---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 280g–7"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "280g–7"
heading: "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis registry"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/280g-7"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter II — General Powers and Duties"
  - "Part P — Additional Programs"
---

# §280g–7. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis registry

- (a) **Establishment—**
  - (1) **In general—** Not later than 1 year after the receipt of the report described in [subsection (b)(2)(A)](#b-2-A), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may, if scientifically advisable—
    - (A) develop a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (referred to in this section as “ALS”) and other motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, and in some cases progress to ALS, including information with respect to the incidence and prevalence of the disease in the United States; and
    - (B) establish a national registry for the collection and storage of such data to develop a population-based registry of cases in the United States of ALS and other motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, and in some cases progress to ALS.
  - (2) **Purpose—** It is the purpose of the registry established under [paragraph (1)(B)](#a-1-B) to—
    - (A) better describe the incidence and prevalence of ALS in the United States;
    - (B) examine appropriate factors, such as environmental and occupational, that may be associated with the disease;
    - (C) better outline key demographic factors (such as age, race or ethnicity, gender, and family history of individuals who are diagnosed with the disease) associated with the disease;
    - (D) better examine the connection between ALS and other motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, and in some cases progress to ALS; and
    - (E) other matters as recommended by the [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) established under [subsection (b)](#b).
- (b) **Advisory Committee—**
  - (1) **Establishment—** Not later than 180 days after October 8, 2008, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may establish a committee to be known as the [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) on the National ALS Registry (referred to in this section as the “[Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2)”). The [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) shall be composed of not more than 27 members to be appointed by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of which—
    - (A) two-thirds of such members shall represent governmental [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1)—
      - (i) including at least one member representing—
        - (I) the National Institutes of Health, to include, upon the recommendation of the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institutes of Health, representatives from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences;
        - (II) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
        - (III) the [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; and
        - (IV) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and
      - (ii) of which at least one such member shall be a clinician with expertise on ALS and related diseases, an epidemiologist with experience in data registries, a statistician, an ethicist, and a privacy expert (relating to the privacy [regulations](/usc/42/201.md?p=d) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996); and
    - (B) one-third of such members shall be public members, including at least one member representing—
      - (i) national and voluntary health associations;[^1]
      - (ii) patients with ALS or their [family members](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-15);
      - (iii) clinicians with expertise on ALS and related diseases;
      - (iv) epidemiologists with experience in data registries;
      - (v) geneticists or experts in genetics who have experience with the genetics of ALS or other neurological diseases[^2] and
      - (vi) other individuals with an interest in developing and maintaining the National ALS Registry.
  - (2) **Duties—** The [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) may review information and make recommendations to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) concerning—
    - (A) the development and maintenance of the National ALS Registry;
    - (B) the type of information to be collected and stored in the Registry;
    - (C) the manner in which such data is to be collected;
    - (D) the use and availability of such data including guidelines for such use; and
    - (E) the collection of information about diseases and disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS.
  - (3) **Report—** Not later than 270 days after the date on which the [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) is established, the [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) may submit a report to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) concerning the review conducted under [paragraph (2)](#b-2) that contains the recommendations of the [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) with respect to the results of such review.
- (c) **Grants—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on ALS and other motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, and in some cases progress to ALS after receiving the report under [subsection (b)(3)](#b-3).
- (d) **Coordination with State, local, and Federal registries—**
  - (1) **3 In general—** In establishing the National ALS Registry under [subsection (a)](#a), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may—
    - (A) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other Federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible, which may include—
      - (i) any registry pilot [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) previously supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
      - (ii) the Department of Veterans Affairs ALS Registry;
      - (iii) the DNA and Cell Line Repository of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Human Genetics Resource Center at the National Institutes of Health;
      - (iv) [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry studies, including studies conducted in Illinois, Missouri, El Paso and San Antonio, Texas, and Massachusetts;
      - (v) [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f)-based ALS registries;
      - (vi) the National Vital Statistics System; and
      - (vii) any other existing or relevant databases that collect or maintain information on those motor neuron diseases recommended by the [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) established in [subsection (b)](#b); and
    - (B) provide for research access to ALS data as recommended by the [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) established in [subsection (b)](#b) to the extent permitted by applicable statutes and [regulations](/usc/42/201.md?p=d) and in a manner that protects personal privacy consistent with applicable privacy statutes and [regulations](/usc/42/201.md?p=d).
    - (C) **Coordination with nih and department of veterans affairs.—** Consistent with applicable privacy statutes and [regulations](/usc/42/201.md?p=d), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may ensure that epidemiological and other types of information obtained under [subsection (a)](#a) is made available to the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- (e) **Definition—** For the purposes of this section, the term “national voluntary health association” means a national non-profit organization with chapters or other affiliated organizations in [States](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) throughout the United States with experience serving the population of individuals with ALS and have demonstrated experience in ALS research, care, and patient [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “national voluntary health associations;”.
[^2]: So in original. Probably should be followed by a semicolon.
[^3]: So in original. No par. (2) has been enacted.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 399S, formerly § 399R, as added Pub. L. 110–373, § 2, Oct. 8, 2008, 122 Stat. 4047; renumbered § 399S, Pub. L. 111–148, title IV, § 4003(b)(2)(A), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 544.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(A)(ii), is Pub. L. 104–191, Aug. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 1936. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1996 Amendments note set out under section 201 of this title and Tables.