Brycen Gray and Ben Price COVID–19 Neurological Impact Act
Bill: H.R.5772 | Sponsor: Rep. Gonzalez, Anthony (R-OH)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Brycen Gray and Ben Price COVID-19 Neurological Impact Act
This bill authorizes grants and requires other activities to address neurological and psychiatric illnesses associated with COVID-19 infection.
Specifically, the National Science Foundation may award competitive grants for multidisciplinary research on such illnesses.
In addition, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy must establish a temporary interagency working group to coordinate relevant federal programs, data collection, and other activities focused on neurological and psychiatric illnesses associated with COVID-19 infection. The working group must also engage with researchers and nonfederal stakeholders to ensure the sharing and dissemination of relevant research, information, and best practices pertaining to those illnesses. The working group terminates after five years.

To authorize the Director of the National Science Foundation to award 
 grants to support research on neurological and psychiatric illnesses 
      associated with COVID-19 infection, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Brycen Gray and Ben Price COVID-19 
Neurological Impact Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Historical epidemiological perspectives suggest an 
        association between exposure to general respiratory viruses and 
        subsequent neurological and psychiatric illnesses.
            (2) Early research suggests that one in three patients 
        diagnosed with a COVID-19 infection experiences a neurological 
        or psychiatric illness within six months of such diagnosis.
            (3) Research is urgently needed to better understand why 
        neurological and psychiatric illnesses occur in patients 
        following a COVID-19 infection, so that treatments and 
        therapeutic strategies can be developed.
            (4) The National Science Foundation and the National 
        Institutes of Health have a deep history of supporting 
        collaborative research that spans the biological sciences and 
        paves the way for health-related advancements.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH.

    The Director of the National Science Foundation, in consultation 
with the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Director 
of the National Institute of Mental Health, is authorized to award 
grants on a competitive basis to support multidisciplinary research on 
neurological and psychiatric illnesses associated with COVID-19 
infection, including with respect to children and adolescents. Such 
research may include research into any of the following:
            (1) The incidence of neurological and psychiatric illness 
        associated with COVID-19 infection.
            (2) Brain function following a COVID-19 infection and the 
        potential relevance of such infection to neurological and 
        psychiatric illnesses.
            (3) The relevance of psychological and psychosocial factors 
        associated with the COVID-19 pandemic to neurological and 
        psychiatric illnesses, including an identification and 
        evaluation of such factors.
            (4) Other science with potential relevance to the causes, 
        diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of neurological and 
        psychiatric illnesses associated with COVID-19 infection.

SEC. 4. COVID-19 MENTAL HEALTH INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, in consultation with the National Science and 
Technology Council, shall establish an interagency working group--
            (1) to coordinate Federal programs and activities with 
        roles in addressing--
                    (A) neurological and psychiatric illnesses 
                associated with COVID-19 infection; and
                    (B) psychological and psychosocial factors 
                associated with the COVID-19 pandemic that may be 
                relevant to such illnesses;
            (2) to coordinate Federal research and data collection, 
        including with respect to children and adolescents--
                    (A) to identify neurological and psychiatric 
                illnesses associated with COVID-19 infection; and
                    (B) to improve understanding of psychological and 
                psychosocial factors associated with the COVID-19 
                pandemic that may be relevant to such illnesses; and
            (3) to coordinate engagement with researchers and 
        stakeholders from universities, industry, public health 
        organizations, health care providers, State and local 
        governments, elementary and secondary educational 
        organizations, and non-profit organizations to ensure that 
        research, information, and best practices relating to 
        neurological and psychiatric illnesses associated with COVID-19 
        infection are shared among such entities.
    (b) Co-Chairs.--The interagency working group shall be co-chaired 
by--
            (1) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
        Policy; and
            (2) a member of the interagency working group selected by 
        the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
    (c) Termination.--The interagency working group shall terminate on 
the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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