I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2401 
To prioritize funding for an expanded and sustained national investment 
in biomedical research. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 30, 2019 
Ms. UNDERWOOD (for herself and Mr. FOSTER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to 
the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Armed Services, and Vet-
erans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To prioritize funding for an expanded and sustained national 
investment in biomedical 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 ‘‘American Cures Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CAP ADJUSTMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 
U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (D), (E), 
and (F) as subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G), respec-
tively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (C), the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(D) BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH.— 
‘‘(i) 
NATIONAL
INSTITUTES
OF 
HEALTH.—If a bill or joint resolution mak-
ing appropriations for a fiscal year is en-
acted that specifies amounts for the Na-
tional Institutes of Health at the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services, then 
the adjustments for that fiscal year shall 
be the amount of additional new budget 
authority provided in that Act for such 
programs for that fiscal year, but shall not 
exceed— 
‘‘(I) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2020, 
$2,737,000,000 in additional new 
budget authority; 
‘‘(II) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2021, 
$5,666,000,000 in additional new 
budget authority; 
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‘‘(III) for fiscal year 2022, 
$8,800,000,000 in additional new 
budget authority; 
‘‘(IV) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2023, 
$12,153,000,000 in additional new 
budget authority; and 
‘‘(V) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2024, 
$15,741,000,000 in additional new 
budget authority. 
‘‘(ii) CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL 
AND PREVENTION.—If a bill or joint reso-
lution making appropriations for a fiscal 
year is enacted that specifies amounts for 
the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention at the Department of Health and 
Human Services, then the adjustments for 
that fiscal year shall be the amount of ad-
ditional new budget authority provided in 
that Act for such programs for that fiscal 
year, but shall not exceed— 
‘‘(I) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2020, 
$511,000,000 in additional new budg-
et authority; 
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‘‘(II) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2021, 
$1,057,000,000 in additional new 
budget authority; 
‘‘(III) for fiscal year 2022, 
$1,642,000,000 in additional new 
budget authority; 
‘‘(IV) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2023, 
$2,268,000,000 in additional new 
budget authority; and 
‘‘(V) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2024, 
$2,938,000,000 in additional new 
budget authority. 
‘‘(iii) 
DEPARTMENT
OF
DEFENSE 
HEALTH PROGRAM.—If a bill or joint reso-
lution making appropriations for a fiscal 
year is enacted that specifies amounts for 
the Department of Defense health pro-
gram, then the adjustments for that fiscal 
year shall be the amount of additional new 
budget authority provided in that Act for 
such programs for that fiscal year, but 
shall not exceed— 
‘‘(I) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2020, 
$167,510,000 in additional new budg-
et authority; 
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‘‘(II) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2021, 
$346,745,700 in additional new budg-
et authority; 
‘‘(III) for fiscal year 2022, 
$538,527,899 in additional new budg-
et authority; 
‘‘(IV) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2023, 
$743,734,852 in additional new budg-
et authority; and 
‘‘(V) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2024, 
$963,306,292 in additional new budg-
et authority. 
‘‘(iv) MEDICAL AND PROSTHETICS RE-
SEARCH PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.—If a bill or joint 
resolution making appropriations for a fis-
cal year is enacted that specifies amounts 
for the medical and prosthetics research 
program of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, then the adjustments for that fis-
cal year shall be the amount of additional 
new budget authority provided in that Act 
for such programs for that fiscal year, but 
shall not exceed— 
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‘‘(I) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2020, 
$54,530,000 in additional new budget 
authority; 
‘‘(II) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2021, 
$58,350,000 in additional new budget 
authority; 
‘‘(III) for fiscal year 2022, 
$62,440,000 in additional new budget 
authority; 
‘‘(IV) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2023, 
$66,810,000 in additional new budget 
authority; and 
‘‘(V) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2024, 
$71,490,000 in additional new budget 
authority. 
‘‘(v) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(I) ADDITIONAL
NEW
BUDGET 
AUTHORITY.—The 
term 
‘additional 
new budget authority’ means— 
‘‘(aa) with respect to the 
National Institutes of Health, the 
amount provided for a fiscal 
year, in excess of the amount 
provided in fiscal year 2019, in 
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an appropriation Act and speci-
fied to support the National In-
stitutes of Health; 
‘‘(bb) with respect to the 
Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, the amount provided 
for a fiscal year, in excess of the 
amount provided in fiscal year 
2019, in an appropriation Act 
and specified to support the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Pre-
vention; 
‘‘(cc) with respect to the De-
partment of Defense health pro-
gram, the amount provided for a 
fiscal year, in excess of the 
amount provided in fiscal year 
2019, in an appropriation Act 
and specified to support the De-
partment of Defense health pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(dd) with respect to the 
medical and prosthetics research 
program of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, the amount 
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provided for a fiscal year, in ex-
cess of the amount provided in 
fiscal year 2019, in an appropria-
tion Act and specified to support 
the medical and prosthetics re-
search program of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs. 
‘‘(II) CENTERS
FOR
DISEASE 
CONTROL
AND
PREVENTION.—The 
term ‘Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention’ means the appropriations 
accounts that support the various in-
stitutes, offices, and centers that 
make up the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention. 
‘‘(III) 
DEPARTMENT
OF
DE-
FENSE HEALTH PROGRAM.—The term 
‘Department of Defense health pro-
gram’ means the appropriations ac-
counts that support the various insti-
tutes, offices, and centers that make 
up the Department of Defense health 
program. 
‘‘(IV) 
MEDICAL
AND
PROS-
THETICS RESEARCH PROGRAM OF THE 
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DEPARTMENT
OF
VETERANS
AF-
FAIRS.—The term ‘medical and pros-
thetics research program of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs’ means 
the appropriations accounts that sup-
port the various institutes, offices, 
and centers that make up the medical 
and prosthetics research program of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
‘‘(V) NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF 
HEALTH.—The term ‘National Insti-
tutes of Health’ means the appropria-
tions accounts that support the var-
ious institutes, offices, and centers 
that make up the National Institutes 
of Health.’’. 
(b) FUNDING.—There are hereby authorized to be 
appropriated— 
(1) for the National Institutes of Health, the 
amounts provided for under clause (i) of such sec-
tion 251(b)(2)(D) in each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2024, and such sums as may be necessary 
for each subsequent fiscal year; 
(2) for the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, acting through the Centers for Disease 
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Control and Prevention, the amounts provided for 
under clause (ii) of such section 251(b)(2)(D) in 
each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024, and such 
sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal 
year; 
(3) for the Department of Defense health pro-
gram, the amounts provided for under clause (iii) of 
such section 251(b)(2)(D) in each of fiscal years 
2020 through 2024, and such sums as may be nec-
essary for each subsequent fiscal year; and 
(4) for the medical and prosthetics research 
program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the 
amounts provided for under clause (iv) of such sec-
tion 251(b)(2)(D) in each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2024, and such sums as may be necessary 
for each subsequent fiscal year. 
(c) MINIMUM
CONTINUED
FUNDING
REQUIRE-
MENT.—Amounts appropriated for each of the programs 
and agencies described in section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Bal-
anced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 
(as added by subsection (a)) for each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2024, and each subsequent fiscal year, shall not 
be less than the amounts appropriated for such programs 
and agencies for fiscal year 2019. 
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(d) EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN APPROPRIATIONS FROM 
SEQUESTRATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 255(g)(1)(A) of the 
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 
Act (2 U.S.C. 905(g)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting 
after ‘‘Advances to the Unemployment Trust Fund 
and Other Funds (16–0327–0–1–600).’’ the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘Appropriations under the American 
Cures Act.’’. 
(2) APPLICABILITY.—The amendment made by 
this section shall apply to any sequestration order 
issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.) 
on or after the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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