I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3242 
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 
JULY 16, 2009 
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut, and Ms. BALDWIN) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy 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 2009’’. 
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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.—There is estab-
lished 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 who may report to the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(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; 
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‘‘(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 
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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. 
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‘‘(d) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, and every second year there-
after, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the appro-
priate committees of Congress a report describing the ac-
tivities carried 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 2010 through 2014. 
‘‘(f) LIMITATION ON TERMINATION OF OFFICE.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Office es-
tablished under this section may not be terminated, reor-
ganized, or have any of its powers or duties transferred 
unless such termination, reorganization, or transfer is ap-
proved through the adoption of a joint resolution of ap-
proval.’’. 
(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-
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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 
this section and are to become effective on or after 
such date; 
shall continue in effect according to their terms until 
modified, terminated, superseded, set aside, or revoked in 
accordance with law by the President, the Secretary, or 
other authorized official, a court of competent jurisdiction, 
or by operation of law. 
SEC. 3. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVEN-
TION OFFICE OF WOMEN’S HEALTH. 
Part A of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 310A. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVEN-
TION OFFICE OF WOMEN’S HEALTH. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 
the Office of the Director of the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, an office to be known as the Office 
of Women’s Health (referred to in this section as the ‘Of-
fice’). The Office shall be headed by a director who shall 
be appointed by the Director of such Centers. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The Director of the Office shall— 
‘‘(1) report to the Director of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention on the current level 
of the Centers’ activity regarding women’s health 
conditions across, where appropriate, age, biological, 
and sociocultural contexts, in all aspects of the Cen-
ters’ work, including prevention programs, public 
and professional education, services, and treatment; 
‘‘(2) establish short-range and long-range goals 
and objectives within the Centers for women’s health 
and, as relevant and appropriate, coordinate with 
other appropriate offices on activities within the 
Centers that relate to prevention, research, edu-
cation and training, service delivery, and policy de-
velopment, for issues of particular concern to 
women; 
‘‘(3) identify projects in women’s health that 
should be conducted or supported by the Centers; 
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‘‘(4) consult with health professionals, non-
governmental organizations, consumer organizations, 
women’s health professionals, and other individuals 
and groups, as appropriate, on the policy of the Cen-
ters with regard to women; and 
‘‘(5) serve as a member of the Department of 
Health and Human Services Coordinating Com-
mittee on Women’s Health (established under sec-
tion 229(b)(4)). 
‘‘(c) COORDINATING COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—In carrying out sub-
section (b), the Director of the Office shall establish 
a committee to be known as the Coordinating Com-
mittee on Women’s Health (referred to in this sub-
section as the ‘Coordinating Committee’). 
‘‘(2) COMPOSITION.—The Coordinating Com-
mittee shall be composed of the directors of the na-
tional centers and other appropriate officials of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
‘‘(3) CHAIRPERSON.—The Director of the Of-
fice shall serve as the Chairperson of the Coordi-
nating Committee. 
‘‘(4) DUTIES.—With respect to women’s health, 
the Coordinating Committee shall assist the Director 
of the Office in— 
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‘‘(A) identifying the need for programs and 
activities that focus on women’s health; 
‘‘(B) identifying needs regarding the co-
ordination of activities, including intramural 
and extramural multidisciplinary activities; and 
‘‘(C) making recommendations to the Di-
rector of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention concerning findings made under 
subparagraphs (A) and (B). 
‘‘(d) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, and every second year there-
after, the Director of the Office shall prepare and submit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report de-
scribing the activities carried out under this section during 
the period for which the report is being prepared. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term 
‘women’s health conditions’, with respect to women of all 
age, ethnic, and racial groups, means diseases, disorders, 
and conditions— 
‘‘(1) unique to, significantly more serious for, 
or significantly more prevalent in women; and 
‘‘(2) for which the factors of medical risk or 
type of medical intervention are different for women, 
or for which there is reasonable evidence that indi-
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