lowing entities receive fair representation 
on such panel: 
‘‘(I) Patient advocates. 
‘‘(II) Health care providers and 
health care organizations. 
‘‘(III) Attorneys with expertise in 
representing patients and health care 
providers. 
‘‘(IV) Medical malpractice insur-
ers. 
‘‘(V) State officials. 
‘‘(VI) Patient safety experts. 
‘‘(C) 
CHAIRPERSON.—The 
Comptroller 
General, or an individual within the Govern-
ment Accountability Office designated by the 
Comptroller General, shall be the chairperson of 
the review panel. 
‘‘(D) AVAILABILITY
OF
INFORMATION.— 
The Comptroller General shall make available 
to the review panel such information, personnel, 
and administrative services and assistance as 
the review panel may reasonably require to 
carry out its duties. 
‘‘(E) INFORMATION FROM AGENCIES.—The 
review panel may request directly from any de-
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partment or agency of the United States any 
information that such panel considers necessary 
to carry out its duties. To the extent consistent 
with applicable laws and regulations, the head 
of such department or agency shall furnish the 
requested information to the review panel. 
‘‘(e) REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) BY STATE.—Each State receiving a grant 
under subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary 
an annual report evaluating the effectiveness of ac-
tivities funded with grants awarded under such sub-
section. 
‘‘(2) BY SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall sub-
mit to Congress an annual compendium of the re-
ports submitted under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
technical assistance to the States applying for or 
awarded grants under subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) 
REQUIREMENTS.—Technical 
assistance 
under paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) guidance on non-economic damages, 
including the consideration of individual facts 
and circumstances in determining appropriate 
payment, guidance on identifying avoidable in-
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juries, and guidance on disclosure to patients of 
health care errors and adverse events; and 
‘‘(B) the development, in consultation with 
States, of common definitions, formats, and 
data collection infrastructure for States receiv-
ing grants under this section to use in reporting 
to facilitate aggregation and analysis of data 
both within and between States. 
‘‘(3) USE OF COMMON DEFINITIONS, FORMATS, 
AND DATA COLLECTION INFRASTRUCTURE.—States 
not receiving grants under this section may also use 
the common definitions, formats, and data collection 
infrastructure developed under paragraph (2)(B). 
‘‘(g) EVALUATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the review panel established under sub-
section (d)(2), shall enter into a contract with an ap-
propriate research organization to conduct an overall 
evaluation of the effectiveness of grants awarded 
under subsection (a) and to annually prepare and 
submit a report to Congress. Such an evaluation 
shall begin not later than 18 months following the 
date of implementation of the first program funded 
by a grant under subsection (a). 
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‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The evaluation under para-
graph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) an analysis of the effects of the 
grants awarded under subsection (a) on the 
measures described in paragraph (3); 
‘‘(B) a comparison between and among the 
alternatives approved under subsection (a) of 
the measures described in paragraph (3); and 
‘‘(C) a comparison between and among 
States receiving grants approved under sub-
section (a) and similar States not receiving 
such grants of the measures described in para-
graph (3). 
‘‘(3) MEASURES.—The evaluations under para-
graph (2) shall analyze and make comparisons on 
the basis of— 
‘‘(A) the nature and number of disputes 
over injuries allegedly caused by health care 
providers or health care organizations; 
‘‘(B) the nature and number of claims in 
which tort litigation was pursued despite the ex-
istence of an alternative under subsection (a); 
‘‘(C) the disposition of disputes and claims 
described in clauses (i) and (ii), including the 
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