HR 1220 RFS 
‘‘(c) The Secretary may not designate a health-care 
facility as a location for a center under subsection (a) un-
less the peer review panel established under subsection (d) 
has determined under that subsection that the proposal 
submitted by such facility as a location for a new center 
under subsection (a) is among those proposals which have 
met the highest competitive standards of scientific and 
clinical merit, and the Secretary (upon the recommenda-
tion of the Under Secretary for Health) determines that 
the facility has (or may reasonably be anticipated to de-
velop) each of the following: 
‘‘(1) An arrangement with an accredited med-
ical school which provides education and training in 
neurology and with which such facility is affiliated 
under which residents receive education and training 
in innovative diagnosis and treatment of chronic 
neurodegenerative diseases and movement disorders, 
including Parkinson’s disease. 
‘‘(2) The ability to attract the participation of 
scientists who are capable of ingenuity and creativity 
in health-care research efforts. 
‘‘(3) A policymaking advisory committee com-
posed of appropriate health-care and research rep-
resentatives of the facility and of the affiliated 
school or schools to advise the directors of such fa-
HR 1220 RFS 
cility and such center on policy matters pertaining to 
the activities of such center during the period of the 
operation of such center. 
‘‘(4) The capability to conduct effectively eval-
uations of the activities of such center. 
‘‘(5) The capability to coordinate, as part of an 
integrated national system, education, clinical, and 
research activities within all facilities with such cen-
ters. 
‘‘(6) The capability to jointly develop a consor-
tium 
of 
providers 
with 
interest 
in 
treating 
neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s 
Disease, and other movement disorders, at facilities 
without such centers in order to ensure better access 
to state-of-the-art diagnosis, care, and education for 
neurodegenerative disorders throughout the health 
care system. 
‘‘(7) The capability to develop a national reposi-
tory for the collection of data on health services de-
livered 
to 
veterans 
seeking 
care 
for 
neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s 
Disease, and other movement disorders in the health 
care system. 
‘‘(d)(1) The Under Secretary for Health shall estab-
lish a panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of
HR 1220 RFS 
proposals that are submitted to the Secretary for the es-
tablishment of new centers under this section. 
‘‘(2)(A) The membership of the panel shall consist 
of experts in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkin-
son’s Disease, and other movement disorders. 
‘‘(B) Members of the panel shall serve as consultants 
to the Department for a period of no longer than two years 
except in the case of panelists asked to serve on the initial 
panel as specified in subparagraph (C). 
‘‘(C) In order to ensure panel continuity, half of the 
members of the first panel shall be appointed for a period 
of three years and half for a period of two years. 
‘‘(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. 
‘‘(e) Before providing funds for the operation of any 
such center at a health-care facility other than a health- 
care facility designated under subsection (b)(1), the Sec-
retary shall assure that the center at each facility des-
ignated under such subsection is receiving adequate fund-
ing to enable such center to function effectively in the