To amend the Public Health Service Act to increase accountability at the National Institutes of Health.

Bill: 114-hr-2421
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Barton, Joe [R-TX-6]
Introduced: 2015-05-19
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Department of Health and Human Services

Executive agency funding and structure

Federal officials

Government studies and investigations

Medical research

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Research administration and funding
Latest action: action_date: 2015-05-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-05-19
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to appoint the directors of the national research institutes and national centers (excluding the National Cancer Institute) instead of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Directors appointed by the Director of NIH have five-year terms.</p> <p>This bill amends the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 to remove a provision that makes appropriations available for compensation of consultants or individual scientists appointed for limited periods of time to the Public Health Service.</p> <p>Before a national research institute or national center awards a grant for a research project (R-series grant) the director of the institute or center must review and approve the award, taking into consideration the mission and priorities of the institute or center and whether other agencies are funding projects to accomplish the same goal.</p> HHS must enter an arrangement with the National Academy of Medicine (formerly known as the Institute of Medicine) under which a study is completed on the extent to which federally funded biomedical research is duplicative and recommendations are made on preventing such duplication.

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2421 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 19, 2015 Mr. Barton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to increase accountability at the National Institutes of Health.

1. Increasing accountability at the National Institutes of Health (a) Appointment and terms of directors of national research institutes and national centers Subsection (a) of section 405 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 284 ) is amended to read as follows: (a) Appointment; terms (1) Appointment The Director of the National Cancer Institute shall be appointed by the President and the directors of the other national research institutes, as well as the directors of the national centers, shall be appointed by the Director of NIH. The directors of the national research institutes, as well as national centers, shall report directly to the Director of NIH. (2) Terms (A) In general The term of office of a director of a national research institute or national center shall be 5 years. (B) Removal The director of a national research institute or national center may be removed from office by the Director of NIH prior to the expiration of such director’s 5-year term. (C) Reappointment At the end of the term of a director of a national research institute or national center, the director may be reappointed. There is no limit on the number of terms a director may serve. (D) Vacancies If the office of a director of a national research institute or national center becomes vacant before the end of such director’s term, the director appointed to fill the vacancy shall be appointed for a 5-year term starting on the date of such appointment. (E) Transitional provision Each director of a national research institute or national center serving on the date of enactment of the 21st Century Cures Act is deemed to be appointed for a 5-year term under this subsection starting on such date of enactment. . (b) Compensation to consultants or individual scientists Section 202 of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 ( Public Law 102–394 ; 42 U.S.C. 238f note) is amended by striking portable structures; and all that follows and inserting portable structures. . (c) Review of certain awards by directors Section 405(b) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 284(b) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) Before an award is made by a national research institute or by a national center for a grant for a research program or project (commonly referred to as an R-series grant ), other than an award constituting a noncompeting renewal of such grant, or a noncompeting administrative supplement to such grant, the director of such national research institute or national center— (A) shall review and approve the award; and (B) shall take into consideration— (i) the mission of the national research institute or national center and the scientific priorities identified in the strategic plan under section 402(m); and (ii) whether other agencies are funding programs or projects to accomplish the same goal. . (d) IOM study on duplication in Federal biomedical research The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter into an arrangement with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (or, if the Institute declines, another appropriate entity) under which the Institute (or other appropriate entity) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act will— (1) complete a study on the extent to which biomedical research conducted or supported by Federal agencies is duplicative; and (2) submit a report to the Congress on the results of such study, including recommendations on how to prevent such duplication.