[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1289 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1289

To provide for research and education with respect to uterine fibroids, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2005

Ms. Mikulski (for herself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. 
 Boxer, Ms. Cantwell, and Mr. Sarbanes) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for research and education with respect to uterine fibroids, 
                        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 ``Uterine Fibroid Research and 
Education Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) The development of uterine fibroids is a common and 
        significant health problem, affecting women, primarily of 
        reproductive age, across all ages, racial backgrounds, and 
        socioeconomic levels.
            (2) It is estimated that between 20 and 30 percent of women 
        of reproductive age have clinically recognized uterine 
        fibroids, and screening studies indicate the prevalence of 
        uterine fibroids in women may be much higher.
            (3) Minority women are more likely to develop uterine 
        fibroids, and through ultrasound screening of African American 
        and Caucasian women for fibroids, it is estimated that more 
        than 80 percent of African Americans and about 70 percent of 
        Caucasians develop fibroids by the time they reach menopause 
        and the tumors develop at younger ages in African Americans.
            (4) Symptomatic uterine fibroids can cause heavy bleeding, 
        pain, and reproductive problems, including infertility. There 
        is no known cause of uterine fibroids.
            (5) The presence of uterine fibroids is the most common 
        reason for hysterectomies, accounting for approximately one-
        third of hysterectomies, or 200,000 procedures annually and 22 
        percent of African American women and 7 percent of Caucasians 
        have hysterectomies for fibroids.
            (6) Over five billion dollars are spent annually on 
        hysterectomies, at approximately $6,000 for each surgery.
            (7) The Evidence Report and Summary on the Management of 
        Uterine Fibroids, as compiled by the Agency for Healthcare 
        Research and Quality of the Department of Health and Human 
        Services, held that there is a ``remarkable lack of high 
        quality evidence supporting the effectiveness of most 
        interventions for symptomatic fibroids''.
            (8) Current research and available data do not provide 
        adequate information on the rates of prevalence and incidents 
        of fibroids in Asian, Hispanic, and other minority women, the 
        costs associated with treating fibroids, and the methods by 
        which fibroids may be prevented in these women.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH WITH RESPECT TO UTERINE FIBROIDS.

    (a) Research.--The Director of the National Institutes of Health 
(in this section referred to as the ``Director of NIH'') shall expand, 
intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of 
research with respect to uterine fibroids.
    (b) Administration.--The Director of NIH shall carry out this 
section through the appropriate institutes, offices, and centers of the 
National Institutes of Health, including the National Institute of 
Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences, the Office of Research on Women's 
Health, and the National Center on Minority Health and Health 
Disparities.
    (c) Coordination of Activities.--The Office of Research on Women's 
Health shall coordinate activities under subsection (b) among the 
institutes, offices, and centers of the National Institutes of Health.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010.

SEC. 4. EDUCATION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO 
              UTERINE FIBROIDS.

    (a) Uterine Fibroids Public Education Program.--The Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention, shall develop and disseminate to 
the public information regarding uterine fibroids, including 
information on--
            (1) the incidence and prevalence of uterine fibroids among 
        women;
            (2) the elevated risk for minority women to develop uterine 
        fibroids; and
            (3) the availability, as medically appropriate, of a range 
        of treatment options for symptomatic uterine fibroids.
    (b) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary may disseminate 
information under subsection (a) directly or through arrangements with 
nonprofit organizations, consumer groups, institutions of higher 
education, Federal, State, or local agencies, or the media.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010.

SEC. 5. INFORMATION TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WITH RESPECT TO UTERINE 
              FIBROIDS.

    (a) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health 
Resources and Services Administration, shall develop and disseminate to 
health care providers information on uterine fibroids for the purpose 
of ensuring that health care providers remain informed about current 
information on uterine fibroids. Such information shall include the 
elevated risk for minority women to develop uterine fibroids and the 
range of available options for the treatment of symptomatic uterine 
fibroids.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010.

SEC. 6. DEFINITION.

    In this Act, the term ``minority women'' means women who are 
members of a racial and ethnic minority group, as defined in section 
1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g)).
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