I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5191 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to establish Alzheimer’s Disease research, education, and clinical 
centers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 7, 2018 
Mr. COFFMAN (for himself, Mr. SESSIONS, and Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to establish Alzheimer’s Dis-
ease research, education, and clinical centers. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE RE-
SEARCH, EDUCATION, AND CLINICAL CEN-
TERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 73 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 7330B 
the following new section: 
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the facility has (or may reasonably be anticipated to de-
velop) each of the following: 
‘‘(A) An arrangement with an accredited med-
ical school that provides education and training in 
neurology and with which the Department health- 
care facility is affiliated under which residents re-
ceive education and training in innovative diagnosis 
and treatment of chronic neurodegenerative diseases 
and forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Dis-
ease. 
‘‘(B) The ability to attract the participation of 
scientists who are capable of ingenuity and creativity 
in health-care research efforts. 
‘‘(C) An advisory committee composed of vet-
erans and appropriate health-care and research rep-
resentatives of the Department health-care facility 
and of the affiliated school or schools to advise the 
directors of such facility and such center on policy 
matters pertaining to the activities of the center dur-
ing the period of the operation of such center. 
‘‘(D) The capability to conduct effectively eval-
uations of the activities of such center. 
‘‘(E) The capability to coordinate (as part of an 
integrated national system) education, clinical, and 
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research activities within all facilities with such cen-
ters. 
‘‘(F) The capability to jointly develop a consor-
tium of providers with interest in treating Alz-
heimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia, at fa-
cilities without centers established under subsection 
(a) in order to ensure better access to state-of-the- 
art diagnosis, care, and education for neurodegener-
ative disorders throughout the health-care system of 
the Department. 
‘‘(G) The capability to develop a national repos-
itory in the health-care system of the Department 
for the collection of data on health services delivered 
to veterans seeking care for neurodegenerative dis-
eases, including Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. 
‘‘(H) A scientific specialization in a field of re-
search likely to be transformative to the development 
of a cure or treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease, in-
cluding the capability to study the connection be-
tween Alzheimer’s Disease and Down Syndrome. 
‘‘(c) PEER REVIEW PANEL.—(1) The Under Sec-
retary for Health shall establish a panel to assess the sci-
entific and clinical merit of proposals that are submitted 
to the Secretary for the establishment of centers under 
this section. 
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‘‘(2)(A) The membership of the panel shall consist 
of experts in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alz-
heimer’s Disease and forms of dementia. At least one 
member of the panel shall include an expert on the connec-
tion between Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease. 
‘‘(B) Members of the panel shall serve for a period 
of no longer than two years, except as specified in sub-
paragraph (C). 
‘‘(C) Of the members first appointed to the panel, 
one-half shall be appointed for a period of three years and 
one-half shall be appointed for a period of two years, as 
designated by the Under Secretary at the time of appoint-
ment. 
‘‘(3) The panel shall review each proposal submitted 
to the panel by the Under Secretary and shall submit its 
views on the relative scientific and clinical merit of each 
such proposal to the Under Secretary. 
‘‘(4) The panel shall not be subject to the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITY
OF
FUNDING.—Before providing 
funds for the operation of a center designated under this 
section at a Department health-care facility, the Secretary 
shall ensure that each Alzheimer’s Disease center at a fa-
cility so designated is receiving adequate funding to enable 
that center to function effectively in the areas of Alz-
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heimer’s Disease research, education, and clinical activi-
ties. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary for the support of the research and education 
activities of the centers established pursuant to subsection 
(a). The Under Secretary for Health shall allocate to such 
centers from other funds appropriated generally for the 
Department medical services account and medical and 
prosthetics research account, as appropriate, such 
amounts as the Under Secretary for Health determines 
appropriate. 
‘‘(f) AWARD COMPETITIONS.—Activities of clinical 
and scientific investigation at each center established 
under subsection (a) shall be eligible to compete for the 
award of funding from funds appropriated for the Depart-
ment medical and prosthetics research account. Such ac-
tivities shall receive priority in the award of funding from 
such account insofar as funds are awarded to projects for 
research in Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of de-
mentia.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
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after the item relating to section 7330B the following new 
item: 
‘‘7330C. Alzheimer’s Disease research, education, and clinical centers.’’. 
Æ 
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