Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Prostate Cancer Community Assistance, Research and Education Act of 2022” or the “PC–CARE Act”.
Prostate Cancer Community Assistance, Research and Education Act of 2022
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a Prostate Cancer Coordinating Committee, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds the following:
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States.
Over 3,100,000 men in the United States live with a prostate cancer diagnosis and it is estimated that in 2021, 248,530 men will be diagnosed with, and more than 34,130 men will die of, prostate cancer.
Men with at least one close relative who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer have twice the risk of having prostate cancer compared to the general population.
At least 12 percent of men with metastatic prostate cancer have inherited predispositions to the disease and potentially actionable genomic alterations have been identified in over 90 percent of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Advances in science to identify, test, and treat these men at increased genetic risk of disease are needed.
African-American men suffer from a prostate cancer incidence rate that is significantly higher than that of White men and have more than double the prostate cancer mortality rate than that of White men.
Research has shown that veterans exposed to herbicides, such as Agent Orange, are at higher risk for and more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
Screening by a digital rectal examination and a prostate-specific antigen blood test can detect the disease at the earlier, more treatable stages.
Men diagnosed with early stage disease have a nearly 100 percent 5-year survival rate but only 30 percent of men survive more than 5 years if diagnosed with prostate cancer after the cancer has metastasized.
Early-staged prostate cancer has no symptoms, raising the importance of early detection and screening.
The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs all have a role in providing care for and conducting research on prostate cancer.
Multiple institutes at the National Institutes of Health are engaged in prostate cancer care and research, including the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the Clinical Center.
Additional agencies and offices within the Department of Health and Human Services conduct activities related to prostate cancer, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Office of Minority Health, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The Department of Defense created the Prostate Cancer Research Program in 1997 and has funded more than $2,000,000,000 in prostate cancer research since that time.
Private foundations have provided substantial funding to the prostate cancer research community for almost three decades, including support for over 200 cancer centers and universities.
The Director of the National Institutes of Health has partnered with private prostate cancer research groups to study to study biological and nonbiological factors associated aggressive prostate cancer in African-American men.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs has partnered with private foundations to establish precision oncology program hubs for prostate cancer.
The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has partnered with multiple private stakeholder groups to increase awareness and education around prostate cancer in the general population and among high-risk groups.
Increased coordination of governmental and nongovernmental activities can reduce costs and increase effectiveness of ongoing work.
Joint planning and goal setting across the Government and private sector can create a pathway toward eliminating prostate cancer deaths and improving care for millions of men.
Sec. 3 Prostate Cancer Coordinating Committee
Part A of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“404F. Prostate Cancer Coordinating Committee
“(a) Establishment—The Secretary shall establish a committee to be known as the Prostate Cancer Coordinating Committee (referred to in this section as the “Coordinating Committee”).
“(b) Duties—The Coordinating Committee shall—
“(1) monitor, coordinate, and evaluate activities with respect to prostate cancer research programs carried out by Federal agencies; and
“(2) develop and implement the plan under subsection (g).
“(c) Composition
“(1) In general—The Coordinating Committee shall be composed of not more than 24 members, to be appointed by the Secretary, of whom—
“(A) one-half shall represent Federal agencies that carry out research or treatment activities with respect to prostate cancer, including—
“(i) the Director of the National Institutes of Health (or designee);
“(ii) the directors of the appropriate agencies of the National Institutes of Health (or designees), including the National Cancer Institute;
“(iii) the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or designee);
“(iv) the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (or designee);
“(v) the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (or designee);
“(vi) the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (or designee);
“(vii) the Secretary of Defense (or designee); and
“(viii) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (or designee); and
“(B) one-half shall be individuals who have experience with prostate cancer, including—
“(i) not less than 3 individuals who are living with prostate cancer (or a caregiver of such individual);
“(ii) not less than 3 researchers;
“(iii) not less than 3 clinicians;
“(iv) not less than 3 representatives from patient groups; and
“(v) not less than 3 representatives from professional medical societies.
“(2) Physician requirement—Of the members appointed under paragraph (1), not less than one-half shall be physicians.
“(d) Term; vacancies
“(1) In general—A member shall be appointed for a term of 3 years.
“(2) Vacancies—A vacancy on the Coordinating Committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made.
“(e) Reappointment—The Secretary may reappoint a member of the Coordinating Committee to an unlimited number of terms.
“(f) Chair—The Secretary shall appoint the chair of the Coordinating Committee.
“(g) Plan—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Coordinating Committee shall develop and implement a plan (and update such plan every 3 years thereafter), in consultation with a broad range of scientists, patients, clinicians, and advocacy groups, on prostate cancer research programs and activities carried out by Federal agencies. Such plan shall include the following:
“(1) The identification of existing prostate cancer programs and activities of the—
“(A) the Department of Health and Human Services, including the National Institutes of Health;
“(B) the Department of Defense; and
“(C) the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“(2) An evaluation on research with respect to the underlying causes, prevalence, treatment, and mortality of prostate cancer, including any disparity among African-American and other high-risk men (defined as men who have a family history of prostate cancer, a genetic predisposition for prostate cancer, or developed cancer due to exposure to certain chemical and radiological agents).
“(3) With respect to prostate cancer—
“(A) an evaluation on the effectiveness of current screening and diagnostic techniques; and
“(B) recommendations for improving such techniques.
“(4) An evaluation on the effectiveness of treatments for prostate cancer and the development of recommendations for new treatments, including new biological agents.
“(5) With respect to prostate cancer, an evaluation on the effectiveness of clinical practice guidelines and the development of recommendations to improve such guidelines.
“(6) The development of recommendations to improve clinical pathways in private and government-operated medical systems, including screening and diagnosis and information on informed and shared decision making.
“(7) The development of recommendations for research investigation methods for improving the quality of life of individuals who have survived with prostate cancer.
“(8) With respect to prostate cancer, an evaluation on the effectiveness of information and education programs for health care professionals and the public.
“(9) With respect to screening and clinical trial enrollment for prostate cancer, recommendations to improve outreach and education, including best practices for outreach to African-American men and other high-risk men.
“(h) Meetings—The Coordinating Committee shall meet at the request of the Secretary not less 3 times each year.
“(i) FACA—Except as provided in this section, the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Coordinating Committee.
“(j) Report
“(1) Initial report—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Coordinating Committee shall submit recommendations using the plan under subsection (g) to the following:
“(A) The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“(B) The Secretary of Defense.
“(C) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
“(D) The Committees on Energy and Commerce and Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
“(E) The Committees on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and Appropriations of the Senate.
“(2) Updated reports—Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this section, and every 3 years thereafter, the Coordinating Committee shall submit to the secretaries and committees listed in paragraph (1)—
“(A) updated recommendations using the plan under subsection (g); and
“(B) a summary of progress made with respect to recommendations submitted pursuant to this section.
“(k) Authorization of appropriations—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2029.”