I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 949 
To improve the health of women through the establishment of Offices of 
Women’s Health within the Department of Health and Human Services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 17, 2005 
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself and Ms. PRYCE of Ohio) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To improve the health of women through the establishment 
of Offices of Women’s Health within the Department 
of Health and Human Services. 
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 ‘‘Women’s Health Office 
Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE ON WOM-
EN’S HEALTH. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Part A of title II of the Pub-
lic Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 202 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘SEC. 229. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE ON 
WOMEN’S HEALTH. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE.—The Secretary 
shall establish within the Office of the Secretary, an Office 
on Women’s Health (referred to in this section as the ‘Of-
fice’). The Office shall be headed by a Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Women’s Health. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Secretary, acting through the Of-
fice, with respect to the health concerns of women, shall— 
‘‘(1) establish short-range and long-range goals 
and objectives within the Department of Health and 
Human Services and, as relevant and appropriate, 
coordinate with other appropriate offices on activi-
ties within the Department that relate to disease 
prevention, health promotion, service delivery, re-
search, and public and health care professional edu-
cation, for issues of particular concern to women; 
‘‘(2) provide expert advice and consultation to 
the Secretary concerning scientific, legal, ethical, 
and policy issues relating to women’s health; 
‘‘(3) monitor the Department of Health and 
Human Services’ offices, agencies, and regional ac-
tivities regarding women’s health and stimulate ac-
tivities and facilitate coordination of such depart-
mental and agency offices on women’s health;
‘‘(4) establish a Department of Health and 
Human Services Coordinating Committee on Wom-
en’s Health, which shall be chaired by the Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health and com-
posed of senior level representatives from each of the 
agencies and offices of the Department of Health 
and Human Services; 
‘‘(5) establish a National Women’s Health In-
formation Center to— 
‘‘(A) facilitate the exchange of information 
regarding matters relating to health informa-
tion, health promotion, preventive health serv-
ices, research advances, and education in the 
appropriate use of health care; 
‘‘(B) facilitate access to such information; 
‘‘(C) assist in the analysis of issues and 
problems relating to the matters described in 
this paragraph; and 
‘‘(D) provide technical assistance with re-
spect to the exchange of information (including 
facilitating the development of materials for 
such technical assistance); 
‘‘(6) coordinate efforts to promote women’s 
health programs and policies with the private sector; 
and
‘‘(7) through publications and any other means 
appropriate, provide for the exchange of information 
between the Office and recipients of grants, con-
tracts, and agreements under subsection (c), and be-
tween the Office and health professionals and the 
general public. 
‘‘(c) GRANTS
AND CONTRACTS REGARDING DU-
TIES.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—In carrying out subsection 
(b), the Secretary may make grants to, and enter 
into cooperative agreements, contracts, and inter-
agency agreements with, public and private entities, 
agencies, and organizations. 
‘‘(2) EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION.—The 
Secretary shall, directly or through contracts with 
public and private entities, agencies, and organiza-
tions, provide for evaluations of projects carried out 
with financial assistance provided under paragraph 
(1) and for the dissemination of information devel-
oped as a result of such projects. 
‘‘(d) REPORTS.—Not later than January 31, 2007, 
and January 31 of each second year thereafter, the Sec-
retary shall prepare and submit to the appropriate com-
mittees of Congress a report describing the activities car-
ried out under this section during the period for which 
the report is being prepared. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010.’’. 
(b) TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS.—There are trans-
ferred to the Office on Women’s Health (established under 
section 229 of the Public Health Service Act, as added 
by this section), all functions exercised by the Office on 
Women’s Health of the Public Health Service prior to the 
date of enactment of this section, including all personnel 
and compensation authority, all delegation and assign-
ment authority, and all remaining appropriations. All or-
ders, determinations, rules, regulations, permits, agree-
ments, grants, contracts, certificates, licenses, registra-
tions, privileges, and other administrative actions that— 
(1) have been issued, made, granted, or allowed 
to become effective by the President, any Federal 
agency or official thereof, or by a court of competent 
jurisdiction, in the performance of functions trans-
ferred under this subsection; and 
(2) are in effect at the time this section takes 
effect, or were final before the date of enactment of