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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
August 2005
| Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Appropriations |
- Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education 2005 appropriations act (H.R. 3010)
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| NHLBI Programs |
- Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2005 (H.R. 3005)
- Family Asthma Act (S. 1489)
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| NIH Activities or Structure |
- Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act (H.R. 3196)
- Lupus Research, Education, Awareness, Communication, and Healthcare Amendments of 2005 (H.R. 3307)
- Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Improvement Act (S. 302)
- Restore Scientific Integrity to Federal Research and Policymaking Act (S. 1358)
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| Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research or Human Cloning |
- Respect for Life Pluripotent Stem Cell Act of 2005 (H.R. 3144 and S. 1557)
- Cures Can Be Found Act of 2005 (H.R. 3444)
- Human Cloning Ban Act of 2005 (S. 1520)
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| New DHHS Program |
- Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-18)
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| Biotechnology |
- Save America's Biotechnology Innovative Research Act of 2005 (H.R. 2943 and S. 1263)
- Patent Reform Act of 2005 (H.R. 2795)
- Project BioShield II Act of 2005 (S. 975)
|
| Resolutions |
- Congenital heart defects (H.Res. 305)
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (H.Con.Res. 178)
- Bone marrow failure diseases (H.Con.Res. 179)
|
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Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Appropriations
On June 24, 2005, the House of Representatives passed its version of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education 2005 appropriations act (H.R. 3010). As requested in the President's budget, the bill includes $2,951,270 for the NHLBI.
This is an increase of 0.3 percent over the $2,941,201 that the NHLBI received in FY 2005.
The Senate version, which the appropriations committee approved on July 14, includes $3,023,381 for the NHLBI.
Both the House (House Report 109-143) and Senate (Senate Report 109-103) reports
mention NHLBI activities related to:
- Blood vessel injury and repair.
- Cooley's anemia.
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
- Heart failure.
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- Hemophilia.
- Marfan syndrome.
- Primary immunodeficiency diseases.
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- Pulmonary hypertension.
- Scleroderma.
- Stroke.
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Both chambers encourage the NHLBI to develop education and awareness campaigns about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
and about sleep.
The House report includes a provision encouraging the NHLBI to develop a diagnostic test for
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies that would be suitable for screening the blood supply.
Other Senate language encourages the NHLBI to conduct more research on:
- Bleeding and clotting disorders.
- Bone marrow failure diseases.
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- Cardiovascular complications of conditions such as Down syndrome and type 1
diabetes.
- Pulmonary fibrosis.
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NHLBI Programs
Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2005
Number: H.R. 3005
Sponsor: Representative Kevin Brady (R-TX)
Referred to: House Committee on Energy and Commerce (June 21)
Highlights: Would require the NHLBI to develop
- centers of excellence dedicated to research on pulmonary hypertension and education of scientists,
health professionals, and public members interested in pulmonary hypertension.
- a clearinghouse to disseminate information about pulmonary hypertension to health professionals, patients,
industry, and the public.
- a system for collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of data derived from patient populations
with pulmonary hypertension.
Family Asthma Act
Number: S. 1489
Sponsor: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)
Referred to: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (July 26)
Highlights: Would require the
- National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) to catalog all asthma prevention, management, and surveillance
activities conducted by organizations or agencies that participate in the NAEPP and to make recommendations to the Congress for
strengthening and better coordinating federal asthma activities.
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), in collaboration with the NHLBI and other Institutes,
to support additional research on gene-environment interactions that contribute to the development or exacerbation of asthma.
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NIH Activities or Structure
Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act
Number: H.R. 3196
Sponsor: Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA)
Referred to: House Committee on Energy and Commerce (June 30)
Highlights: Would expand the scope of ClinicalTrials.gov and establish a database of
clinical trial results. It is similar, but not identical, to S. 470, the Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2005 or the
FACT Act, which was introduced February 28.
Lupus Research, Education, Awareness, Communication, and Healthcare Amendments of 2005
Number: H.R. 3307
Sponsor: Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
Referred to: House Committee on Energy and Commerce (July 14)
Highlights: Like the companion measure S. 756, which was
introduced on April 11, H.R. 3307 would require the
- NIH to expand its research portfolio to improve understanding and treatment of lupus.
- Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Women's Health, in collaboration with the Lupus
Foundation of America, Inc., and the NIH National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, to develop a national
campaign to raise awareness about lupus.
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Improvement Act
Number: S. 302
Sponsor: Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
Referred to: House Committee on Energy and Commerce (July 28) after passage in the Senate.
Highlights: Would require the NIH Director to transfer $500,000 yearly to the
Foundation (a non-profit organization that supports a broad portfolio of public-private partnerships to complement and enhance NIH
priorities and activities).
Restore Scientific Integrity to Federal Research and Policymaking Act
Number: S. 1358
Sponsor: Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Referred to: Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (June 30)
Highlights: Would prohibit
- political interference with scientific research by federal employees.
- use of "litmus tests" for the appointment of members to federal scientific advisory committees.
Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) introduced a similar bill, H.R. 839, on February 16.
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Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research or Human Cloning
Respect for Life Pluripotent Stem Cell Act of 2005
Numbers: H.R. 3144 and S. 1557
Sponsors: Representative Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Referred to: House Committee on Energy and Commerce (June 30) and Senate HELP Committee (July 29)
Highlights: Would require the NIH to conduct and support research on ways to derive human
pluripotent stem cells without harming human embryos.
Cures Can Be Found Act of 2005
Number: H.R. 3444
Sponsor: Representative Ron Paul (R-TX)
Referred to: House Committee on Ways and Means (July 26)
Highlights: Would provide tax credits to
- individuals who donate umbilical cord blood to research organizations or cell storage facilities that do not study
or store human embryonic stem cells.
- individuals who donate money to the facilities.
- businesses that establish or maintain the facilities.
Human Cloning Ban Act of 2005
Number: S. 1520
Sponsor: Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Referred to: Senate Committee on the Judiciary (July 27)
Highlights: Would prohibit
- research on human cloning.
- interstate shipment or exportation of certain cells for human cloning.
- exportation of unfertilized blastocysts to a country that does not prohibit human cloning.
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New DHHS Program
Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005
Number: P.L. 109-18 (formerly H.R. 1812 and S. 898)
Date Signed: June 30, 2005
Highlights: Would require the Health Resources and Services Administration, with input from
the Indian Health Service, the National Cancer Institute, and “such other
offices and agencies as deemed appropriate by the Secretary,” to fund
programs to reduce barriers to
- early detection of cancer and chronic diseases, including cardiovascular
diseases, for populations affected by health disparities.
- treatment and follow-up care services for those who have cancer or other chronic
diseases.
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Biotechnology
Save America's Biotechnology Innovative Research Act of 2005
Numbers: H.R. 2943 and S. 1263
Sponsors: Representative Sam Graves (R-MO) and Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO)
Referred to: House Committee on Small Business and House Committee on Science and
Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (June 16)
Highlights: Would amend the Small Business Act to allow additional businesses to be
eligible to receive federal funding, including grants from the NIH, under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.
Patent Reform Act of 2005
Number: H.R. 2795
Sponsor: Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX)
Referred to: House Committee on the Judiciary (June 8)
Highlights: Would change the U.S. patent system for determining, in the case of multiple
patent applications for a single invention, who should receive the patent by changing it from a "first-to-invent" system to a "first-inventor-to-file" system.
Project BioShield II Act of 2005
Number: S. 975
Sponsor: Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT
Referred to: Senate HELP Committee (April 29)
Highlights: Would provide incentives to increase private sector research to prevent, detect,
contain, and treat illnesses associated with biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological weapons attacks or an infectious disease outbreak.
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Resolutions
A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of the National Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week.
Number: H.Res. 305
Sponsor: Representative Robert Andrews (D-NJ)
Referred to: House Committee on Energy and Commerce (June 7)
Concurrent resolution recognizing the need to pursue research into the causes, a treatment, and an eventual cure for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, supporting the goals and ideals of National Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week, and for other purposes.
Number: H.Con.Res. 178
Sponsor: Representative Charlie Norwood (R-GA)
Referred to: House Committee on Energy and Commerce (June 14)
Concurrent resolution expressing the sense of the Congress regarding bone marrow failure diseases.
Number: H.Con.Res. 179
Sponsor: Representative Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Referred to: Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce (June 16)
Content last modified: 8/26/2005
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[Legislative Update (June 2005)]
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