I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3887
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment 
of a National Center for Social Work Research. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 3, 2004
Mr. RODRIGUEZ (for himself, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of 
Texas, Ms. LOFGREN, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. ENGEL, 
Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. 
GREENWOOD, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mrs. 
NAPOLITANO, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. FROST, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. 
ORTIZ, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. TOWNS, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
the establishment of a National Center for Social Work 
Research.
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 ‘‘National Center for 
Social Work Research Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Social workers focus on the improvement of 
individual and family functioning and the creation of 
effective health and mental health prevention and 
treatment interventions in order for individuals to 
become more productive members of society. 
(2) Social workers provide front line prevention 
and treatment services in the areas of school vio-
lence, aging, teen pregnancy, child abuse, domestic 
violence, juvenile crime, and substance abuse, par-
ticularly in rural and underserved communities. 
(3) Social workers are in a unique position to 
provide valuable research information on these com-
plex social concerns, taking into account a wide 
range of social, medical, economic, and community 
influences from an interdisciplinary, family-centered, 
and community-based approach. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR SO-
CIAL WORK RESEARCH. 
Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
241 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘PART R—NATIONAL CENTER FOR SOCIAL WORK 
RESEARCH 
‘‘SEC. 399AA. ESTABLISHMENT. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish the National Center for Social Work Research (in this 
part referred to as the ‘Center’) for the purpose of con-
ducting, supporting, and disseminating targeted research 
on social work methods and outcomes related to problems 
of significant social concern. 
‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.—The Secretary shall appoint the 
Director of the Center. 
‘‘SEC. 399BB. SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—To carry out the purpose de-
scribed in section 399AA(a), the Director of the Center—
‘‘(1) shall promote research and training de-
signed to inform social work practice, thus increas-
ing the knowledge base and promoting a healthier 
America; 
‘‘(2) shall provide policymakers with empiri-
cally-based research information to enable them to 
better understand complex social issues and make 
informed funding decisions about service effective-
ness and cost efficiency; and 
‘‘(3) may establish in the Center and other non-
profit institutions, and make grants for, research 
traineeships and fellowships to address problems of
significant social concern, especially in underserved 
populations and underserved geographical areas, 
through the study and investigation of—
‘‘(A) the prevention of disease; 
‘‘(B) health promotion; 
‘‘(C) the association of socioeconomic sta-
tus, gender, ethnicity, age, and geographical lo-
cation with health; 
‘‘(D) the social work care of individuals 
and families affected by acute and chronic ill-
nesses, child abuse, neglect, or youth violence; 
and 
‘‘(E) child and family care. 
‘‘(b) STIPENDS AND ALLOWANCES.—The Director of 
the Center may provide individuals receiving training, in-
struction, traineeships, or fellowships under this section 
with such stipends and allowances (including amounts for 
travel and subsistence and dependency allowances) as the 
Director determines necessary. 
‘‘SEC. 399CC. ADVISORY COUNCIL. 
‘‘(a) DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish an advisory council for the Center (in this part 
referred to as the ‘advisory council’) that shall ad-
vise, assist, consult with, and make recommenda-
tions to the Secretary and the Director of the Center 
on matters related to the activities carried out by 
and through the Center and the policies with respect 
to such activities. 
‘‘(2) GIFTS.—The advisory council may rec-
ommend to the Secretary the acceptance, in accord-
ance with section 231, of conditional gifts for study, 
investigations, and research and for the acquisition 
of grounds or construction, equipment, or mainte-
nance of facilities for the Center. 
‘‘(3) OTHER
DUTIES
AND
FUNCTIONS.—The 
advisory council—
‘‘(A)(i) may make recommendations to the 
Director of the Center with respect to research 
to be conducted by the Center; 
‘‘(ii) may review applications for grants 
and cooperative agreements for research or 
training and recommend for approval applica-
tions for projects that demonstrate the prob-
ability of making valuable contributions to 
human knowledge; and 
‘‘(iii) may review any grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement proposed to be made or 
entered into by the Center;
‘‘(B) may collect, by correspondence or by 
personal investigation, information relating to 
studies that are being carried out in the United 
States or any other country and, with the ap-
proval of the Director of the Center, make such 
information available through appropriate publi-
cations; and 
‘‘(C) may appoint subcommittees and con-
vene workshops and conferences. 
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The voting members of the 
advisory council shall be the ex officio members de-
scribed in paragraph (2) and not more than 18 indi-
viduals appointed by the Secretary under paragraph 
(3). 
‘‘(2) EX
OFFICIO
MEMBERS.—The ex officio 
members of the advisory council shall consist of the 
following officers and employees (or their designees): 
‘‘(A) The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, the Director of the Center, the Direc-
tor of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention, the Director of the Institute of Edu-
cation Sciences, the Assistant Attorney General 
for the Office of Justice Programs, the Director 
of the National Institutes of Health, the Asso-
ciate Director for Prevention of the National 
Institute of Mental Health, and the Associate 
Director for Prevention of the National Insti-
tute on Drug Abuse. 
‘‘(B) An official of the Department of 
Health and Human Services with principal re-
sponsibility for health programs relating to chil-
dren and families, designated by the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services. 
‘‘(C) An official of the Department of De-
fense with principal responsibility for health af-
fairs, designated by the Secretary of Defense. 
‘‘(D) An official of the National Institute 
of Mental Health with principal responsibility 
for services research and clinical epidemiology, 
designated by the Director of the National In-
stitute of Mental Health. 
‘‘(E) An official of the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development with principal 
responsibility for community planning and de-
velopment, designated by the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development. 
‘‘(F) An official of the Veterans Health 
Administration with principal responsibility for 
social work programs, designated by the Under
Secretary for Health of the Veterans Health 
Administration. 
‘‘(G) Any other officer or employee of the 
United States who, at the request of the Sec-
retary, agrees to serve on the advisory council. 
‘‘(3) APPOINTED
MEMBERS.—The Secretary 
shall appoint not to exceed 18 individuals to the ad-
visory council, of which—
‘‘(A) not more than two-thirds of such 18 
individuals shall be appointed from among the 
leading representatives of the health and sci-
entific disciplines (including public health and 
the behavioral or social sciences) relevant to the 
activities of the Center, of which at least 7 indi-
viduals shall be professional social workers who 
are recognized experts in the area of clinical 
practice, education, policy, or research; and 
‘‘(B) not more than one-third of such 18 
individuals shall be appointed from the general 
public and shall include leaders in fields of pub-
lic policy, law, health policy, economics, and 
management. 
‘‘(4) COMPENSATION.—Members of the advi-
sory council who are officers or employees of the 
United States shall not receive any compensation for
to the advisory council such staff, information, and other 
assistance as the council may require to carry out its func-
tions. The Director of the Center shall provide orientation 
and training for new members of the advisory council to 
provide such members with such information and training 
as may be appropriate for their effective participation in 
the functions of the advisory council. 
‘‘(g) COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—The ad-
visory council—
‘‘(1) may prepare for inclusion in the biennial 
report under section 399DD—
‘‘(A) comments with respect to the activi-
ties of the advisory council in the fiscal years 
for which the report is prepared; 
‘‘(B) comments on the progress of the 
Center in meeting its objectives; and 
‘‘(C) recommendations with respect to the 
future direction and program and policy empha-
sis of the Center; and 
‘‘(2) such additional reports as the advisory 
council determines to be appropriate. 
‘‘SEC. 399DD. BIENNIAL REPORTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall transmit to 
the President and to the Congress a biennial report which 
shall be prepared by the Director of the Center, after con-
sultation with the advisory council, and which shall consist 
of—
‘‘(1) a description of the activities of the Center 
and the program policies of the Director of the Cen-
ter in the fiscal years for which the report is pre-
pared; and 
‘‘(2) such additional information as the Direc-
tor determines appropriate. 
‘‘(b) COMMENTS BY ADVISORY COUNCIL.—The Di-
rector of the Center shall provide the advisory council an 
opportunity to submit written comments described in sec-
tion 399CC(g). 
‘‘SEC. 400. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘For the purpose of carrying out this part, there is 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec-
essary for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2009.’’.
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