[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3566 Reported in Senate (RS)]
Calendar No. 521
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3566
To provide for scientific frameworks with respect to recalcitrant
cancers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 19, 2012
Mr. Harkin, from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions, reported the following original bill; which was read twice
and placed on the calendar
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for scientific frameworks with respect to recalcitrant
cancers.
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 ``Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act of
2012''.
SEC. 2. SCIENTIFIC FRAMEWORK FOR RECALCITRANT CANCERS.
Subpart 1 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 285 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 417G. SCIENTIFIC FRAMEWORK FOR RECALCITRANT CANCERS.
``(a) Development of Scientific Framework.--
``(1) In general.--For each recalcitrant cancer identified
under subsection (b), the Director of the Institute shall
develop (in accordance with subsection (c)) a scientific
framework for the conduct or support of research on such
cancer.
``(2) Contents.--The scientific framework with respect to a
recalcitrant cancer shall include the following:
``(A) Current status.--
``(i) Review of literature.--A summary of
findings from the current literature in the
areas of--
``(I) the prevention, diagnosis,
and treatment of such cancer;
``(II) the fundamental biologic
processes that regulate such cancer
(including similarities and differences
of such processes from the biological
processes that regulate other cancers);
and
``(III) the epidemiology of such
cancer.
``(ii) Scientific advances.--The
identification of relevant emerging scientific
areas and promising scientific advances in
basic, translational, and clinical science
relating to the areas described in subclauses
(I) and (II) of clause (i).
``(iii) Researchers.--A description of the
availability of qualified individuals to
conduct scientific research in the areas
described in clause (i).
``(iv) Coordinated research initiatives.--
The identification of the types of initiatives
and partnerships for the coordination of
intramural and extramural research of the
Institute in the areas described in clause (i)
with research of the relevant national research
institutes, Federal agencies, and non-Federal
public and private entities in such areas.
``(v) Research resources.--The
identification of public and private resources,
such as patient registries and tissue banks,
that are available to facilitate research
relating to each of the areas described in
clause (i).
``(B) Identification of research questions.--The
identification of research questions relating to basic,
translational, and clinical science in the areas
described in subclauses (I) and (II) of subparagraph
(A)(i) that have not been adequately addressed with
respect to such recalcitrant cancer.
``(C) Recommendations.--Recommendations for
appropriate actions that should be taken to advance
research in the areas described in subparagraph (A)(i)
and to address the research questions identified in
subparagraph (B), as well as for appropriate benchmarks
to measure progress on achieving such actions,
including the following:
``(i) Researchers.--Ensuring adequate
availability of qualified individuals described
in subparagraph (A)(iii).
``(ii) Coordinated research initiatives.--
Promoting and developing initiatives and
partnerships described in subparagraph (A)(iv).
``(iii) Research resources.--Developing
additional public and private resources
described in subparagraph (A)(v) and
strengthening existing resources.
``(3) Timing.--
``(A) Initial development and subsequent update.--
For each recalcitrant cancer identified under
subsection (b)(1), the Director of the Institute
shall--
``(i) develop a scientific framework under
this subsection not later than 18 months after
the date of the enactment of this section; and
``(ii) review and update the scientific
framework not later than 5 years after its
initial development.
``(B) Other updates.--The Director of the Institute
may review and update each scientific framework
developed under this subsection as necessary.
``(4) Public notice.--With respect to each scientific
framework developed under subsection (a), not later than 30
days after the date of completion of the framework, the
Director of the Institute shall--
``(A) submit such framework to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce and Committee on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives, and the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
``(B) make such framework publically available on
the Internet website of the Department of Health and
Human Services.
``(b) Identification of Recalcitrant Cancer.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date
of the enactment of this section, the Director of the Institute
shall identify two or more recalcitrant cancers that each--
``(A) have a 5-year relative survival rate of less
than 20 percent; and
``(B) are estimated to cause the death of at least
30,000 individuals in the United States per year.
``(2) Additional cancers.--The Director of the Institute
may, at any time, identify other recalcitrant cancers for
purposes of this section. In identifying a recalcitrant cancer
pursuant to the previous sentence, the Director may consider
additional metrics of progress (such as incidence and mortality
rates) against such type of cancer.
``(c) Working Groups.--For each recalcitrant cancer identified
under subsection (b), the Director of the Institute shall convene a
working group comprised of representatives of appropriate Federal
agencies and other non-Federal entities to provide expertise on, and
assist in developing, a scientific framework under subsection (a). The
Director of the Institute (or the Director's designee) shall
participate in the meetings of each such working group.
``(d) Reporting.--
``(1) Biennial reports.--The Director of NIH shall ensure
that each biennial report under section 403 includes
information on actions undertaken to carry out each scientific
framework developed under subsection (a) with respect to a
recalcitrant cancer, including the following:
``(A) Information on research grants awarded by the
National Institutes of Health for research relating to
such cancer.
``(B) An assessment of the progress made in
improving outcomes (including relative survival rates)
for individuals diagnosed with such cancer.
``(C) An update on activities pertaining to such
cancer under the authority of section 413(b)(7).
``(2) Additional one-time report for certain frameworks.--
For each recalcitrant cancer identified under subsection
(b)(1), the Director of the Institute shall, not later than 6
years after the initial development of a scientific framework
under subsection (a), submit a report to the Congress on the
effectiveness of the framework (including the update required
by subsection (a)(3)(A)(ii)) in improving the prevention,
detection, diagnosis, and treatment of such cancer.
``(e) Recommendations for Exception Funding.--The Director of the
Institute shall consider each relevant scientific framework developed
under subsection (a) when making recommendations for exception funding
for grant applications.
``(f) Definition.--In this section, the term `recalcitrant cancer'
means a cancer for which the five-year relative survival rate is below
50 percent.''.
Calendar No. 521
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3566
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for scientific frameworks with respect to recalcitrant
cancers.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 19, 2012
Read twice and placed on the calendar