[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2184 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2184

To amend the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization 
    Act of 2003 to expand comparative effectiveness research and to 
increase funding for such research to improve the value of health care.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2007

Mr. Allen (for himself and Mrs. Emerson) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition 
      to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization 
    Act of 2003 to expand comparative effectiveness research and to 
increase funding for such research to improve the value of health care.

    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 ``Enhanced Health Care Value for All 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. RESEARCH ON COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF HEALTH CARE ITEMS AND 
              SERVICES.

    (a) Expansion of Scope of Research.--Subsection (a) of section 1013 
of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act 
of 2003 (Public Law 108-173) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) by striking ``programs established 
                        under titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI of the Social 
                        Security Act'' and inserting ``Federal health 
                        care programs (as defined in subparagraph 
                        (C))'';
                            (ii) by striking ``shall conduct and 
                        support research'' and inserting ``shall 
                        conduct and support research, which may include 
                        clinical research,'';
                            (iii) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at 
                        the end;
                            (iv) in clause (ii), by striking the period 
                        at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (v) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) gaps in current research which may 
                        necessitate research beyond systematic reviews 
                        of existing evidence.'';
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Federal health care programs defined.--For 
                purposes of this section, the term `Federal health care 
                program' means each of the following:
                            ``(i) Any program established under title 
                        XVIII, XIX, or XXI of the Social Security Act.
                            ``(ii) The Federal employees health 
                        benefits program under chapter 89 of title 5, 
                        United States Code.
                            ``(iii) A health program operated under 
                        title 38, United States Code, by the Department 
                        of Veterans Affairs.
                            ``(iv) The TRICARE program under chapter 55 
                        of title 10, United States Code.
                            ``(v) A medical care program of the Indian 
                        Health Service or of a tribal organization.'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C)(i), by striking ``the 
                programs established'' and inserting ``Federal health 
                care programs, including the programs established'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ``and'' at 
                the end;
                    (C) in subparagraph (C)(iii), by striking the 
                period at the end and inserting ``; and'';
                    (D) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the 
                following:
                                            ``(iv) shall provide for 
                                        education to physicians, other 
                                        health care providers, and the 
                                        public (including patients and 
                                        consumers) about the 
                                        information on comparative 
                                        effectiveness that is available 
                                        as a result of research funded 
                                        under this section.''; and
                    (E) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) Comparative effectiveness advisory board.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Effective as of the date 
                        of the enactment of the Enhanced Health Care 
                        Value for All Act of 2007, the stakeholder 
                        group consulted for purposes of subparagraph 
                        (C)(1) shall be known as the Comparative 
                        Effectiveness Advisory Board. Any reference in 
                        a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or 
                        other record of the United States to such 
                        stakeholder group shall be deemed to be a 
                        reference to the Comparative Effectiveness 
                        Advisory Board.
                            ``(ii) Composition of board.--The members 
                        of the Comparative Effectiveness Advisory Board 
                        shall consist of--
                                    ``(I) the Director of the Agency 
                                for Healthcare Research and Quality; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) up to 14 additional members 
                                who shall represent broad 
                                constituencies of stakeholders 
                                including clinicians, patients, 
                                researchers, third-party payers, 
                                consumers of Federal and State 
                                beneficiary programs, and health care 
                                industry professionals.
                            ``(iii) Appointment; terms.--The 
                        Comptroller General of the United States shall 
                        appoint the members of the Comparative 
                        Effectiveness Advisory Board. Each member shall 
                        be appointed for a term of 2 years. The members 
                        appointed for the first term following the date 
                        of the enactment of the Enhanced Health Care 
                        Value for All Act of 2007 shall be appointed 
                        not later than 90 days after such date of 
                        enactment. Any member serving on the Advisory 
                        Board as of the date of the enactment of the 
                        Enhanced Health Care Value for All Act of 2007 
                        may continuing serving through the end of the 
                        member's term.
                            ``(iv) Conflicts of interest.--In 
                        appointing the members of the Comparative 
                        Effectiveness Advisory Board (and the members 
                        of any panel that reports to the Board), the 
                        Comptroller General of the United States shall 
                        take into consideration any financial conflicts 
                        of interest.
                    ``(E) Additional authorities.--In addition to any 
                authorities vested in the Comparative Effectiveness 
                Advisory Board as of the day before the date of the 
                enactment of the Enhanced Health Care Value for All Act 
                of 2007, the Comparative Effectiveness Advisory Board 
                shall have the following authorities:
                            ``(i) To provide input on research 
                        priorities.
                            ``(ii) To recommend how to organize 
                        research funded under this section taking into 
                        consideration the full range of appropriate 
                        methodologies, including randomized control 
                        trials, practical clinical trials, observation 
                        studies, and synthesis of existing research.
                            ``(iii) To make recommendations on how 
                        findings resulting from research funded under 
                        this section should be described, presented, 
                        and disseminated.
                            ``(iv) To make recommendations to the 
                        Congress and the Secretary, not later than 2 
                        years after the date of the enactment of the 
                        Enhanced Health Care Value for All Act of 2007, 
                        regarding the establishment of one or more 
                        federally-funded research and development 
                        centers.
                            ``(v) To identify, consistent with 
                        subparagraph (C)(i), highest priorities (such 
                        as treatments that are highly utilized or are 
                        for high-cost, chronic illnesses) for research, 
                        demonstrations, and evaluations to support and 
                        improve Federal health care programs.
                            ``(vi) To ensure that such priorities are 
                        in accordance with the principles described in 
                        subparagraph (F).
                            ``(vii) To establish a clinical peer review 
                        advisory panel (comprised of methodologists, 
                        health service researchers, and medical 
                        experts) for each such priority to advise the 
                        Secretary on validating the science and methods 
                        used to conduct comparative effectiveness 
                        studies.
                    ``(F) Principles.--Research conducted or supported 
                under this section shall be in accordance with the 
                following principles:
                            ``(i) Independence.--The setting of the 
                        agenda and use of the research shall be 
                        insulated from inappropriate political or 
                        stakeholder influence.
                            ``(ii) Scientific credibility.--The methods 
                        for conducting the research shall be 
                        scientifically based.
                            ``(iii) Transparency.--All aspects of the 
                        prioritization of research, the conduct of the 
                        research, and any recommendations based on the 
                        research shall be carried out in a transparent 
                        manner.
                            ``(iv) Inclusion of input from 
                        stakeholders.--Patients, providers, health care 
                        consumer representatives, health industry 
                        representatives, and lawmakers shall be 
                        consulted regarding priorities and 
                        dissemination of the research.'';
            (3) in paragraph (3)(C), by adding at the end the 
        following:
                            ``(iii) Updates.--The Secretary shall make 
                        available and disseminate updated evaluations, 
                        syntheses, and findings under this subparagraph 
                        not less than every 6 months.''; and
            (4) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``the programs 
        established under titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI of the Social 
        Security Act'' and inserting ``the Federal health care 
        programs''.
    (b) Reports to Congress.--Such section is further amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
    ``(e) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of the Enhanced Health Care Value for All Act of 2007, and 
annually thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Comparative Effectiveness Advisory Board, shall submit to Congress a 
report on the activities conducted under this section. The report 
submitted under this subsection in 2012 shall include a description of 
the total activities conducted under this section since the date of the 
enactment of the Enhanced Health Care Value for All Act of 2007, 
including--
            ``(1) an evaluation of the return on the investment in the 
        program conducted under this section, including the overall 
        cost of the program, the scientific knowledge created through 
        the program, and the ways in which such knowledge has been 
        used;
            ``(2) an evaluation of any backlog of unfunded research 
        projects; and
            ``(3) an assessment of--
                    ``(A) how the program is working;
                    ``(B) the governance structure of the program;
                    ``(C) the ability of the program to include public 
                comment and patient perspectives in priority setting; 
                and
                    ``(D) the ability of the program to disseminate 
                findings and conclusions.''.

SEC. 3. HEALTH CARE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH TRUST FUND; 
              FINANCING FOR TRUST FUND.

    (a) Establishment of Trust Fund.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the Internal 
        Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to trust fund code) is amended 
        by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 9511. HEALTH CARE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH TRUST FUND.

    ``(a) Creation of Trust Fund.--There is established in the Treasury 
of the United States a trust fund to be known as the `Health Care 
Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund' (hereinafter in this 
section referred to as the `Trust Fund'), consisting of such amounts as 
may be appropriated or credited to such Trust Fund as provided in this 
section and section 9602(b).
    ``(b) Transfers to Fund.--There are hereby appropriated to the 
Trust Fund the following:
            ``(1) Amounts equivalent to the net revenues received in 
        the Treasury from the fees imposed under subchapter B of 
        chapter 34 (relating to fees on health insurance and self-
        insured plans).
            ``(2) Subject to subsection (c)(2), for each fiscal year 
        beginning with fiscal year 2008, amounts determined by the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services to be equivalent to fair 
        share amount determined under subsection (c) multiplied by the 
        average number of individuals entitled to benefits under part 
        A, or enrolled under part B, of title XVIII of the Social 
        Security Act during such fiscal year.
The amounts appropriated under paragraph (2) shall be transferred from 
the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund (established under section 
1817 of the Social Security Act) and from the Federal Supplementary 
Medical Insurance Trust Fund (established under section 1841 of such 
Act), and from the Medicare Prescription Drug Account within such Trust 
Fund, in proportion (as estimated by the Secretary) to the total 
expenditures during such fiscal year that are made under title XVIIII 
of such Act from the respective trust fund or account.
    ``(c) Fair Share Amount.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services shall compute for each fiscal year (beginning with 
        fiscal year 2008) a fair share amount under this subsection 
        that is an amount that, when applied under this section and 
        subchapter B of chapter 34 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
        1986, will result in revenues to the Trust Fund (taking into 
        account any outstanding balance in the Trust Fund) for the 
        fiscal year as follows:
                    ``(A) for fiscal year 2008, $100,000,000;
                    ``(B) for fiscal year 2009, $200,000,000; and
                    ``(C) for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2012, 
                $900,000,000.
            ``(2) Limitation on medicare funding.--In no case shall the 
        amount transferred under subsection (b)(2) for any fiscal year 
        exceed $200,000,000.
    ``(d) Expenditures From Fund.--Amounts in the Trust Fund are 
available to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for carrying 
out section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and 
Modernization Act of 2003.
    ``(e) Net Revenues.--For purposes of this section, the term `net 
revenues' means the amount estimated by the Secretary based on the 
excess of--
            ``(1) the fees received in the Treasury under subchapter B 
        of chapter 34, over
            ``(2) the decrease in the tax imposed by chapter 1 
        resulting from the fees imposed by such subchapter.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for such 
        subchapter A is amended by adding at the end thereof the 
        following new item:

``Sec. 9511. Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust 
                            Fund.''.
    (b) Financing for Fund From Fees on Insured and Self-Insured Health 
Plans.--
            (1) General rule.--Chapter 34 of the Internal Revenue Code 
        of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        subchapter:

         ``Subchapter B--Insured and Self-Insured Health Plans

``Sec. 4375. Health insurance.
``Sec. 4376. Self-insured health plans.
``Sec. 4377. Definitions and special rules.

``SEC. 4375. HEALTH INSURANCE.

    ``(a) Imposition of Fee.--There is hereby imposed on each specified 
health insurance policy for each policy year a fee equal to the fair 
share amount determined under section 9511(c)(1) multiplied by the 
average number of lives covered under the policy.
    ``(b) Liability for Fee.--The fee imposed by subsection (a) shall 
be paid by the issuer of the policy.
    ``(c) Specified Health Insurance Policy.--For purposes of this 
section--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
        section, the term `specified health insurance policy' means any 
        accident or health insurance policy issued with respect to 
        individuals residing in the United States.
            ``(2) Exemption of certain policies.--The term `specified 
        health insurance policy' does not include any insurance policy 
        if substantially all of the coverage provided under such policy 
        relates to--
                    ``(A) liabilities incurred under workers' 
                compensation laws,
                    ``(B) tort liabilities,
                    ``(C) liabilities relating to ownership or use of 
                property,
                    ``(D) credit insurance,
                    ``(E) medicare supplemental coverage, or
                    ``(F) such other similar liabilities as the 
                Secretary may specify by regulations.
            ``(3) Treatment of prepaid health coverage arrangements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In the case of any arrangement 
                described in subparagraph (B)--
                            ``(i) such arrangement shall be treated as 
                        a specified health insurance policy, and
                            ``(ii) the person referred to in such 
                        subparagraph shall be treated as the issuer.
                    ``(B) Description of arrangements.--An arrangement 
                is described in this subparagraph if under such 
                arrangement fixed payments or premiums are received as 
                consideration for any person's agreement to provide or 
                arrange for the provision of accident or health 
                coverage to residents of the United States, regardless 
                of how such coverage is provided or arranged to be 
                provided.

``SEC. 4376. SELF-INSURED HEALTH PLANS.

    ``(a) Imposition of Fee.--In the case of any applicable self-
insured health plan for each plan year, there is hereby imposed a fee 
equal to the fair share amount determined under section 9511(c)(1) 
multiplied by the average number of lives covered under the plan.
    ``(b) Liability for Fee.--
            ``(1) In general.--The fee imposed by subsection (a) shall 
        be paid by the plan sponsor.
            ``(2) Plan sponsor.--For purposes of paragraph (1) the term 
        `plan sponsor' means--
                    ``(A) the employer in the case of a plan 
                established or maintained by a single employer,
                    ``(B) the employee organization in the case of a 
                plan established or maintained by an employee 
                organization,
                    ``(C) in the case of--
                            ``(i) a plan established or maintained by 2 
                        or more employers or jointly by 1 or more 
                        employers and 1 or more employee organizations,
                            ``(ii) a multiple employer welfare 
                        arrangement, or
                            ``(iii) a voluntary employees' beneficiary 
                        association described in section 501(c)(9),
                the association, committee, joint board of trustees, or 
                other similar group of representatives of the parties 
                who establish or maintain the plan, or
                    ``(D) the cooperative or association described in 
                subsection (c)(2)(F) in the case of a plan established 
                or maintained by such a cooperative or association.
    ``(c) Applicable Self-Insured Health Plan.--For purposes of this 
section, the term `applicable self-insured health plan' means any plan 
for providing accident or health coverage if--
            ``(1) any portion of such coverage is provided other than 
        through an insurance policy, and
            ``(2) such plan is established or maintained--
                    ``(A) by one or more employers for the benefit of 
                their employees or former employees,
                    ``(B) by one or more employee organizations for the 
                benefit of their members or former members,
                    ``(C) jointly by 1 or more employers and 1 or more 
                employee organizations for the benefit of employees or 
                former employees,
                    ``(D) by a voluntary employees' beneficiary 
                association described in section 501(c)(9),
                    ``(E) by any organization described in section 
                501(c)(6), or
                    ``(F) in the case of a plan not described in the 
                preceding subparagraphs, by a multiple employer welfare 
                arrangement (as defined in section 3(40) of Employee 
                Retirement Income Security Act of 1974), a rural 
                electric cooperative (as defined in section 
                3(40)(B)(iv) of such Act), or a rural telephone 
                cooperative association (as defined in section 
                3(40)(B)(v) of such Act).

``SEC. 4377. DEFINITIONS AND SPECIAL RULES.

    ``(a) Definitions.--For purposes of this subchapter--
            ``(1) Accident and health coverage.--The term `accident and 
        health coverage' means any coverage which, if provided by an 
        insurance policy, would cause such policy to be a specified 
        health insurance policy (as defined in section 4375(c)).
            ``(2) Insurance policy.--The term `insurance policy' means 
        any policy or other instrument whereby a contract of insurance 
        is issued, renewed, or extended.
            ``(3) United states.--The term `United States' includes any 
        possession of the United States.
    ``(b) Treatment of Governmental Entities.--
            ``(1) In general.--For purposes of this subchapter--
                    ``(A) the term `person' includes any governmental 
                entity, and
                    ``(B) notwithstanding any other law or rule of law, 
                governmental entities shall not be exempt from the fees 
                imposed by this subchapter except as provided in 
                paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Treatment of exempt governmental programs.--In the 
        case of an exempt governmental program, no fee shall be imposed 
        under section 4375 or section 4376 on any covered life under 
        such program.
            ``(3) Exempt governmental program defined.--For purposes of 
        this subchapter, the term `exempt governmental program' means--
                    ``(A) any insurance program established under title 
                XVIII of the Social Security Act,
                    ``(B) the medical assistance program established by 
                title XIX or XXI of the Social Security Act,
                    ``(C) any program established by Federal law for 
                providing medical care (other than through insurance 
                policies) to individuals (or the spouses and dependents 
                thereof) by reason of such individuals being--
                            ``(i) members of the Armed Forces of the 
                        United States, or
                            ``(ii) veterans, and
                    ``(D) any program established by Federal law for 
                providing medical care (other than through insurance 
                policies) to members of Indian tribes (as defined in 
                section 4(d) of the Indian Health Care Improvement 
                Act).
    ``(c) Treatment as Tax.--For purposes of subtitle F, the fees 
imposed by this subchapter shall be treated as if they were taxes.
    ``(d) No Cover Over to Possessions.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, no amount collected under this subchapter shall be 
covered over to any possession of the United States.''
            (2) Clerical amendment.--Chapter 34 of such Code is amended 
        by striking the chapter heading and inserting the following:

           ``CHAPTER 34--TAXES ON CERTAIN INSURANCE POLICIES

          ``subchapter a. policies issued by foreign insurers

         ``subchapter b. insured and self-insured health plans

         ``Subchapter A--Policies Issued By Foreign Insurers''.

            (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this section 
        shall apply with respect to policies and plans for portions or 
        policy or plan years beginning on or after October 1, 2007.

SEC. 4. COORDINATION OF HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall establish a permanent council (in this section referred to as the 
``Council'') for the purpose of assisting the offices and agencies of 
the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, the Department of Defense, and any other department or agency 
to coordinate the conduct or support of health services research. Such 
coordination shall include advising each such office and agency--
            (1) on clarifying its policies regarding public access to 
        data resulting from research conducted or supported by the 
        office or agency, including the provision of reasons for not 
        permitting any such data to be publicly disclosed;
            (2) on making such policies, as clarified, publicly 
        available; and
            (3) on updating the publicly available versions of such 
        policies to reflect any subsequent modifications;
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--The Council shall be composed 
        of 20 members. One member shall be the Director of the Agency 
        for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Director shall appoint 
        the other members not later than 30 days after the enactment of 
        this Act.
            (2) Qualifications.--
                    (A) In general.--The members of the Council shall 
                include one senior official from each of the following 
                agencies:
                            (i) The Veterans Health Administration.
                            (ii) The Department of Defense Military 
                        Health Care System.
                            (iii) The Centers for Disease Control and 
                        Prevention.
                            (iv) The National Center for Health 
                        Statistics.
                            (v) The National Institutes of Health.
                            (vi) The Center for Medicare & Medicaid 
                        Services.
                            (vii) The Federal Employees Health Benefits 
                        Program.
                    (B) National, philanthropic foundations.--The 
                members of the Council shall include 4 senior leaders 
                from major national, philanthropic foundations that 
                fund and use health services research.
                    (C) Stakeholders.--The remaining members of the 
                Council shall be representatives of other stakeholders 
                in health services research, including private 
                purchasers, health plans, hospitals and other health 
                facilities, and health consumer groups.
                    (D) Period of appointment.--Members of the Council 
                shall be appointed for the life of the Council. Any 
                vacancies shall not affect the power and duties of the 
                Council and shall be filled in the same manner as the 
                original appointment.
    (c) Leadership.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
appoint the chair of the Council. Not later than 15 days after the date 
on which all members of the Council have been appointed under section 
(b)(1), the Council chair shall designate a co-chair of the Council. 
The co-chair shall be the leader of a national foundation that funds 
health services research.
    (d) Subcommittees.--The Council may establish subcommittees to 
assist in carrying out its duties.
    (e) Duties.--
            (1) Public meetings.--Not later than 120 days after the 
        designation of a co-chairperson under subsection (c), the 
        Council shall hold public meetings with producers and users of 
        health services research to examine--
                    (A) the major infrastructure challenges facing the 
                field of health services research;
                    (B) the field's research priorities over the next 5 
                years;
                    (C) the current portfolio of health services 
                research being funded;
                    (D) ways to stimulate innovation in the field of 
                health services research; and
                    (E) ways in which the field of health services 
                research might help to transform the health care system 
                by 2020.
            (2) Additional meetings.--The Council may hold additional 
        public meetings on subjects other than those listed in the 
        paragraph (1) so long as the meetings are determined to be 
        necessary by the Council in carrying out its duties. Additional 
        meetings are not required to be completed within the time 
        period specified in paragraph (1).
            (3) Develop a strategic plan.--Not later than 2 years after 
        the meetings described in paragraph (1) and (2) are completed, 
        the Council shall prepare and make public through the Internet 
        and other channels a strategic plan for the field of health 
        services research, which plan shall include the following:
                    (A) A health services research agenda to address 
                the Nation's evolving health care priorities.
                    (B) A plan for addressing the infrastructure needs 
                of the field of health services research, including 
                professional development for the next generation of 
                researchers and improved methods and data.
                    (C) A plan for fostering innovation in the field of 
                health services research.
                    (D) A uniform definition of health services 
                research and standard research categories to be used 
                across the funders of health services research in 
                developing research budgets and reporting research 
                expenditures.
    (f) Annual Report.--Not later than 1 year after the publication of 
the Council's strategic plan under subsection (e)(3), and annually 
thereafter, the Council shall report to the Congress on, and make 
public a detailed description of, the following:
            (1) The Council's progress in implementing the strategic 
        plan.
            (2) Organizational expenditures in health services research 
        by the Federal agencies specified in subsection (b)(2)(A) 
        according to the uniform definition and standard research 
        categories developed by the Council.
    (g) Detail of Employees.--Each Federal agency represented on the 
Council may, on a non-reimbursable basis, detail one employee to the 
Council. Each such detail shall last no more than 2 years. Any detail 
of an employee shall be without interruption or loss of civil services 
status or privilege.
    (h) Contracting.--The Director of the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality may contract with an outside entity to assist the 
Council in holding public meetings, developing the strategic plan for 
the field of health services research, and fulfilling annual reporting 
requirements.
                                 <all>