HR 183 IH

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for awards by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to develop and operate multidisciplinary research centers regarding the impact of environmental factors on women's health and disease prevention.

January 3, 2001

Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself, Mrs. KELLY, and Mr. PRICE of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for awards by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to develop and operate multidisciplinary research centers regarding the impact of environmental factors on women's health and disease prevention.

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 `Women's Health Environmental Research Centers Act of 2000'.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES; AWARDS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTERS REGARDING WOMEN'S HEALTH AND DISEASE PREVENTION.

Subpart 12 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285L et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following section:

`MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTERS REGARDING WOMEN'S HEALTH AND DISEASE PREVENTION

`SEC. 463B. (a) IN GENERAL- The Director of the Institute shall make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of not more than six centers whose purpose is conducting multidisciplinary research on environmental factors that may be related to the development of women's health conditions (as defined in section 486). The Director of the Institute shall carry out this section in consultation with the Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health and with the advisory council for the Institute.

`(b) RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND INFORMATION AND EDUCATION-

`(1) IN GENERAL- Each center under subsection (a) shall, with respect to the purpose described in such subsection--

`(A) conduct basic and clinical research;

`(B) develop protocols for training physicians, scientists, nurses, and other health and allied health professionals;

`(C) conduct training programs for such individuals;

`(D) develop model continuing education programs for such professionals; and

`(E) disseminate information to such professionals and the public.

`(2) PRIORITY FOR PREVENTION ACTIVITIES- In carrying out the activities described in paragraph (1), each center under subsection (a) shall give priority to activities that are directed toward preventing the development in women of the diseases and conditions involved.

`(3) STIPENDS FOR TRAINING OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS- A center under subsection (a) may use funds under such subsection to provide stipends for health and allied health professionals enrolled in programs described in paragraph (1)(C).

`(c) COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY- Each center under subsection (a) shall establish and maintain ongoing collaborations with community organizations in the geographic area served by the center, including those that represent women with disorders that appear to stem from environmental factors.

`(d) COORDINATION OF CENTERS; REPORTS- The Director of the Institute shall, as appropriate, provide for the coordination of information among centers under subsection (a) and ensure regular communication between such centers.

`(e) STRUCTURE OF CENTER- Each center assisted under subsection (a) shall use the facilities of a single institution, or be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions, meeting such requirements as may be prescribed by the Director of the Institute.

`(f) DURATION OF SUPPORT- Support of a center under subsection (a) may be for a period not exceeding 5 years. Such period may be extended for one or more additional periods not exceeding 5 years if the operations of such center have been reviewed by an appropriate technical and scientific peer review group established by the Director of the Institute and if such group has recommended to the Director that such period should be extended.

`(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2005.'.

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