Title II — Department of Health and Human Services

S. 2481 · 116th Congress · Sep 17, 2019 · Lineage

II Department of Health and Human Services

Sec. 201 Promoting efforts through interagency working groups and international forums

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall continue to promote the need for robust programs and activities to diagnose, prevent, control, and treat neglected tropical diseases—

(1)

through interagency working groups on health; and

(2)

through relevant international forums on behalf of the United States, including the post-2015 United Nations development agenda.

Sec. 202 Report on neglected tropical diseases in the United States

(a)

In general— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through relevant agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall submit a report to the Congress on neglected tropical diseases in the United States.

(b)

Contents— The report required under this section shall—

(1)

assess the epidemiology of, impact of, and appropriate funding required to address, neglected tropical diseases in the United States; and

(2)

include information necessary—

(A)

to guide future health policy with respect to such diseases;

(B)

to accurately evaluate the current state of knowledge concerning such diseases; and

(C)

to define gaps in such knowledge.

Sec. 203 Centers of excellence

Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 399V–6 (42 U.S.C. 280g–17) the following:

“399V–7. Neglected tropical disease centers of excellence

“(a) Cooperative agreements and grants

“(1) In general—The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may enter into cooperative agreements with, and award grants to, public or private nonprofit entities to pay all or part of the cost of planning, establishing, or strengthening, and providing basic operating support for, one or more centers of excellence for research into, training in, and development of diagnosis, prevention, control, and treatment methods for neglected tropical diseases, including tools to support elimination by building capacity for sustainable prevention efforts once epidemiology has been characterized and initial control achieved.

“(2) Eligibility—To be eligible for a cooperative agreement or grant under this section, an entity must—

“(A) have demonstrated expertise in research on, or the epidemiology and surveillance of, major neglected tropical diseases that are endemic to the United States, such as Chagas disease, dengue, leishmaniasis, West Nile virus, and helminth infections; and

“(B) participate in one or more not-for-profit product development partnerships.

“(b) Policies—A cooperative agreement or grant under subsection (a) shall be entered into or awarded in accordance with established policies.

“(c) Coordination—The Secretary shall ensure that activities under this section are coordinated with similar activities of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to neglected tropical diseases.

“(d) Uses of funds—A cooperative agreement or grant under subsection (a) may be used for—

“(1) staffing, administrative, and other basic operating costs, including patient care costs that are required for research;

“(2) clinical training, including training for allied health professionals, continuing education for health professionals and allied health professions personnel, and information programs for the public with respect to neglected tropical diseases; and

“(3) research and development programs.

“(e) Period of support; additional periods

“(1) In general—Except as provided in paragraph (2), support of a center of excellence under this section may be for a period of not more than 5 years.

“(2) Extensions—The period specified in paragraph (1) may be extended by the Secretary for additional periods of not more than 5 years each if—

“(A) the operations of the center of excellence involved have been reviewed by an appropriate technical and scientific peer review group; and

“(B) group referred to in subparagraph (A) has recommended to the Secretary that such period should be extended.

“(f) Definitions—In this section:

“(1) The term neglected tropical diseases has the meaning given that term in section 5 of the End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act.

“(2) The term product development partnership means a partnership to bring together public and private sector researchers to develop new, or improve on current, global health tools, such as drugs, diagnostics, insecticides, vaccines, and vector management strategies—

“(A) that are for neglected tropical diseases; and

“(B) for which there is generally no profitable market.”

Sec. 204 Panel on worm infection solutions

(a)

Establishment— The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a panel to conduct an evaluation of issues relating to worm infections, including potential solutions such as deworming medicines.

(b)

Strategies— The panel established pursuant to subsection (a) shall develop recommendations for strategies for solutions with respect to—

(1)

repeat infections;

(2)

vector control;

(3)

clean water solutions;

(4)

identifying incentives to encourage basic research for less toxic, more effective medicines; and

(5)

improving the success and cost efficiency of current programs in these areas, based on a thorough scan of initiatives already underway in both the public and private sectors.

(c)

Appointment of members— In addition to representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other relevant agencies working on neglected tropical diseases, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall appoint, as members of the panel established pursuant to subsection (a), individuals from the public and private sectors who are knowledgeable about or affected by worm infections, including—

(1)

at least 2 representatives of nongovernmental organizations;

(2)

at least 2 representatives of private industry involved in the development of de-worming medications;

(3)

at least 2 representatives from academia; and

(4)

representatives of industries relating to sanitation, clean water, and vector control.

(d)

Report— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the panel shall submit a report to Congress and to the Secretary of Health and Human Services that includes—

(1)

the findings and recommended strategies of the panel; and

(2)

recommendations for such administrative action and legislation as the panel determines to be appropriate.

(e)

Termination— The panel shall terminate not later than 6 months after the submission of the report required under subsection (d).