---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 299b–4"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "299b–4"
heading: "Research supporting primary care and access in underserved areas"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/299b-4"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter VII — Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality"
  - "Part B — Health Care Improvement Research"
---

# §299b–4. Research supporting primary care and access in underserved areas

- (a) **Preventive Services Task Force—**
  - (1) **Establishment and purpose—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) shall convene an independent Preventive [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3) (referred to in this subsection as the “[Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3)”) to be composed of individuals with appropriate expertise. Such [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3) shall review the scientific evidence related to the effectiveness, appropriateness, and cost-effectiveness of clinical preventive [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) for the purpose of developing recommendations for the health care community, and updating previous clinical preventive recommendations, to be published in the Guide to Clinical Preventive [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) (referred to in this section as the “Guide”), for individuals and organizations delivering clinical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), including primary care professionals, health care systems, professional societies, [employers](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-6), community organizations, non-profit organizations, Congress and other policy-makers, governmental public health [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), health care quality organizations, and organizations developing national health objectives. Such recommendations shall consider clinical preventive best practice recommendations from the [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine, specialty medical associations, patient groups, and scientific societies.
  - (2) **Duties—** The duties of the [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3) shall include—
    - (A) the development of additional topic areas for new recommendations and interventions related to those topic areas, including those related to specific sub-populations and age groups;
    - (B) at least once during every 5-year period, review[^1] interventions and update[^2] recommendations related to existing topic areas, including new or improved techniques to assess the health effects of interventions;
    - (C) improved integration with Federal Government health objectives and related target setting for health improvement;
    - (D) the enhanced dissemination of recommendations;
    - (E) the provision of technical assistance to those health care professionals, [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) and organizations that request help in implementing the Guide[^3] recommendations; and
    - (F) the submission of yearly reports to Congress and related [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) identifying gaps in research, such as preventive [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) that receive an insufficient evidence statement, and recommending priority areas that deserve further examination, including areas related to populations and age groups not adequately addressed by current recommendations.
  - (3) **Role of Agency—** The [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) shall provide ongoing administrative, research, and technical support for the operations of the [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3), including coordinating and supporting the dissemination of the recommendations of the [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3), ensuring adequate staff resources, and assistance to those organizations requesting it for implementation of the Guide’s recommendations.
  - (4) **Coordination with Community Preventive Services Task Force—** The [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3) shall take appropriate steps to coordinate its work with the Community Preventive [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3) and the [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) on Immunization [Practices](/usc/42/17061.md?p=19), including the examination of how each [task force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3)’s recommendations interact at the nexus of clinic and community.
  - (5) **Operation—** Operation.[^4] In carrying out the duties under [paragraph (2)](#a-2), the [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3) is not subject to the provisions of chapter 10 of title 5.
  - (6) **Independence—** All members of the [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3) convened under this subsection, and any recommendations made by such members, shall be independent and, to the extent practicable, not subject to political pressure.
  - (7) **Authorization of appropriations—** There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year to carry out the activities of the [Task Force](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=3).
- (b) **Primary care research—**
  - (1) **In general—** There is established within the [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) a Center for Primary Care Research (referred to in this subsection as the “Center”) that shall serve as the principal source of funding for primary care practice research in the Department of Health and Human [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a). For purposes of this paragraph, primary care research focuses on the first contact when illness or health concerns arise, the diagnosis, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) or referral to specialty care, preventive care, and the relationship between the clinician and the patient in the context of the family and community.
  - (2) **Research—** In carrying out this section, the Center shall conduct and support research concerning—
    - (A) the nature and characteristics of primary care practice;
    - (B) the management of commonly occurring clinical problems;
    - (C) the management of undifferentiated clinical problems; and
    - (D) the continuity and coordination of health [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “review of”.
[^2]: So in original. Probably should be “updating of”.
[^3]: So in original. Probably should be “Guide’s”.
[^4]: So in original.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IX, § 915, as added Pub. L. 106–129, § 2(a), Dec. 6, 1999, 113 Stat. 1659; amended Pub. L. 111–148, title IV, § 4003(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 541; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(241), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4332.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “chapter 10 of title 5.” for “Appendix 2 of title 5.”

2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–148 added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a) which related to establishment and purpose of Preventive Services Task Force, provision of support by Agency, and nonapplicability of provisions of Appendix 2 of title 5.