[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3563 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3563

     To provide for prostate cancer imaging research and education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 2007

  Mr. Cummings (for himself, Mr. Wynn, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Eddie Bernice 
Johnson of Texas, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Holden, 
  Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Jefferson, and Mr. Meeks of New York) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To provide for prostate cancer imaging research and education.

    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 ``Prostate Research, Imaging, and 
Men's Education Act of 2007'' or the ``PRIME Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Prostate cancer has reached epidemic proportions, 
        particularly among African-American men, and strikes and kills 
        men in numbers comparable to the number of women who lose their 
        lives from breast cancer.
            (2) Life-saving breakthroughs in screening, diagnosis, and 
        treatment of breast cancer resulted from the development of 
        advanced imaging technologies led by the Federal Government.
            (3) Men should have accurate and affordable prostate cancer 
        screening exams and minimally-invasive treatment tools, similar 
        to what women have for breast cancer.
            (4) While it is important for men to take advantage of 
        current prostate cancer screening techniques, a recent NCI-
        funded study demonstrated that the most common available 
        methods of detecting prostate cancer (PSA blood test and 
        physical exams) are not foolproof, causing numerous false 
        alarms and false reassurances.
            (5) The absence of advanced imaging technologies for 
        prostate cancer causes the lack of accurate information 
        critical for clinical decisions, resulting in missed cancers 
        and lost lives, as well as unnecessary and costly medical 
        procedures, with related complications.
            (6) With prostate imaging tools, men and their families 
        would face less physical, psychological, financial and 
        emotional trauma and billions of dollars could be saved in 
        private and public health care systems.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROSTATE CANCER IMAGING 
              TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) Expansion of Research.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary''), acting through 
the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, and in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall carry out a program 
to expand and intensify research to develop innovative advanced imaging 
technologies for prostate cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment 
comparable to state-of-the-art mammography technologies.
    (b) Early Stage Research.--In implementing the program under 
subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the 
Health Resources and Services Administration, shall carry out a grant 
program to encourage the early stages of research in prostate imaging 
to develop and implement new ideas, proof of concepts, and pilot 
studies for high-risk technologic innovation in prostate cancer imaging 
that would have a high potential impact for improving patient care, 
including individualized care, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness.
    (c) Large Scale Later Stage Research.--In implementing the program 
under subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
National Institutes of Health, shall utilize the National Institute of 
Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the National Cancer Institute 
for advanced stages of research in prostate imaging, including 
technology development and clinical trials for projects determined by 
the Secretary to have demonstrated promising preliminary results and 
proof of concept.
    (d) Interdisciplinary Private-Public Partnerships.--In developing 
the program under subsection (a), the Secretary, through the 
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 
shall establish interdisciplinary private-public partnerships to 
develop and implement research strategies for expedited innovation in 
imaging and image-guided treatment and to conduct such research.
    (e) Racial Disparities.--In developing the program under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall recognize and address--
            (1) the racial disparities in the incidences of prostate 
        cancer and mortality rates with respect to such disease; and
            (2) any barriers in access to care and participation in 
        clinical trials that are specific to racial minorities.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, 
        $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
            (2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized to be 
        appropriated under paragraph (1) for each of the fiscal years 
        described in such paragraph--
                    (A) no less than 10 percent may be appropriated to 
                carry out the grant program under subsection (b); and
                    (B) no more than 1 percent may be appropriated to 
                carry out subsection (d).

SEC. 4. PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.

    (a) National Campaign.--The Secretary shall carry out a national 
campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of Americans with 
respect to the need for prostate cancer screening and for improved 
detection technologies.
    (b) Requirements.--The national campaign conducted under subsection 
(a) shall include--
            (1) roles for the Health Resources Services Administration, 
        the Office on Minority Health of the Department of Health and 
        Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
        and the Office of Minority Health of the Centers for Disease 
        Control and Prevention; and
            (2) the development and distribution of written educational 
        materials, and the development and placing of public service 
        announcements, that are intended to encourage men to seek 
        prostate cancer screening and to create awareness of the need 
        for improved imaging technologies for prostate cancer screening 
        and diagnosis, including in vitro blood testing and imaging 
        technologies.
    (c) Racial Disparities.--In developing the national campaign under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall recognize and address--
            (1) the racial disparities in the incidences of prostate 
        cancer and mortality rates with respect to such disease; and
            (2) any barriers in access to care and participation in 
        clinical trials that are specific to racial minorities.
    (d) Grants.--The Secretary shall establish a program to award 
grants to nonprofit private entities to enable such entities to test 
alternative outreach and education strategies to increase the awareness 
and knowledge of Americans with respect to the need for prostate cancer 
screening and improved imaging technologies.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $10,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2008 through 2012.

SEC. 5. IMPROVING PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING BLOOD TESTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary 
of Defense, shall carry out research to develop an improved prostate 
cancer screening blood test using in-vitro detection.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2008 through 2012.

SEC. 6. REPORTING AND COMPLIANCE.

    (a) Report and Strategy.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report that details the strategy of the Secretary for implementing the 
requirements of this Act and the status of such efforts.
    (b) Full Compliance.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report that--
            (1) describes the research and development and public 
        awareness and education campaigns funded under this Act;
            (2) provides evidence that projects involving high-risk, 
        high impact technologic innovation, proof of concept, and pilot 
        studies are prioritized;
            (3) provides evidence that the Secretary recognizes and 
        addresses any barriers in access to care and participation in 
        clinical trials that are specific to racial minorities in the 
        implementation of this Act;
            (4) contains assurances that the all other provisions of 
        this Act are fully implemented; and
            (5) certifies compliance with the provisions of this Act, 
        or in the case of a Federal agency that has not complied with 
        any of such provisions, an explanation as to such failure to 
        comply.
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