II 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1283 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 27 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 
Received 
AN ACT 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
arthritis research and public health, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Arthritis Prevention, 
Control, and Cure Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. ENHANCING THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVITIES RE-
LATED TO ARTHRITIS OF THE CENTERS FOR 
DISEASE 
CONTROL 
AND 
PREVENTION 
THROUGH THE NATIONAL ARTHRITIS ACTION 
PLAN. 
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 314 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 315. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ARTHRITIS 
ACTION PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary 
may develop and implement a National Arthritis Action 
Program (in this section referred to as the ‘Program’) con-
sistent with this section. 
‘‘(b) 
CONTROL, 
PREVENTION, 
AND
SURVEIL-
LANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the Program, the 
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, may, di-
rectly or through competitive grants to eligible enti-
ties, conduct, support, and promote the coordination 
of research, investigations, demonstrations, training, 
and studies relating to the control, prevention, and 
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surveillance of arthritis and other rheumatic dis-
eases. 
‘‘(2) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
With respect to the planning, development, and op-
eration of any activity carried out under paragraph 
(1), the Secretary may provide training, technical 
assistance, supplies, equipment, or services, and may 
assign any officer or employee of the Department of 
Health and Human Services to a State or local 
health agency, or to any public or nonprofit entity 
designated by a State health agency, in lieu of pro-
viding grant funds under this subsection. 
‘‘(3) ARTHRITIS
PREVENTION
RESEARCH
AT 
THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVEN-
TION CENTERS.—The Secretary may provide addi-
tional grant support under this subsection to encour-
age the expansion of research related to the preven-
tion and management of arthritis at the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention. 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—For purposes of this 
subsection, the term ‘eligible entity’ means a na-
tional public or private nonprofit entity that dem-
onstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary, in the 
application described in subsection (e), the ability of 
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the entity to carry out the activities described in 
paragraph (1). 
‘‘(c) EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the Program, the 
Secretary may coordinate and carry out national 
education and outreach activities, directly or through 
the provision of grants to eligible entities, to sup-
port, develop, and implement education initiatives 
and outreach strategies appropriate for arthritis and 
other rheumatic diseases. 
‘‘(2) INITIATIVES AND STRATEGIES.—Initiatives 
and strategies implemented under paragraph (1) 
may include public awareness campaigns, public 
service announcements, and community partnership 
workshops, as well as programs targeted at busi-
nesses and employers, managed care organizations, 
and health care providers. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In carrying out paragraph (1), 
the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) may emphasize prevention, early di-
agnosis, and appropriate management of arthri-
tis, and opportunities for effective patient self- 
management; and 
‘‘(B) may give priority to reaching high- 
risk or underserved populations. 
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‘‘(4) COLLABORATION.—In carrying out this 
subsection, the Secretary shall consult and collabo-
rate with stake-holders from the public, private, and 
nonprofit sectors with expertise relating to arthritis 
control, prevention, and treatment. 
‘‘(5) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—For purposes of this 
subsection, the term ‘eligible entity’ means a na-
tional public or private nonprofit entity that dem-
onstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary, in the 
application described in subsection (e), the ability of 
the entity to carry out the activities described in 
paragraph (1). 
‘‘(d) COMPREHENSIVE STATE GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the Program, the 
Secretary may award grants to eligible entities to 
provide support for comprehensive arthritis control 
and prevention programs and to enable such entities 
to provide public health surveillance, prevention, and 
control activities related to arthritis and other rheu-
matic diseases. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this subsection, an entity shall be a 
State or Indian tribe. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this subsection, an entity shall submit 
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to the Secretary an application at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such agreements, assur-
ances, and information as the Secretary may re-
quire, including a comprehensive arthritis control 
and prevention plan that— 
‘‘(A) is developed with the advice of stake-
holders from the public, private, and nonprofit 
sectors that have expertise relating to arthritis 
control, prevention, and treatment that increase 
the quality of life and decrease the level of dis-
ability; 
‘‘(B) is intended to reduce the morbidity of 
arthritis, with priority on preventing and con-
trolling arthritis in at-risk populations and re-
ducing disparities in arthritis prevention, diag-
nosis, management, and quality of care in un-
derserved populations; 
‘‘(C) describes the arthritis-related services 
and activities to be undertaken or supported by 
the entity; and 
‘‘(D) demonstrates the relationship the en-
tity has with the community and local entities 
and how the entity plans to involve such com-
munity and local entities in carrying out the ac-
tivities described in paragraph (1). 
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‘‘(4) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity may 
use amounts received under a grant awarded under 
this subsection to conduct, in a manner consistent 
with the comprehensive arthritis control and preven-
tion plan submitted by the entity in the application 
under paragraph (3)— 
‘‘(A) public health surveillance and epide-
miological activities relating to the prevalence of 
arthritis and assessment of disparities in arthri-
tis prevention, diagnosis, management, and 
care; 
‘‘(B) public information and education pro-
grams; and 
‘‘(C) education, training, and clinical skills 
improvement activities for health professionals, 
including allied health personnel. 
‘‘(e) GENERAL APPLICATION.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this section, except under subsection 
(d), an entity shall submit to the Secretary an application 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such agree-
ments, assurances, and information as the Secretary may 
require, including a description of how funds received 
under a grant awarded under this section will supplement 
or fulfill unmet needs identified in a comprehensive arthri-
tis control and prevention plan of the entity. 
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