Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2003

Mr. BROWN of Ohio (for himself and Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to making progress toward the goal of eliminating tuberculosis, 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 `Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2003'.

TITLE I--INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION

SEC. 101. ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR THE ELIMINATION OF TUBERCULOSIS.

Section 317E(f) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-6(f)) is amended--

(1) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and

(2) by striking paragraphs (2) through (4), and inserting the following:

`(2) DUTIES- For the purpose of making progress toward the goal of eliminating tuberculosis from the United States, the Council shall provide to the Secretary and other appropriate Federal officials advice on coordinating the activities of the Public Health Service and other Federal agencies that relate to such disease and on efficiently utilizing the Federal resources involved.

`(3) NATIONAL PLAN- In carrying out paragraph (2), the Council, in consultation with appropriate public and private entities, shall make recommendations on the development, revision, and implementation of a national plan to eliminate tuberculosis in the United States. In carrying out this paragraph, the Council shall--

`(A) consider the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine regarding the elimination of tuberculosis;

`(B) address the development and application of new technologies; and

`(C) review the extent to which progress has been made toward eliminating tuberculosis.

`(4) GLOBAL ACTIVITIES- In carrying out paragraph (2), the Council, in consultation with appropriate public and private entities, shall make recommendations for the development and implementation of a plan to guide the involvement of the United States in global and cross border tuberculosis-control activities, including recommendations regarding policies, strategies, objectives, and priorities. Such recommendations for the plan shall have a focus on countries where a high incidence of tuberculosis directly affects the United States, such as Mexico, and on access to a comprehensive package of tuberculosis control measures, as defined by the World Health Organization directly observed treatment, short course strategy (commonly known as DOTS).

`(5) COMPOSITION- The Council shall be composed of--

`(A) representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission, and other Federal departments and agencies that carry out significant activities relating to tuberculosis; and

`(B) members appointed from among individuals who are not officers or employees of the Federal Government.'.

TITLE II--CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

SEC. 201. NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR TUBERCULOSIS ELIMINATION.

Section 317E of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-6) is amended--

(1) by striking the heading for the section and inserting the following:

`NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR TUBERCULOSIS ELIMINATION';

(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

`(b) RESEARCH, DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING- With respect to the prevention, control, and elimination of tuberculosis, the Secretary may, directly or through grants to public or nonprofit private entities, carry out the following:

`(1) Research, with priority given to research concerning--

`(A) diagnosis and treatment of latent infection of tuberculosis;

`(B) strains of tuberculosis resistant to drugs;

`(C) cases of tuberculosis that affect certain populations; and

`(D) clinical trials, including a tuberculosis trials consortium.

`(2) Demonstration projects for--

`(A) the development of regional capabilities for the prevention, control, and elimination of tuberculosis; and

`(B) collaboration with the Immigration and Naturalization Service to identify and treat immigrants with active or latent tuberculosis infection.

`(3) Public information and education programs.

`(4) Education, training and clinical skills improvement activities for health professionals, including allied health personnel.

`(5) Support of model centers to carry out activities under paragraphs (1) through (4).

`(6) Collaboration with international organizations and foreign countries in carrying out such activities, including coordinating activities through the Committee on Interagency Collaboration for Tuberculosis Elimination.';

(3) in subsection (f), by adding at the end the following:

`(4) ANNUAL REPORTS- The Council shall annually submit to the Congress and the Secretary a report on the activities carried out under this subsection. The report shall include the opinion of the Council on the extent to which the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine regarding tuberculosis have been implemented.'; and

(4) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:

`(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $528,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2008.'.

TITLE III--NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

SEC. 301. ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE.

Subpart 2 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285b et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 424B the following section:

`TUBERCULOSIS

`SEC. 424C. (a) IN GENERAL- The Director of the Institute shall expand, intensify, and coordinate research and related activities of the Institute with respect to tuberculosis, including activities toward the goal of eliminating such disease.

`(b) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES- Activities under subsection (a) shall include--

`(1) enhancing basic and clinical research on tuberculosis; and

`(2) expanding research on the relationship between such disease and the human immunodeficiency virus.

`(c) RESEARCH EDUCATION-

`(1) TUBERCULOSIS ACADEMIC AWARDS- The Director of the Institute may provide awards to faculty of schools of medicine or osteopathic medicine to assist such faculty in developing high quality curricula in such schools designed to significantly increase the opportunities for interested individuals, including students of the school and practicing physicians and nurses, to learn the principles and practices of preventing, managing, and controlling tuberculosis.

`(2) TUBERCULOSIS/PULMONARY INFECTION AWARDS- The Director of the Institute may provide awards to support the career development of clinically trained professionals who are committed to research regarding pulmonary infections and tuberculosis by providing for supervised study and research.

`(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS-

`(A) TUBERCULOSIS ACADEMIC AWARDS- For the purpose of carrying out paragraph (1), there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2008.

`(B) TUBERCULOSIS/PULMONARY INFECTION AWARDS- For the purpose of carrying out paragraph (2), there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2008.'.

SEC. 302. ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

Section 447A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285f-2) is amended--

(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);

(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following subsection:

`(b) Activities under subsection (a) shall include activities to develop a tuberculosis vaccine. Such activities shall be carried out in accordance with the blueprint for tuberculosis vaccine development described in the report prepared pursuant to the workshop convened in March 1998 by the Advisory Council for Elimination of Tuberculosis, the Director of the National Vaccine Program, and the Director of the Institute.'; and

(3) in subsection (c) (as so redesignated), in the first sentence--

(A) by striking `and' after `1994,'; and

(B) by inserting before the period the following: `, $240,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2008'.

SEC. 303. JOHN E. FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR ADVANCED STUDY IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES.

Section 482 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 287b) is amended--

(1) by inserting `(a) IN GENERAL- ' before `The general purpose';

(2) in subsection (a) (as so designated), by inserting after `Health Sciences' the following: `(in this subpart referred to as the `Center')'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following subsection:

`(b) TUBERCULOSIS-

`(1) IN GENERAL- In carrying out subsection (a) with respect to tuberculosis, the Center shall expand, intensify, and coordinate international activities of the Center for research and training.

`(2) INTERNATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM- In carrying out paragraph (1), the Center shall carry out an international training program regarding tuberculosis. Such program shall be modeled after the international training program carried out by the Center with respect to the human immunodeficiency virus.'.

SEC. 304. LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS REGARDING RESEARCH ON TUBERCULOSIS.

Part G of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 288 et seq.) is amended--

(1) by redesignating the second section 487F as section 487G; and

(2) by inserting after section 487G (as so redesignated) the following section:

`LOAN REPAYMENTS REGARDING RESEARCH ON TUBERCULOSIS

`SEC. 487H. In carrying out sections 487C, 487E, and 487F, the Secretary shall seek to ensure that, for fiscal year 2004 and subsequent fiscal years, a portion of amounts appropriated to carry out such sections is reserved for the purpose of entering into contracts under which (in accordance with the section involved) individuals will conduct research on tuberculosis.'.

END