 
the Center an opportunity for the submission of the writ-
ten comments described in section 485L(g). 
‘‘SEC. 485N. QUARTERLY REPORT. 
‘‘The Director of the Center shall prepare a quarterly 
report to Congress with a summary of findings and policy 
implications from research conducted or supported 
through the Center. 
‘‘SEC. 485O. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘For the purpose of carrying out this subpart, there 
is authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of 
the fiscal years 2004 through 2008.’’.
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