I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1055
To establish within the National Institutes of Health an agency to be known
as the National Center for Integral Medicine, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 13, 1997
Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. NORTON, Mr.
MORAN of Virginia, Mr. ARCHER, Mr. ANDREWS, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii,
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. GREEN, Mr. RUSH, Mr.
MCDERMOTT, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. EVANS, and Mr. FOGLIETTA) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Com-
merce
A BILL
To establish within the National Institutes of Health an
agency to be known as the National Center for Integral
Medicine, and for other purposes.
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
Integral Medicine Establishment Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) From 60 to 90 percent of chronic diseases
may be largely prevented or treated by addressing
lifestyle-related issues and using medical interven-
tions that stimulate and support natural healing
processes.
(2) Behavioral, nutritional, preventive, and al-
ternative medical approaches to disease prevention
and treatment that emphasize these processes offer
a possible solution to the successful management of
many of our most devastating and costly chronic dis-
eases.
(3) Interventions to address chronic diseases
must involve the integration of these behavioral, nu-
tritional, preventive, and alternative medical prac-
tices into conventional medical practices, including
integration into health care delivery systems in the
United States.
(4) Over 1⁄3 of the American public and 80 per-
cent of the world’s population make regular use of
such practices.
(5) These practices are not usually available in
the current conventional health care system nor eval-
uated in most research institutions, yet are vital for
the provision of optimal health care.
(6) A center is needed for the support and inte-
gration of knowledge across all of the agencies of the
National Institutes of Health and across all medical
research activities pertaining to wellness and health
research, rather than further specialization of knowl-
edge based on the division of disease treatment cat-
egories.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR INTE-
GRAL MEDICINE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title IV of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.) is amended—
(1) in part A—
(A) in section 402, by striking subsection
(f);
(B) by striking section 404A; and
(C) by striking section 404E; and
(2) in part E, by amending subpart 4 to read
as follows:
‘‘Subpart 4—National Center for Integral Medicine
‘‘SEC. 485C. PURPOSE OF CENTER.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The general purposes of the Na-
tional Center for Integral Medicine (in this subpart re-
ferred to as the ‘Center’) are—
‘‘(1) the conduct and support of basic and ap-
plied research (including clinical research), training,
the dissemination of health information, and other
programs, including prevention programs, with re-
spect to identifying and evaluating alternative medi-
cal treatment systems and disciplines, alternative
medical diagnostic systems and disciplines, and the
modalities of such treatment and diagnostic systems
and disciplines; and
‘‘(2) carrying out the functions specified in sec-
tions 485D through 485F (relating to disease pre-
vention, behavioral and social sciences research, and
dietary supplements, respectively).
The Center shall be headed by a director, who shall be
appointed by the Secretary. The Director of the Center
shall report directly to the Director of NIH.
‘‘(b) ADVISORY COUNCIL.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish an advisory council for the Center in accordance
with section 406, except that the members of the advisory
council who are not ex officio members shall include one
or more practitioners from each of the disciplines and sys-
tems with which the Center is concerned, including each
discipline and system in which accreditation, national cer-
tification, or a State license is available.
‘‘(c) COMPLEMENT TO CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE.—
In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Center
shall, as appropriate, promote the integration of alter-
native medical treatment and diagnostic systems and dis-
ciplines into the practice of conventional medicine as a
complement to such medicine, including the integration of
such systems and disciplines into health care delivery sys-
tems in the United States.
‘‘(d) CERTAIN EVALUATION FACTORS.—In carrying
out subsection (a) with respect to an alternative medical
treatment system or discipline (including with respect to
particular modalities), the Director of the Center shall
consider the following factors:
‘‘(1) The effectiveness of the system or dis-
cipline as a treatment for the health condition in-
volved, including effectiveness with respect to acute
cases and effectiveness with respect to chronic cases
(as applicable).
‘‘(2) The safety of the system or discipline, in-
cluding any adverse effects associated with use of
the system or discipline.
‘‘(3) The costs of the system or discipline.
‘‘(4) The extent to which the system or dis-
cipline promotes wellness and supports inherent
healing processes.
‘‘(5) Such other factors as the Director consid-
ers appropriate.
‘‘(6) A comparison of the system or discipline
with conventional treatments for the health condi-
tion, which comparison shall be made in terms of the
factors specified in paragraphs (1) through (4) and
such factors as the Director may specify under para-
graph (5).
‘‘(e) EVALUATION
OF VARIOUS DISCIPLINES
AND
SYSTEMS.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Director
of the Center shall identify and evaluate alternative medi-
cal treatment and diagnostic modalities in each of the dis-
ciplines and systems with which the Center is concerned,
including each discipline and system in which accredita-
tion, national certification, or a State license is available.
Disciplines or systems under the preceding sentence in-
clude acupuncture and Oriental medicine, homeopathic
medicine, physical manipulation therapies, chiropractic,
naturopathic medicine, midwifery, and such other systems
and disciplines as the Director of the Center determines
to be appropriate.
‘‘(f) CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—The Director of the
Center shall conduct or support the following activities
with respect to alternative medical treatment and diag-
nostic systems and disciplines:
‘‘(1) Research on outcomes.
‘‘(2) Epidemiological activities.
‘‘(3) Research training.
‘‘(4) Health services research.
‘‘(g) DATA
SYSTEM; INFORMATION
CLEARING-
HOUSE.—
‘‘(1) DATA SYSTEM.—The Director of the Cen-
ter shall establish a data system for the collection,
storage, analysis, and retrieval of data relating to al-
ternative medical treatment and diagnostic systems
and disciplines.
‘‘(2) CLEARINGHOUSE.—The Director of the
Center shall establish an information clearinghouse
to facilitate and enhance, through the effective dis-
semination of information, knowledge and under-
standing of alternative medical treatment and diag-
nostic systems and disciplines by health profes-
sionals, patients, industry, and the public.
‘‘(h) RESEARCH CENTERS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Center,
after consultation with the advisory council for the
Center, may provide support for the development
and operation of centers to conduct research and
other activities described in subsection (a)(1) with
respect to alternative medical treatment and diag-
nostic systems and disciplines.
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Each center assisted
under paragraph (1) shall use the facilities of a sin-
gle entity, or be formed from a consortium of co-
operating entities, and shall meet such requirements
as may be established by the Director of the Center.
Each such center shall—
‘‘(A) be established as an independent en-
tity; or
‘‘(B) be established within or in affiliation
with an entity that conducts research or train-
ing described in subsection (a)(1).
‘‘(3) DURATION
OF
SUPPORT.—Support of a
center under paragraph (1) may be for a period not
exceeding 5 years. Such period may be extended for
one or more additional periods not exceeding 5 years
if the operations of such center have been reviewed
by an appropriate technical and scientific peer re-
view group established by the Director of the Center
and if such group has recommended to the Director
that such period should be extended.
‘‘(i) BIENNIAL REPORT.—The Director of the Center
shall prepare biennial reports on the activities carried out
or to be carried out by the Center, and shall submit each
such report to the Director of NIH for inclusion in the
biennial report under section 403.
‘‘(j) AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES.—After consulta-
tion with the Director of the Center, the Director of NIH
shall ensure that resources of the National Institutes of
Health, including clinical facilities, are sufficiently avail-
able for activities of the Center.
‘‘(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the
purpose of carrying out this subpart, there are authorized
to be appropriated $198,000,000 for fiscal year 1998, and
such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
1999 through 2002. Amounts appropriated under this
subsection for fiscal year 1998 are available for obligation
through September 30, 2000. Amounts appropriated
under this subsection for fiscal year 1999 are available
for obligation through September 30, 2000.
‘‘SEC. 485D. OFFICE OF DISEASE PREVENTION.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established within the
Center an office to be known as the Office of Disease Pre-
vention (in this section referred to as the ‘Office’). The
Office shall be headed by a director, who shall be ap-
pointed by the Director of the Center. The Director of the
Center shall carry out the functions specified in this sec-
tion acting through the Director of the Office.
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office
shall promote the disease prevention research pro-
grams of the national research institutes, and shall
provide for the coordination of such programs
among the national research institutes and between
the national research institutes and other public and
private entities, including elementary, secondary,
and postsecondary schools.
‘‘(2) CERTAIN
DUTIES.—The Director of the
Office shall—
‘‘(A) annually review the efficacy of exist-
ing policies and techniques used by the national
research institutes to disseminate the results of
disease prevention and behavioral research pro-
grams; and
‘‘(B) recommend, coordinate, and oversee
the modification or reconstruction of such poli-
cies and techniques to ensure maximum dis-
semination, using advanced technologies to the
maximum extent practicable, of research results
to such entities.
‘‘(c) BIENNIAL REPORT.—The Director of the Office
shall prepare biennial reports on the activities carried out
or to be carried out by the Office, and shall submit each
such report to the Director of the Center for inclusion in
the biennial report under section 485C(i). Each such re-
port shall include—
‘‘(1) a summary of the Director’s review of ex-
isting dissemination policies and techniques together
with a detailed statement concerning any modifica-
tion or restructuring, or recommendations for modi-
fication or restructuring, of such policies and tech-
niques; and
‘‘(2) a detailed statement of the expenditures
made for the prevention and dissemination activities
reported on and the personnel used in connection
with such activities.
‘‘SEC. 
485E. 
OFFICE 
OF 
BEHAVIORAL 
AND 
SOCIAL
SCIENCES RESEARCH.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established within the
Center an office to be known as the Office of Behavioral
and Social Sciences Research (in this section referred to
as the ‘Office’). The Office shall be headed by a director,
who shall be appointed by the Director of the Center. The
Director of the Center shall carry out the functions speci-
fied in this section acting through the Director of the Of-
fice.
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to research on
the relationship between human behavior and the de-
velopment, treatment, and prevention of medical
conditions, the Director of the Office shall—
‘‘(A) coordinate research conducted or sup-
ported by the agencies of the National Insti-
tutes of Health; and
‘‘(B) identify projects of behavioral and so-
cial sciences research that should be conducted
or supported by the national research institutes,
and develop such projects in cooperation with
such institutes.
‘‘(2) CERTAIN
DUTIES.—Research authorized
under paragraph (1) includes research on teen preg-
nancy, infant mortality, violent behavior, suicide,
and homelessness. Such research does not include
neurobiological research, or research in which the
behavior of an organism is observed for the purpose
of determining activity at the cellular or molecular
level.
‘‘(c) BIENNIAL REPORT.—The Director of the Office
shall prepare biennial reports on the activities carried out
or to be carried out by the Office, and shall submit each
such report to the Director of the Center for inclusion in
the biennial report under section 485C(i).
SEC. 485F. OFFICE OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established within the
Center an office to be known as the Office of Dietary Sup-
plements (in this section referred to as the ‘Office’). The
Office shall be headed by a director, who shall be ap-
pointed by the Director of the Center. The Director of the
Center shall carry out the functions specified in this sec-
tion acting through the Director of the Office.
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office
shall—
‘‘(A) expand the activities of the national
research institutes with respect to the potential
role of dietary supplements as a significant part
of the efforts of the United States to improve
health care; and
‘‘(B) promote scientific study of the bene-
fits of dietary supplements in maintaining
health and preventing chronic disease and other
health-related conditions.
‘‘(2) CERTAIN
DUTIES.—The Director of the
Office shall—
‘‘(A) conduct and coordinate scientific re-
search within the National Institutes of Health
relating to dietary supplements and the extent
to which the use of dietary supplements can
limit or reduce the risk of diseases such as
heart 
disease, 
cancer, 
birth 
defects,
osteoporosis, cataracts, or prostatism;
‘‘(B) collect and compile the results of sci-
entific research relating to dietary supplements,
including scientific data from foreign sources or
other offices of the Center;
‘‘(C) serve as the principal advisor to the
Secretary and to the Assistant Secretary for
Health and provide advice to the Director of
NIH, the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and the Commissioner
of Food and Drugs on issues relating to dietary
supplements including—
‘‘(i) dietary intake regulations;
‘‘(ii) the safety of dietary supple-
ments;
‘‘(iii) claims characterizing the rela-
tionship between dietary supplements and
the prevention of disease or other health-
related conditions;
‘‘(iv) claims characterizing the rela-
tionship between dietary supplements and
the maintenance of health; and
‘‘(v) scientific issues arising in connec-
tion with the labeling and composition of
dietary supplements;