I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1469 
To improve, coordinate, and enhance rehabilitation research at the National 
Institutes of Health. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 19, 2015 
Mr. LANGEVIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To improve, coordinate, and enhance rehabilitation research 
at the National Institutes of Health. 
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 ‘‘Enhancing the Stature 
and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at NIH 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. IMPROVING MEDICAL REHABILITATION RESEARCH 
AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. 
Section 452 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 285g–4) is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘conduct and 
support’’ and inserting ‘‘conduct, support, and co-
ordination’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)(1)(C), by striking ‘‘of the 
Center’’ and inserting ‘‘within the Center’’; 
(3) in subsection (d)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (1) and insert-
ing the following: ‘‘(1) The Director of the Cen-
ter, on behalf of the Director of NIH and the 
Director of the Institute and in consultation 
with the coordinating committee established 
under subsection (e) and the advisory board es-
tablished under subsection (f), shall develop a 
comprehensive plan (referred to in this section 
as the ‘Research Plan’) for the conduct, sup-
port, and coordination of medical rehabilitation 
research.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and priorities for such research; and’’ and 
inserting ‘‘priorities for such research, and 
existing resources to support the purpose 
described in subsection (b);’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
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(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(C) include objectives, benchmarks, and 
guiding principles for conducting, supporting, 
and coordinating medical rehabilitation re-
search, consistent with the purpose described in 
subsection (b).’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) by striking the first sentence and 
inserting the following: ‘‘The Director of 
the Center, in consultation with the Direc-
tor of the Institute, the coordinating com-
mittee established under subsection (e), 
and the advisory board established under 
subsection (f), shall periodically, or not less 
than every 5 years, revise and update the 
Research Plan, as appropriate. Not later 
than 30 days after the Research Plan is so 
revised and updated, the Director of the 
Center shall transmit the revised and up-
dated Research Plan to the President and 
the appropriate committees of Congress.’’; 
and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(5) The Director of the Center, in consultation with 
the Director of the Institute, shall annually prepare a re-
port for the coordinating committee established under sub-
section (e) and the advisory board established under sub-
section (f) that describes and analyzes the progress during 
the preceding fiscal year in achieving the objectives, 
benchmarks, and guiding principles described in para-
graph (2)(C) and includes expenditures of the Center and 
other agencies of the National Institutes of Health for car-
rying out the Research Plan. The report shall include rec-
ommendations for revising and updating the Research 
Plan, and such initiatives as the Director of the Center 
and the Director of the Institute determine appropriate. 
In preparing the report, the Director of the Center and 
the Director of the Institute shall consult with the Direc-
tor of NIH, and the report shall reflect an assessment of 
the Research Plan by the Director of NIH.’’; 
(4) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘peri-
odically, or not less than every 5 years, host a 
scientific conference or workshop on medical re-
habilitation research and’’ after ‘‘The Coordi-
nating Committee shall’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘the Di-
rector of the Division of Program Coordination, 
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Planning, and Strategic Initiatives within the 
Office of the Director of NIH,’’ after ‘‘shall be 
composed of’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘Director 
of the Center’’ and inserting ‘‘Director of the 
Center, acting in the capacity of a designee of 
the Director of NIH’’; 
(5) in subsection (f)(3)(B), by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(xii) The Director of the Division of 
Program 
Coordination, 
Planning, 
and 
Strategic Initiatives.’’; and 
(6) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) The Director of the Center, in consultation with 
the Director of the Institute, the Coordinating Committee, 
and the Advisory Board, shall develop guidelines gov-
erning the funding for medical rehabilitation research by 
the Center and other agencies of the National Institutes 
of Health. At a minimum, such guidelines shall reflect the 
purpose of the Center described in subsection (b) and be 
consistent with the Research Plan. 
‘‘(h)(1) The Secretary and the heads of other Federal 
agencies shall jointly review the programs carried out (or 
proposed to be carried out) by each such official with re-
spect to medical rehabilitation research and, as appro-
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