House Bills - 110th Congress

H. R. 5658 —The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009

On March 31, 2008, Representative Ike Skelton (D-MO) introduced the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, including an amendment by Representative Joe Sestak (D-PA) to authorize the Defense Department to establish the Visiting NIH Senior Neuroscience Fellowship Program at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. The program would permit the NIH to enter into partnerships with DARPA or the Center of Excellence that would enable the identification and funding of clinical and experimental neuroscience studies. In particular, the language would authorize the following activities: (1) provide a partnership between NIH and DARPA that would enable identification and funding of the broadest range of innovative, highest quality clinical and experimental neuroscience studies for the benefit of men and women in the Armed Forces; (2) provide a partnership between the NIH and the DCoE that would enable identification and funding of clinical and experimental neuroscience studies for the benefit of men and women in the Armed Forces; (3) provide a technology transfer mechanism whereby the results of such studies could, where appropriate, be used to enhance the health mission of the NIH for the benefit of the public; and (4) provide a military/civilian collaborative environment for neuroscience-based medical problem-solving in critical areas impacting both military and civilian life, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder. H.R. 5658 was referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

FLOOR ACTION

May 22, 2008 - The House passed H.R. 5658.