To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of a National Center for Social Work Research.

January 24, 2005

Mr. INOUYE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of a National Center for Social Work Research.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

This Act may be cited as the `National Center for Social Work Research Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--

(1) social workers focus on the improvement of individual and family functioning and the creation of effective health and mental health prevention and treatment interventions in order for individuals to become more productive members of society;

(2) social workers provide front line prevention and treatment services in the areas of school violence, aging, teen pregnancy, child abuse, domestic violence, juvenile crime, and substance abuse, particularly in rural and underserved communities; and

(3) social workers are in a unique position to provide valuable research information on these complex social concerns, taking into account a wide range of social, medical, economic and community influences from an interdisciplinary, family-centered and community-based approach.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH.

(a) In General- Section 401(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(H) The National Center for Social Work Research.'.

(b) Establishment- Part E of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 287 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`Subpart 7--National Center for Social Work Research

`SEC. 485J. PURPOSE OF CENTER.

`The general purpose of the National Center for Social Work Research (referred to in this subpart as the `Center') is the conduct and support of, and dissemination of targeted research concerning social work methods and outcomes related to problems of significant social concern. The Center shall--

`(1) promote research and training that is designed to inform social work practices, thus increasing the knowledge base which promotes a healthier America; and

`(2) provide policymakers with empirically-based research information to enable such policymakers to better understand complex social issues and make informed funding decisions about service effectiveness and cost efficiency.

`SEC. 485K. SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES.

`(a) In General- To carry out the purpose described in section 485J, the Director of the Center may provide research training and instruction and establish, in the Center and in other nonprofit institutions, research traineeships and fellowships in the study and investigation of the prevention of disease, health promotion, the association of socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, age and geographical location and health, the social work care of individuals with, and families of individuals with, acute and chronic illnesses, child abuse, neglect, and youth violence, and child and family care to address problems of significant social concern especially in underserved populations and underserved geographical areas.

`(b) Stipends and Allowances- The Director of the Center may provide individuals receiving training and instruction or traineeships or fellowships under subsection (a) with such stipends and allowances (including amounts for travel and subsistence and dependency allowances) as the Director determines necessary.

`(c) Grants- The Director of the Center may make grants to nonprofit institutions to provide training and instruction and traineeships and fellowships under subsection (a).

`SEC. 485L. ADVISORY COUNCIL.

`(a) Duties-

`(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall establish an advisory council for the Center that shall advise, assist, consult with, and make recommendations to the Secretary and the Director of the Center on matters related to the activities carried out by and through the Center and the policies with respect to such activities.

`(2) GIFTS- The advisory council for the Center may recommend to the Secretary the acceptance, in accordance with section 231, of conditional gifts for study, investigations, and research and for the acquisition of grounds or construction, equipment, or maintenance of facilities for the Center.

`(3) OTHER DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS- The advisory council for the Center--

`(A)(i) may make recommendations to the Director of the Center with respect to research to be conducted by the Center;

`(ii) may review applications for grants and cooperative agreements for research or training and recommend for approval applications for projects that demonstrate the probability of making valuable contributions to human knowledge; and

`(iii) may review any grant, contract, or cooperative agreement proposed to be made or entered into by the Center;

`(B) may collect, by correspondence or by personal investigation, information relating to studies that are being carried out in the United States or any other country and, with the approval of the Director of the Center, make such information available through appropriate publications; and

`(C) may appoint subcommittees and convene workshops and conferences.

`(b) Membership-

`(1) IN GENERAL- The advisory council shall be composed of the ex officio members described in paragraph (2) and not more than 18 individuals to be appointed by the Secretary under paragraph (3).

`(2) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS- The ex officio members of the advisory council shall include--

`(A) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of NIH, the Director of the Center, the Chief Social Work Officer of the Veterans' Administration, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Associate Director of Prevention Research at the National Institute of Mental Health, the Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Services Research, the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Administration for Children and Families, the Assistant Secretary of Education for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, the Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Community Planning and Development, and the Assistant Attorney General for Office of Justice Programs (or the designees of such officers); and

`(B) such additional officers or employees of the United States as the Secretary determines necessary for the advisory council to effectively carry out its functions.

`(3) APPOINTED MEMBERS- The Secretary shall appoint not to exceed 18 individuals to the advisory council, of which--

`(A) not more than two-thirds of such individual shall be appointed from among the leading representatives of the health and scientific disciplines (including public health and the behavioral or social sciences) relevant to the activities of the Center, and at least 7 such individuals shall be professional social workers who are recognized experts in the area of clinical practice, education, or research; and

`(B) not more than one-third of such individuals shall be appointed from the general public and shall include leaders in fields of public policy, law, health policy, economics, and management.

The Secretary shall make appointments to the advisory council in such a manner as to ensure that the terms of the members do not all expire in the same year.

`(4) COMPENSATION- Members of the advisory council who are officers or employees of the United States shall not receive any compensation for service on the advisory council. The remaining members shall receive, for each day (including travel time) they are engaged in the performance of the functions of the advisory council, compensation at rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate in effect for an individual at grade GS-18 of the General Schedule.

`(c) Terms-

`(1) IN GENERAL- The term of office of an individual appointed to the advisory council under subsection (b)(3) shall be 4 years, except that any individual appointed to fill a vacancy on the advisory council shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. A member may serve after the expiration of the member's term until a successor has been appointed.

`(2) REAPPOINTMENTS- A member of the advisory council who has been appointed under subsection (b)(3) for a term of 4 years may not be reappointed to the advisory council prior to the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date on which the prior term expired.

`(3) VACANCY- If a vacancy occurs on the advisory council among the members under subsection (b)(3), the Secretary shall make an appointment to fill that vacancy not later than 90 days after the date on which the vacancy occurs.

`(d) Chairperson- The chairperson of the advisory council shall be selected by the Secretary from among the members appointed under subsection (b)(3), except that the Secretary may select the Director of the Center to be the chairperson of the advisory council. The term of office of the chairperson shall be 2 years.

`(e) Meetings- The advisory council shall meet at the call of the chairperson or upon the request of the Director of the Center, but not less than 3 times each fiscal year. The location of the meetings of the advisory council shall be subject to the approval of the Director of the Center.

`(f) Administrative Provisions- The Director of the Center shall designate a member of the staff of the Center to serve as the executive secretary of the advisory council. The Director of the Center shall make available to the advisory council such staff, information, and other assistance as the council may require to carry out its functions. The Director of the Center shall provide orientation and training for new members of the advisory council to provide such members with such information and training as may be appropriate for their effective participation in the functions of the advisory council.

`(g) Comments and Recommendations- The advisory council may prepare, for inclusion in the biennial report under section 485M--

`(1) comments with respect to the activities of the advisory council in the fiscal years for which the report is prepared;

`(2) comments on the progress of the Center in meeting its objectives; and

`(3) recommendations with respect to the future direction and program and policy emphasis of the center.

The advisory council may prepare such additional reports as it may determine appropriate.

`SEC. 485M. BIENNIAL REPORT.

`The Director of the Center, after consultation with the advisory council for the Center, shall prepare for inclusion in the biennial report under section 403, a biennial report that shall consist of a description of the activities of the Center and program policies of the Director of the Center in the fiscal years for which the report is prepared. The Director of the Center may prepare such additional reports as the Director determines appropriate. The Director of the Center shall provide the advisory council of the Center an opportunity for the submission of the written comments described in section 485L(g).

`SEC. 485N. QUARTERLY REPORT.

`The Director of the Center shall prepare and submit to Congress a quarterly report that contains a summary of findings and policy implications derived from research conducted or supported through the Center.'.

END