LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

January 2006

Laws

Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-129)
Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Appropriations (P.L. 109-148 and P.L. 109-149)

Bills Relating to NIH Activities or Structure

Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2005 (H.R. 3005)
Family Asthma Act (H.R. 4166)
Living Well with Fatal Chronic Illness Act of 2005 (H.R. 4249)
American Center for Cures Act of 2005 (S. 2104)

Resolutions

America's Blood Centers (H.Res. 220)
Day of Hearts, Congenital Heart Defect Day (S.Con.Res. 69 and H.Res. 629)

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Laws

Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005

Number: P.L. 109-129 (formerly H.R. 2520)
Enrolled on: December 20.
Highlights: Established a new Federal program that will prepare, store, and distribute human umbilical cord blood stem cells for the treatment of patients and for peer-reviewed research. The program, called the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, will be administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Appropriations

Numbers: P.L. 109-148 (formerly H.R. 2863) and P.L. 109-149 (formerly H.R. 3010)
Enrolled on: December 30.
Highlights: With the passage of H.R. 3010, Congress provided the NHLBI with a 0.3 percent increase over the $2,941,201,000 that it received in FY 2005. However, passage of a separate bill (H.R. 2863) reduced the budget of many federal programs or agencies—including the Institutes and Centers of the NIH—by 1 percent and resulted in a final FY 2006 appropriation of $2,921,757,000 for the NHLBI.

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Bills Relating to NIH Activities or Structures

Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2005

Number: H.R. 3005
Sponsor: Representative Kevin Brady (R-TX)
Referred to: House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Latest Action: On December 8, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing titled Improving America's Health: Examining Federal Research Efforts for Pulmonary Hypertension and Chronic Pain. Three witnesses discussed pulmonary hypertension:

Mr. Carl Hicks, Vice President of Advocacy for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
Ms. Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, a patient.
Dr. Mark Gladwin, Chief of the NHLBI Vascular Medicine Branch at the NIH Clinical Center.

Highlights: Like its companion measure (S. 1774), which was introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) on June 21, H.R. 3005 would require the NHLBI to develop:

centers of excellence dedicated to research on pulmonary hypertension and education of scientists, health professionals, and public members interested in pulmonary hypertension.
a clearinghouse to disseminate information about pulmonary hypertension to health professionals, patients, industry, and the public.
a system for collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of data derived from patient populations with pulmonary hypertension.

Family Asthma Act

Number: H.R. 4166
Sponsor: Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)
Referred to: House Committee on Energy and Commerce (October 27)
Highlights: Like its companion measure (S. 1489), which was introduced by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on July 26, H.R. 4166 would require the:

National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) to catalog all asthma prevention, management, and surveillance activities conducted by organizations or agencies that participate in the NAEPP and to make recommendations to the Congress for strengthening and better coordinating federal asthma activities.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in collaboration with the NHLBI and other Institutes, to support additional research on gene-environment interactions that contribute to the development or exacerbation of asthma.

Two other bills (H.R. 172 and H.R. 2098) that also were introduced in 2005 include a similar provision for the NAEPP.

Living Well with Fatal Chronic Illness Act of 2005

Number: H.R. 4249
Sponsor: Representative James Oberstar (D-MN)
Referred to: House Committees on Energy and Commerce, on Veterans Affairs, and on Ways and Means (November 8)
Highlights: Would require the NIH and other DHHS agencies to conduct various activities to improve the care for and health of patients who have chronic illnesses. NIH activities specified by the bill include the funding of:

two Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers by the National Institute on Aging.
two "program projects" by the NHLBI.
two comprehensive cancer centers by the National Cancer Institute.

American Center for Cures Act of 2005

Number: S. 2104
Sponsor: Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)
Referred to: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP Committee; December 14)
Highlights: Would establish an NIH Center, the American Center for Cures, which would assume responsibility for existing NIH technology transfer and small business innovation research grant functions and would support new programs known as federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs).

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Resolutions

A resolution recognizing America's Blood Centers and member organizations for their commitment to providing over half the Nation with a safe and adequate volunteer donor blood supply, and for other purposes

Number: H.Res. 220
Sponsor: Representative Charles Boustany (R-LA)
Latest action: Passed (October 25)

A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a Day of Hearts, Congenital Heart Defect Day to increase awareness about congenital heart defects.

Numbers: S.Con.Res. 69 and H.Res. 629
Sponsors: Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Representative Tom Price (R-GA)
Referred to: Senate HELP Committee (December 14) and House Committee on Government Reform (December 16)

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Content last modified: 1/12/2006
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[Legislative Update (May 2006)]
[Legislative Update (October 2005)]
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