Title: National Commission on Scleroderma and Fibrotic Diseases Act of 2018
Policy area: Health

Summary:
National Commission on Scleroderma and Fibrotic Diseases Act of 2018
This bill temporarily establishes a National Commission on Fibrotic Diseases within the National Institutes of Health that must recommend improvements regarding fibrosis and fibrotic disease research.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3267 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3267

        To establish a National Commission on Fibrotic Diseases.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 25, 2018

Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself and Mr. Schumer) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
        To establish a National Commission on Fibrotic Diseases.

    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 ``National Commission on Scleroderma 
and Fibrotic Diseases Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON FIBROTIC DISEASES.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established, within the National 
Institutes of Health, a National Commission on Fibrotic Diseases 
(referred to in this section as the ``Commission'') to evaluate and 
make recommendations regarding improvements to the coordination and 
advancement of research activities related to fibrosis and fibrotic 
diseases, which may include scleroderma as a prototypical condition 
that can cause fibrosis in various organs, supported by the National 
Institutes of Health.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of the 
        following voting members:
                    (A) The Director of NIH, or the designee of such 
                director.
                    (B) The Directors of the following Institutes, or 
                their designees:
                            (i) The National Institute of Arthritis and 
                        Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
                            (ii) The National Heart, Lung, and Blood 
                        Institute.
                            (iii) The National Institute of Diabetes 
                        and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
                            (iv) The National Human Genome Research 
                        Institute.
                            (v) Any other national research institute 
                        or center with an active fibrotic disease 
                        research portfolio.
                    (C) Twelve additional voting members appointed 
                under paragraph (2).
            (2) Additional members.--The Commission shall include 
        voting members, appointed by the Director of NIH, with 
        expertise in the prevention, care, and epidemiology of any of 
        the diseases and complications described in subsection (a), 
        including one or more such members from each of the following 
        categories:
                    (A) Leading scientists or physicians with research 
                expertise in the conditions described in subsection 
                (a).
                    (B) Patient advocates with a perspective on the 
                conditions described in subsection (a).
            (3) Chairperson.--The members of the Commission shall 
        select a chairperson from the members appointed under paragraph 
        (2).
            (4) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet 3 times per year.
            (5) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled 
        in the same manner as the original appointments.
    (c) Responsibilities.--The Commission shall evaluate and make 
recommendations, as appropriate, to the Director of NIH and Congress 
regarding--
            (1) the incidence, duration, and mortality rates of 
        fibrotic diseases as described in subsection (a);
            (2) facilities and resources for the diagnosis, prevision, 
        and treatment of fibrotic diseases described in subsection (a); 
        and
            (3) a long-range plan for the use and organization of 
        national resources to effectively advance research and 
        effectively deal with fibrotic diseases as described in 
        subsection (a), including--
                    (A) comprehensive research plan, which prioritizes 
                fibrosis opportunities that have cross-cutting value 
                and require coordination across multiple national 
                research institutes and centers;
                    (B) topic-specific research recommendations for 
                each organ or system as impacted by fibrotic diseases 
                described in subsection (a); and
                    (C) an overview of common themes and specific steps 
                for implementation.
    (d) Operating Plan.--Not later than 90 days after its first meeting 
the Commission shall--
            (1) submit to the Director of NIH and Congress an operating 
        plan for carrying out the activities of the Commission as 
        described in subsection (c). Such operating plan may include--
                    (A) a list of specific activities that the 
                Commission plans to conduct for purposes of carrying 
                out the duties described in each of paragraphs (1) 
                through (3) of subsection (c);
                    (B) a plan for completing such activities;
                    (C) a list of members of the Commission and other 
                individuals who are not members of the Commission who 
                will need to be involved to conduct such activities;
                    (D) an explanation of involvement and coordination 
                among the institutes and centers of the National 
                Institutes of Health that is needed to conduct such 
                activities;
                    (E) a budget for conducting such activities; and
                    (F) other information that the Commission 
                determines appropriate.
    (e) Final Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
Commission's first meeting, the Commission shall submit to the Director 
of NIH and Congress a final report containing all of the findings and 
recommendations required under subsection (c).
    (f) Sunset.--The Commission shall terminate 60 days after 
submitting its final report, and not later than the end of fiscal year 
2022.
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