I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2311 
To expand the research activities of the National Institutes of Health with 
respect to functional gastrointestinal and motility disorders, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 13, 2015 
Mr. SENSENBRENNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To expand the research activities of the National Institutes 
of Health with respect to functional gastrointestinal and 
motility disorders, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Functional Gastro-
intestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement 
Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Functional gastrointestinal and motility dis-
orders (FGIMDs) are chronic conditions associated 
with increased sensitivity of the GI tract, abnormal 
motor functioning, and brain-gut dysfunction. 
(2) FGIMDs are characterized by chronic or re-
curring symptoms in the GI tract including pain or 
discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, 
incontinence, problems in the passage of food or 
feces, or a combination of these symptoms. 
(3) FGIMDs include conditions such as func-
tional dysphagia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, 
dyspepsia, cyclic vomiting syndrome, gallbladder and 
bile duct dysfunction, gastroparesis, irritable bowel 
syndrome (IBS), Hirschsprung’s disease, chronic in-
testinal pseudo-obstruction, bowel incontinence, and 
many others, which affect the esophagus, stomach, 
gallbladder, small and large intestine, and anorectal 
areas of the body. 
(4) The severity of FGIMDs ranges from mildly 
uncomfortable to debilitating and in some cases life- 
threatening. 
(5) Effective treatments for the multiple symp-
toms of FGIMDs are lacking, and while sufferers 
frequently use a variety of medications and therapies 
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for symptoms, few patients report satisfaction with 
available treatments. 
(6) Physicians are not sufficiently educated on 
the proper diagnosis and up-to-date treatments for 
FGIMDs. This leads to excess health care costs due 
to unneeded diagnostic procedures and errors in 
treatments. 
(7) Patients with FGIMDs frequently suffer for 
years before receiving an accurate diagnosis, expos-
ing them to unnecessary and costly tests and proce-
dures including surgeries, as well as needless suf-
fering and expense. 
(8) The economic impact of FGIMDs is high. 
The annual cost in the United States for IBS alone 
is estimated to be between $1.7 billion and $10 bil-
lion in direct medical costs (excluding prescription 
and over-the-counter medications) and $20 billion in 
indirect medical costs. 
(9) FGIMDs frequently take a toll on the work-
place, as reflected in work absenteeism, lost produc-
tivity, and lost opportunities for the individual and 
society. 
(10) Gastrointestinal symptoms consistent with 
functional gastrointestinal disorders, such as IBS 
and functional dyspepsia, are recognized as a serious 
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