---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 285b–3"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "285b–3"
heading: "National Heart, Blood Vessel, Lung, and Blood Diseases and Blood Resources Program; administrative provisions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/285b-3"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes"
  - "Part C — Specific Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes"
  - "Subpart 2 — national heart, lung, and blood institute"
---

# §285b–3. National Heart, Blood Vessel, Lung, and Blood Diseases and Blood Resources Program; administrative provisions

- (a)
  - (1) The National Heart, Blood [Vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), Lung, and Blood Diseases and Blood Resources [Program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) (hereafter in this subpart referred to as the “[Program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4)”) may provide for—
    - (A) investigation into the epidemiology, etiology, and prevention of all forms and aspects of heart, blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), lung, and blood diseases, including investigations into the social, environmental, behavioral, nutritional, biological, and genetic determinants and influences involved in the epidemiology, etiology, and prevention of such diseases;
    - (B) studies and research into the basic biological processes and mechanisms involved in the underlying normal and abnormal heart, blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), lung, and blood phenomena;
    - (C) research into the development, trial, and evaluation of techniques, [drugs](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4), and devices (including computers) used in, and approaches to, the diagnosis, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) (including the provision of emergency medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a)), and prevention of heart, blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), lung, and blood diseases and the rehabilitation of patients suffering from such diseases;
    - (D) establishment of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) that will focus and apply scientific and technological efforts involving the biological, physical, and engineering sciences to all facets of heart, blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), lung, and blood diseases with emphasis on the refinement, development, and evaluation of technological devices that will assist, replace, or monitor vital [organs](/usc/42/274i–4.md?p=1) and improve instrumentation for detection, diagnosis, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of and rehabilitation from such diseases;
    - (E) establishment of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for the conduct and direction of field studies, large-scale testing and evaluation, and demonstration of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative approaches to, and emergency medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) for, such diseases;
    - (F) studies and research into blood diseases and blood, and into the use of blood for clinical purposes and all aspects of the management of blood resources in the United States, including the collection, preservation, fractionation, and distribution of blood and blood products;
    - (G) the education (including continuing education) and training of scientists, clinical investigators, and educators, in fields and specialties (including computer sciences) requisite to the conduct of clinical [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) respecting heart, blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), lung, and blood diseases and blood resources;
    - (H) public and professional education relating to all aspects of such diseases, including the prevention of such diseases, and the use of blood and blood products and the management of blood resources;
    - (I) establishment of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for study and research into heart, blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), lung, and blood diseases of children (including cystic fibrosis, hyaline membrane, hemolytic diseases such as sickle cell anemia and Cooley’s anemia, and hemophilic diseases) and for the development and demonstration of diagnostic, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), and preventive approaches to such diseases; and
    - (J) establishment of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for study, research, development, demonstrations and evaluation of emergency medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) for people who become critically ill in connection with heart, blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), lung, or blood diseases.
  - (2) The [Program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) shall be coordinated with other national research institutes to the extent that they have responsibilities respecting such diseases and shall give special emphasis to the continued development in the Institute of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) related to the causes of stroke and to effective coordination of such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) with related stroke [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) in the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke. The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute, with the advice of the [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1) for the Institute, shall revise annually the plan for the [Program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and shall carry out the [Program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) in accordance with such plan.
- (b) In carrying out the [Program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute, under policies established by the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH—
  - (1) may, after consultation with the [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1) for the Institute, obtain (in accordance with [section 3109 of title 5](/usc/5/3109.md), but without regard to the limitation in such section on the period of such [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a)) the [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) of not more than one hundred experts or consultants who have scientific or professional qualifications;
  - (2)
    - (A) may, in consultation with the [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1) for the Institute, acquire and construct, improve, [repair](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=4), operate, alter, renovate, and maintain, heart, blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), lung, and blood disease and blood resource laboratories, research, training, and other facilities, equipment, and such other real or personal property as the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) determines necessary;
    - (B) may, in consultation with the [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1) for the Institute, make grants for [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) or renovation of facilities; and
    - (C) may, in consultation with the [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1) for the Institute, acquire, without regard to [section 8141 of title 40](/usc/40/8141.md), by lease or otherwise, through the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of General [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), buildings or parts of buildings in the District of Columbia or communities located adjacent to the District of Columbia for the use of the Institute for a period not to exceed ten years;
  - (3) subject to [section 284(b)(2) of this title](/usc/42/284.md?p=b-2) and without regard to [section 3324 of title 31](/usc/31/3324.md) and [section 6101 of title 41](/usc/41/6101.md), may enter into such contracts, leases, cooperative agreements, or other transactions, as may be necessary in the conduct of the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5)’s functions, with any [public agency](/usc/42/11851.md?p=8), or with any person, firm, association, [corporation](/usc/42/2297h.md?p=2), or educational institutions;
  - (4) may make grants to public and [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) private entities to assist in meeting the cost of the care of patients in [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1), clinics, and related facilities who are participating in research [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2); and
  - (5) shall, in consultation with the [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1) for the Institute, conduct appropriate intramural training and education [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), including continuing education and laboratory and [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) training [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4).

  Except as otherwise provided, experts and consultants whose [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) are obtained under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall be paid or reimbursed, in accordance with [title 5](/usc/5.md), for their travel to and from their place of [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) and for other expenses associated with their assignment. Such expenses shall not be allowed in connection with the assignment of an expert or consultant whose [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) are obtained under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) unless the expert or consultant has agreed in writing to complete the entire period of the assignment or one year of the assignment, whichever is shorter, unless separated or reassigned for reasons which are beyond the control of the expert or consultant and which are acceptable to the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute. If the expert or consultant violates the agreement, the money spent by the United States for such expenses is recoverable from the expert or consultant as a debt due the United States. The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may waive in whole or in part a right of recovery under the preceding sentence.


## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 421, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 837; amended Pub. L. 100–607, title I, § 127, Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3055; Pub. L. 103–43, title V, § 501, title XX, § 2008(b)(3), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 158, 211.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

In subsec. (b)(2)(C), “section 8141 of title 40” substituted for “the Act of March 3, 1877 (40 U.S.C. 34)” on authority of Pub. L. 107–217, § 5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, the first section of which enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works.

In subsec. (b)(3), “section 6101 of title 41” substituted for “section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5)” on authority of Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

### Amendments

1993—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 103–43, § 2008(b)(3), inserted comma after “may”.

Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 103–43, § 501, added par. (5).

1988—Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 100–607, § 127(1), inserted “and rehabilitation from” after “and treatment of”.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 100–607, § 127(2), substituted “after consultation with” for “, after approval of”.