---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 285d–4"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "285d–4"
heading: "Interagency coordinating committees"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/285d-4"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes"
  - "Part C — Specific Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes"
  - "Subpart 4 — national institute of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases"
---

# §285d–4. Interagency coordinating committees

- (a) **Establishment and purpose—** For the purpose of—
  - (1) better coordination of the research activities of all the national research institutes relating to arthritis, musculoskeletal diseases, and skin diseases, including sports-related disorders; and
  - (2) coordinating the aspects of all Federal health [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and activities relating to arthritis, musculoskeletal diseases, and skin diseases in order to assure the adequacy and technical soundness of such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and activities and in order to provide for the full communication and [exchange](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-21) of information necessary to maintain adequate coordination of such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and activities,

  the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall establish an Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee and a Skin Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee (hereafter in this section individually referred to as a “Committee”).

- (b) **Membership; chairman; meetings—** Each Committee shall be composed of the [Directors](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of each of the national research institutes and divisions involved in research regarding the diseases with respect to which the Committee is established, the Under [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of Defense for Health Affairs (or the designees of such officers), and representatives of all other Federal departments and [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) (as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c)) whose [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) involve health functions or responsibilities relevant to arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases or skin diseases, as the case may be. Each Committee shall be chaired by the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH (or the designee of the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5)). Each Committee shall meet at the call of the chairman, but not less often than four times a year.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 439, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 849; amended Pub. L. 102–405, title III, § 302(e)(1), Oct. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 1985; Pub. L. 103–43, title XX, § 2008(b)(6), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 211; Pub. L. 105–362, title VI, § 601(a)(1)(D), Nov. 10, 1998, 112 Stat. 3285.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1998—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–362 struck out subsec. (c) which read as follows: “Not later than 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, each Committee shall prepare and transmit to the Secretary, the Director of NIH, the Director of the Institute, and the advisory council for the Institute a report detailing the activities of the Committee in such fiscal year in carrying out paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of this section.”

1993—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–43 substituted “Department of Veterans Affairs” for “Veterans’ Administration”.

1992—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–405 substituted “Under Secretary for Health” for “Chief Medical Director”.