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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
February 2004
Laws
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- Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (P. L. 108-173)
- Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-155)
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Bills
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- Health Information for Quality Improvement Act
- Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act
- Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity (IMPACT) Act
- National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization Act
- National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network
- Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act
- Prevention, Awareness, and Research Auto-Immune Disease Act
- Protection for Participants in Research Act of 2003
- Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act
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Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (P. L. 108-173)
On December 8, President Bush signed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and
Modernization Act of 2003 into law. Formerly known as H.R. 1, the Act establishes a
voluntary prescription drug benefit under the Medicare program and requires Medicare to
cover a "preventive physical examination" for beneficiaries. Screening for some cancers,
glaucoma, and cholesterol levels will be covered. Under the Act's new health care quality
demonstration program, the NIH is required to expand support for the evaluation of
medical technologies to improve the foundation for evidence-based practice.
Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-155)
President Bush signed S. 650, the Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003, into law on December 3.
It authorizes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require research into pediatric
uses for new drugs and biological products. A related law enacted in 2002, the
Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (P.L. 107-109),
encourages pediatric testing of already approved drugs.
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Bills
Health Information for Quality Improvement Act
Number: S. 2003
Sponsor: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)
Latest action: Referred to the Senate Finance Committee on December 9.
Highlights: Would require:
- the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to
establish an Office of National Healthcare Information Infrastructure.
- the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the NIH
to support research on information technology applications to improve medical care.
- health insurance plans to cover some expenses incurred by beneficiaries who
participate in clinical trials.
Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act
Number: H.R. 3539
Sponsor: Representative Heather Wilson (R-NM)
Latest action: Referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on November 19.
Highlights: Would require:
- the Secretary of the DHHS, in consultation with the Directors of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the NIH, to develop a plan to prevent, control,
and manage hepatitis C infection.
- the NIH Director to create a Liver Disease Research Advisory Board.
Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity (IMPACT) Act
Number: S. 1172
Sponsor: Senator Bill Frist (R-TN)
Latest action: Referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on January 20 after passage by
the Senate.
Highlights: Would required the Secretary of the DHHS, through the CDC, AHRQ, Indian Health
Service, NIH, and Office of Women's Health, to coordinate with the Departments of Agriculture,
Education, and Interior to award grants for services to improve nutrition, increase physical
activity, and prevent obesity.
In early 2003, Representative Mary Bono (R-CA) introduced H.R. 716, a slightly different
measure also called the IMPACT Act. It was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization Act
Number: H.R. 3034
Sponsor: Representative Bill Young (R-FL)
Latest action: Referred to the Senate Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on October 2 after passage by the House.
Highlights: Would require the bone marrow scientific registry to make relevant summaries
and data sets of scientific information available to the public.
National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network
Number: S. 1717
Sponsor: Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT)
Latest action: Referred to Senate HELP Committee on October 3.
Highlights: Would establish a network responsible
for preparing, storing, and distributing
human umbilical cord blood stem cells for patients needing
transplants and supporting peer-reviewed research using such cells.
Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act
Number: S. 573
Sponsor: Senator Bill Frist (R-TN)
Latest action: Received in the House on December 8 after passage by the Senate.
Highlights: Would establish several new initiatives
related to organ donation, including activities to:
- encourage organ donation.
- reimburse living donors for expenses related to organ donation.
- establish a registry to monitor the long-term health of living donors.
The House passed similar legislation (H.R. 399, the Organ Donation Improvement Act of 2003) in March.
Prevention, Awareness, and Research Auto-Immune Disease Act
Number: H.R. 3359
Sponsor: Representative Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI)
Latest action: Referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on November 21.
Highlights: Would require the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish:
- grants to educate health care providers on potential links between autoimmune
diseases and depression.
- a loan repayment program for researchers who study autoimmune diseases.
Protection for Participants in Research Act of 2003
Number: H.R. 3594
Sponsor: Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO)
Latest action: Referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on November 21.
Highlights: Would expand the coverage of current regulations related to Institutional Review Boards.
Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act
Number: H.R. 3658 and S. 1909
Sponsor: Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) and Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Latest action: H.R. 3658 was referred to the House
Energy and Commerce Committee on December 8.
S. 1909 was referred to the Senate HELP Committee on November 20.
Highlights: H.R. 3658 would amend the Public Health Service Act to strengthen education, prevention, and treatment programs related to stroke.
S. 1909 would:
- enhance programs to prevent stroke and to treat and rehabilitate people who
experience a stroke.
- authorize the Secretary of the DHHS to conduct studies on a variety of
topics including patient access to currently approved and newly developed stroke
prevention and treatment services
and the effect of existing stroke-related public awareness campaigns.
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Content last modified: 1/29/04
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[Legislative Update (May
2004)]
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2003)]
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