This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to designate and operate centers of Alzheimer's disease research, education, and clinical activities in at least three VA health care facilities.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5191 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5191
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to establish Alzheimer's Disease research, education,
and clinical centers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 7, 2018
Mr. Coffman (for himself, Mr. Sessions, and Mrs. McMorris Rodgers)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to establish Alzheimer's Disease research, education,
and clinical centers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH, EDUCATION,
AND CLINICAL CENTERS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after section 7330B the following new section:
``Sec. 7330C. Alzheimer's Disease research, education, and clinical
centers.
``(a) Establishment of Centers.--(1) The Secretary, upon the
recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, shall designate not
less than three Department health-care facilities as the locations for
centers of Alzheimer's Disease research, education, and clinical
activities.
``(2) Subject to the availability of appropriations for such
purpose, the Secretary shall establish and operate centers of
Alzheimer's Disease research, education, and clinical activities
centers at the locations designated pursuant to paragraph (1).
``(b) Requirements for Designation.--(1) The Secretary may not
designate a Department health-care facility as a location for a center
under subsection (a) unless the peer review panel established under
subsection (c) has determined under that subsection that the proposal
submitted by such facility as a location for a new center under
subsection (a) is among those proposals that meet the highest
competitive standards of scientific and clinical merit.
``(2) The Secretary may not designate a Department health-care
facility as a location for a center under subsection (a) unless the
Secretary (upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health)
determines that the facility has (or may reasonably be anticipated to
develop) each of the following:
``(A) An arrangement with an accredited medical school that
provides education and training in neurology and with which the
Department health-care facility is affiliated under which
residents receive education and training in innovative
diagnosis and treatment of chronic neurodegenerative diseases
and forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease.
``(B) The ability to attract the participation of
scientists who are capable of ingenuity and creativity in
health-care research efforts.
``(C) An advisory committee composed of veterans and
appropriate health-care and research representatives of the
Department health-care facility and of the affiliated school or
schools to advise the directors of such facility and such
center on policy matters pertaining to the activities of the
center during the period of the operation of such center.
``(D) The capability to conduct effectively evaluations of
the activities of such center.
``(E) The capability to coordinate (as part of an
integrated national system) education, clinical, and research
activities within all facilities with such centers.
``(F) The capability to jointly develop a consortium of
providers with interest in treating Alzheimer's Disease and
other forms of dementia, at facilities without centers
established under subsection (a) in order to ensure better
access to state-of-the-art diagnosis, care, and education for
neurodegenerative disorders throughout the health-care system
of the Department.
``(G) The capability to develop a national repository in
the health-care system of the Department for the collection of
data on health services delivered to veterans seeking care for
neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease and
dementia.
``(H) A scientific specialization in a field of research
likely to be transformative to the development of a cure or
treatment for Alzheimer's Disease, including the capability to
study the connection between Alzheimer's Disease and Down
Syndrome.
``(c) Peer Review Panel.--(1) The Under Secretary for Health shall
establish a panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of
proposals that are submitted to the Secretary for the establishment of
centers under this section.
``(2)(A) The membership of the panel shall consist of experts in
neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease and forms of
dementia. At least one member of the panel shall include an expert on
the connection between Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease.
``(B) Members of the panel shall serve for a period of no longer
than two years, except as specified in subparagraph (C).
``(C) Of the members first appointed to the panel, one-half shall
be appointed for a period of three years and one-half shall be
appointed for a period of two years, as designated by the Under
Secretary at the time of appointment.
``(3) The panel shall review each proposal submitted to the panel
by the Under Secretary and shall submit its views on the relative
scientific and clinical merit of each such proposal to the Under
Secretary.
``(4) The panel shall not be subject to the Federal Advisory
Committee Act.
``(d) Priority of Funding.--Before providing funds for the
operation of a center designated under this section at a Department
health-care facility, the Secretary shall ensure that each Alzheimer's
Disease center at a facility so designated is receiving adequate
funding to enable that center to function effectively in the areas of
Alzheimer's Disease research, education, and clinical activities.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the support of the
research and education activities of the centers established pursuant
to subsection (a). The Under Secretary for Health shall allocate to
such centers from other funds appropriated generally for the Department
medical services account and medical and prosthetics research account,
as appropriate, such amounts as the Under Secretary for Health
determines appropriate.
``(f) Award Competitions.--Activities of clinical and scientific
investigation at each center established under subsection (a) shall be
eligible to compete for the award of funding from funds appropriated
for the Department medical and prosthetics research account. Such
activities shall receive priority in the award of funding from such
account insofar as funds are awarded to projects for research in
Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
7330B the following new item:
``7330C. Alzheimer's Disease research, education, and clinical
centers.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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