(1) assess the epidemiology of, impact of, and 
appropriate funding required to address, neglected 
tropical diseases in the United States; and 
(2) include the information necessary— 
(A) to guide future health policy with re-
spect to such diseases; 
(B) to accurately evaluate the current 
state of knowledge concerning such diseases; 
and 
(C) to define gaps in such knowledge. 
SEC. 203. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE. 
Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
is amended by inserting after section 399V–6 of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 280g–17) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 399V–7. NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASE CENTERS OF 
EXCELLENCE. 
‘‘(a) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, may enter into cooperative 
agreements with, and make grants to, public or pri-
vate nonprofit entities to pay all or part of the cost 
of planning, establishing, or strengthening, and pro-
viding basic operating support for, one or more cen-
ters of excellence for research into, training in, and 
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development of diagnosis, prevention, control, and 
treatment methods for neglected tropical diseases, 
including tools to support elimination. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a cooper-
ative agreement or grant under this section, an enti-
ty must— 
‘‘(A) have demonstrated expertise in re-
search on, and or the epidemiology and surveil-
lance of, major neglected tropical diseases that 
are endemic to the United States, such as 
Chagas disease, dengue, leishmaniasis, West 
Nile virus, and helminth infections; and 
‘‘(B) participate in one or more not-for- 
profit product development partnerships. 
‘‘(b) POLICIES.—A cooperative agreement or grant 
under paragraph (1) shall be entered into or awarded in 
accordance with established policies. 
‘‘(c) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that activities under this section are coordinated with 
similar activities of the Department of Health and Human 
Services relating to neglected tropical diseases. 
‘‘(d) USES OF FUNDS.—A cooperative agreement or 
grant under subsection (a) may be used for— 
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‘‘(1) staffing, administrative, and other basic 
operating costs, including such patient care costs as 
are required for research; 
‘‘(2) clinical training, including training for al-
lied health professionals, continuing education for 
health professionals and allied health professions 
personnel, and information programs for the public 
with respect to neglected tropical diseases; and 
‘‘(3) research and development programs. 
‘‘(e) PERIOD OF SUPPORT; ADDITIONAL PERIODS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Support of a center of ex-
cellence under this section may be for a period of 
not more than 5 years. 
‘‘(2) EXTENSIONS.—The period specified in 
paragraph (1) may be extended by the Secretary for 
additional periods of not more than 5 years if— 
‘‘(A) the operations of the center of excel-
lence involved have been reviewed by an appro-
priate technical and scientific peer review 
group; and 
‘‘(B) such group has recommended to the 
Secretary that such period should be extended. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(1) The term ‘neglected tropical diseases’ has 
the meaning given to that term in section 5 of the 
End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘product development partner-
ship’ means a partnership to bring together public 
and private sector researchers to develop new, or im-
prove on current, global health tools, such as drugs, 
diagnostics, insecticides, vaccines, and vector man-
agement strategies— 
‘‘(A) that are for neglected tropical dis-
eases, including Ebola; and 
‘‘(B) for which there is generally no profit-
able market.’’. 
SEC. 204. PANEL ON WORM INFECTION SOLUTIONS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall establish a panel to conduct an eval-
uation of issues relating to worm infections, including po-
tential solutions such as deworming medicines (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘‘panel’’). 
(b) STRATEGIES.—The panel shall develop rec-
ommendations for strategies for solutions with respect 
to— 
(1) repeat infections; 
(2) vector control; 
(3) clean water solutions; 
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(4) identifying incentives to encourage basic re-
search for less toxic, more effective medicines; and 
(5) improving the success and cost efficiency of 
current programs in these areas, based on a thor-
ough scan of initiatives already underway in both 
the public and private sectors. 
(c) APPOINTMENT
OF MEMBERS.—In addition to 
representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention and other relevant agencies working on ne-
glected tropical diseases, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall appoint as members of the panel 
individuals from the public and private sectors who are 
knowledgeable about or affected by worm infections, in-
cluding— 
(1) at least 2 representatives of nongovern-
mental organizations; 
(2) at least 2 representatives of private industry 
involved in the development of de-worming medica-
tions; 
(3) at least 2 representatives from academia; 
and 
(4) representatives of industries relating to 
sanitation, clean water, and vector control. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the panel shall submit to 
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