To amend the Public Health Service Act to enhance research, training, and health information dissemination with respect to urologic diseases, and for other purposes.

February 27, 2003

Mr. LEACH (for himself, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. FROST, and Ms. BORDALLO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

To amend the Public Health Service Act to enhance research, training, and health information dissemination with respect to urologic diseases, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Training and Research in Urology Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND HEALTH INFORMATION DISSEMINATION WITH RESPECT TO UROLOGIC DISEASES.

(a) DIVISION DIRECTOR OF UROLOGY- Section 428 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c-2) is amended--

(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking `and a Division Director for Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases' and inserting `a Division Director for Urologic Diseases, and a Division Director for Kidney and Hematologic Diseases'; and

(2) in subsection (b)--

(A) by striking `and the Division Director for Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases' and inserting `the Division Director for Urologic Diseases, and the Division Director for Kidney and Hematologic Diseases'; and

(B) by striking `(1) carry out programs' and all that follows through the end and inserting the following:

`(1) carry out programs of support for research and training (other than training for which National Research Service Awards may be made under section 487) in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diabetes mellitus and endocrine and metabolic diseases, digestive diseases and nutritional disorders, and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases, including support for training in medical schools, graduate clinical training (with particular attention to programs geared to the needs of urology residents and fellows), graduate training in epidemiology, epidemiology studies, clinical trials, and interdisciplinary research programs;

`(2) establish programs of evaluation, planning, and dissemination of knowledge related to such research and training;

`(3) in cooperation with the urologic scientific and patient community, develop and submit to the Congress not later than January 1, 2006, a national urologic research plan that identifies research needs in the various areas of urologic diseases, including pediatrics, interstitial cystitis, incontinence, stone disease, urinary tract infections, and benign prostatic diseases; and

`(4) in cooperation with the urologic scientific and patient community, review the national urologic research plan every 3 years beginning in 2009 and submit to the Congress any revisions or additional recommendations.'; and

(3) at the end of the section, by adding the following:

`(c) There are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 and 2005 to carry out paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection (b), and such sums as may be necessary thereafter.'.

(b) UROLOGIC DISEASES DATA SYSTEM AND INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE- Section 427 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c-1) is amended--

(1) in subsection (c), by striking the terms `and Urologic' and `and urologic' each place either such term appears; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

`(d) The Director of the Institute shall--

`(1) establish the National Urologic Diseases Data System for the collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of data derived from patient populations with urologic diseases, including, where possible, data involving general populations for the purpose of detection of individuals with a risk of developing urologic diseases; and

`(2) establish the National Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse to facilitate and enhance knowledge and understanding of urologic diseases on the part of health professionals, patients, and the public through the effective dissemination of information.'.

(c) STRENGTHENING THE UROLOGY INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE- Section 429 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c-3) is amended--

(1) in subsection (a), by striking `and a Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases Coordinating Committee' and inserting `a Urologic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee, and a Kidney and Hematologic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee';

(2) in subsection (b), by striking `the Chief Medical Director of the Veterans' Administration,' and inserting `the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

`(d) The urology interagency coordinating committee may encourage, conduct, or support intra- or interagency activities in urology research, including joint training programs, joint research projects, planning activities, and clinical trials.

`(e) For the purpose of carrying out the activities of the Urologic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee, there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008, and such sums as may be necessary thereafter.'.

(d) NATIONAL UROLOGIC DISEASES ADVISORY BOARD- Section 430 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c-4) is amended by striking `and the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Advisory Board' and inserting `the National Urologic Diseases Advisory Board, and the National Kidney Diseases Advisory Board'.

(e) EXPANSION OF O'BRIEN UROLOGIC DISEASE RESEARCH CENTERS-

(1) IN GENERAL- Subsection (c) of section 431 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c-5(c)) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by inserting `There shall be no fewer than 15 such centers focused exclusively on research of various aspects of urologic diseases, including pediatrics, interstitial cystitis, incontinence, stone disease, urinary tract infections, and benign prostatic diseases.' before `Each center developed'.

(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- Section 431 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c-5) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(f) There are authorized to be appropriated for the urologic disease research centers described in subsection (c) $22,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008, and such sums as are necessary thereafter.'.

(3) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT- Subsection (c) of section 431 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c-5(c)) is amended at the beginning of the unnumbered paragraph--

(A) by striking `shall develop and conduct' and inserting `(2) shall develop and conduct'; and

(B) by aligning the indentation of such paragraph with the indentation of paragraphs (1), (3), and (4).

(f) SUBCOMMITTEE ON UROLOGIC DISEASES- Section 432 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c-6) is amended by striking `and a subcommittee on kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases' and inserting `a subcommittee on urologic diseases, and a subcommittee on kidney and hematologic diseases'.

(g) LOAN REPAYMENT TO ENCOURAGE UROLOGISTS AND OTHER SCIENTISTS TO ENTER RESEARCH CAREERS- Subpart 3 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 434A the following:

`LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR UROLOGY RESEARCH

`SEC. 434B. (a) ESTABLISHMENT- Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary shall carry out a program of entering into contracts with appropriately qualified health professionals or other qualified scientists under which such health professionals or scientists agree to conduct research in the field of urology, as employees of the National Institutes of Health or of an academic department, division, or section of urology, in consideration of the Federal Government agreeing to repay, for each year of such research, not more than $35,000 of the principal and interest of the educational loans of such health professionals or scientists.

`(b) LIMITATION- The Secretary may not enter into an agreement with a health professional or scientist pursuant to subsection (a) unless the professional or scientist--

`(1) has a substantial amount of educational loans relative to income; and

`(2) agrees to serve as an employee of the National Institutes of Health or of an academic department, division, or section of urology for purposes of the research requirement of subsection (a) for a period of not less than 3 years.

`(c) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS- Except as inconsistent with this section, the provisions of subpart 3 of part D of title III apply to the program established under subsection (a) in the same manner and to the same extent as such provisions apply to the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program established under such subpart.'.

(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR UROLOGY RESEARCH- Subpart 3 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c et seq.) (as amended by subsection (g)) is further amended by inserting after section 434B the following:

`AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR UROLOGY RESEARCH

`SEC. 434C. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of NIH for the purpose of carrying out intra- and interagency activities in urology research (including training programs, joint research projects, and joint clinical trials) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008, and such sums as may be necessary thereafter. Amounts authorized to be appropriated under this section shall be in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purpose.'.

END