[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6568 Received in Senate (RDS)]
2d Session
H. R. 6568
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 26 (legislative day, September 17), 2008
Received
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to encourage
research and carry out an educational campaign with respect to
pulmonary hypertension, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Tom Lantos Pulmonary Hypertension
Research and Education Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
TITLE I--RESEARCH ON PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
Sec. 101. Expansion and intensification of activities.
TITLE II--INCREASING AWARENESS OF PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
Sec. 201. Promoting public awareness.
Sec. 202. Promoting awareness among health care professionals.
TITLE I--RESEARCH ON PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
SEC. 101. EXPANSION AND INTENSIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this Act
referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the Director
of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (in this title
referred to as the ``Institute''), should continue aggressive
work on pulmonary hypertension;
(2) as part of such work, the Director of the Institute
should continue research to expand the understanding of the
causes of, and to find a cure for, pulmonary hypertension; and
(3) activities under paragraph (1) may include conducting
and supporting--
(A) basic research concerning the etiology and
causes of pulmonary hypertension;
(B) basic research on the relationship between
scleroderma, sickle cell anemia (and other conditions
identified by the Director of the Institute that can
lead to a secondary diagnosis of pulmonary
hypertension), and pulmonary hypertension;
(C) clinical research for the development and
evaluation of new treatments for pulmonary
hypertension, including the establishment of a
``Pulmonary Hypertension Clinical Research Network'';
(D) support for the training of new clinicians and
investigators with expertise in the pulmonary
hypertension; and
(E) information and education programs for the
general public.
(b) Biennial Reports.--As part of the biennial report made under
section 403 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 283), the
Secretary shall include information on the status of pulmonary
hypertension research at the National Institutes of Health.
TITLE II--INCREASING AWARENESS OF PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
SEC. 201. PROMOTING PUBLIC AWARENESS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall carry out an
educational campaign to increase public awareness of pulmonary
hypertension. Print, video, and Web-based materials distributed under
this program may include--
(1) basic information on pulmonary hypertension and its
symptoms; and
(2) information on--
(A) the incidence and prevalence of pulmonary
hypertension;
(B) diseases and conditions that can lead to
pulmonary hypertension as a secondary diagnosis;
(C) the importance of early diagnosis; and
(D) the availability, as medically appropriate, of
a range of treatment options and pulmonary
hypertension.
(b) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary is encouraged to
disseminate information under subsection (a) through a cooperative
agreement with a national nonprofit entity with expertise in pulmonary
hypertension.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than September 30, 2009, the
Secretary shall report to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Senate on the status of activities
under this section.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $2,500,000 for
each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011.
SEC. 202. PROMOTING AWARENESS AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of
the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall carry out an
educational campaign to increase awareness of pulmonary hypertension
among health care providers. Print, video, and Web-based materials
distributed under this program may include information on--
(1) the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension;
(2) the importance of early diagnosis;
(3) current diagnostic criteria; and
(4) Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies for the
disease.
(b) Targeted Health Care Providers.--Health care providers targeted
through the campaign under subsection (a) shall include, but not be
limited to, cardiologists, pulmonologists, rheumatologists, primary
care physicians, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners
(c) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary is encouraged to
disseminate information under subsection (a) through a cooperative
agreement with a national nonprofit entity with expertise in pulmonary
hypertension.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than September 30, 2009, the
Secretary shall report to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Senate on the status of activities
under this section.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $2,500,000 for
each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Passed the House of Representatives September 25, 2008.
Attest:
LORRAINE C. MILLER,
Clerk.