108th Congress

Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2004

S. 2338, H.R. 4610

Background

The word “arthritis” means joint inflammation, but it is often used to refer to a group of more than 100 rheumatic diseases that can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints. These diseases can affect not only the joints but other parts of the body, including some internal organs and important supporting structures such as muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments.

Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond (R-MO) introduced the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2004 to increase arthritis research and prevention activities in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). According to the findings section of the proposed legislation, 70 million adults and 300,000 children have some form of arthritis or other rheumatic disease. When introducing the bill, Senator Bond noted that recent advances have resulted in improved treatments for arthritis sufferers but that these advances reach fewer than 1 percent of those affected. He also mentioned the National Arthritis Action Plan (NAAP), which emphasizes strategies to ensure that timely information and medical care become more widely available to the public, and expressed concern about what he considers a limited commitment to implementing the plan. In order to expand research and education efforts, Senator Bond introduced legislation that would have required DHHS agencies to carry out numerous activities related to the prevention and control of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. The legislation did not designate the amount of money that would have been spent on these directives; it authorized such sums as may be necessary.

Provisions of the Legislation/Impact on NIH

• Section 3 would have required the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and implement NAAP; fund activities for the control, prevention, and surveillance of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases; and coordinate a national education and outreach program.
• Section 4 would have required the Secretary to establish an Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee (ARDICC) in order to improve coordination and communication across the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ARDICC would have comprised individuals involved in arthritis activities from NIH, other Federal agencies, and the public. ARDICC would have been required to hold a summit 1 year after the date of enactment of this legislation. The purpose of the summit would have been to provide a detailed overview of current research activities at NIH and discuss potential areas of collaboration between NIH and other Federal agencies.
• Section 5 would have required NIH to expand and intensify research on juvenile arthritis. The legislation would have required relevant Institutes to coordinate with each other and consult with Federal officials, voluntary health associations, medical professional societies, and private entities. The Director of NIH would have been required to award planning grants or contracts for the establishment of new research programs or enhancement of existing programs that focus on juvenile arthritis. In making awards, priority may have been given to collaborative partnerships, including academic health centers, private sector entities, and nonprofit organizations. The Secretary of HHS would have been tasked with encouraging research that focuses on genetics, development of biomarkers, and pharmacological and other therapies.
• Section 5 would have authorized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to award grants and enter into cooperative agreements for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on juvenile arthritis. CDC would have been required to share the resulting data with NIH. H.R. 4610 included an additional provision that would have required the creation of a National Juvenile Arthritis Patient Registry to collect specific data for followup studies regarding the prevalence and incidence of juvenile arthritis and capture information on evidence-based health outcomes related to specific therapies and interventions.
• Section 6 would have required the Secretary of HHS to increase training and fellowship opportunities for pediatric rheumatologists and establish a pediatric rheumatology loan repayment program.
• Section 7 would have required NIH to increase the number of career development awards for health professionals intending to specialize in pediatric rheumatology.
• Section 8 would have required the General Accounting Office to study the economic impact of arthritis in the workplace within 3 years of enactment of this legislation.

Status and Outlook

S. 2338 was introduced by Senator Bond on April 22, 2004, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. On June 8, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Aging (Senator Bond, Chair) held a hearing on the measure. No further action occurred on this legislation during the 108th Congress.

H.R. 4610 was introduced by Representative Charles “Chip” Pickering, Jr. (R-MS), on June 17, 2004, and was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. No further action occurred on this legislation during the 108th Congress.