[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6568 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6568

   To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to encourage 
    research and carry out an educational campaign with respect to 
            pulmonary hypertension, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2008

    Mr. Brady of Texas (for himself and Mrs. Capps) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
  Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to encourage 
    research and carry out an educational campaign with respect to 
            pulmonary hypertension, 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 ``Tom Lantos Pulmonary Hypertension 
Research and Education Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
              TITLE I--RESEARCH ON PULMONARY HYPERTENSION

Sec. 101. Expansion and intensification of activities.
        TITLE II--INCREASING AWARENESS OF PULMONARY HYPERTENSION

Sec. 201. Promoting public awareness.
Sec. 202. Promoting awareness among health care professionals.
           TITLE III--GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDY

Sec. 301. Study on Medicare and Medicaid coverage standards for 
                            pulmonary hypertension therapies.

              TITLE I--RESEARCH ON PULMONARY HYPERTENSION

SEC. 101. EXPANSION AND INTENSIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this Act 
        referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the Director 
        of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the 
        National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (in this title 
        referred to as the ``Institute''), should continue aggressive 
        work on pulmonary hypertension;
            (2) as part of such work, the Director of the Institute 
        should continue research to expand the understanding of the 
        causes of, and to find a cure for, pulmonary hypertension; and
            (3) activities under paragraph (1) may include conducting 
        and supporting--
                    (A) basic research concerning the etiology and 
                causes of pulmonary hypertension;
                    (B) basic research on the relationship between 
                scleroderma, sickle cell anemia (and other conditions 
                identified by the Director of the Institute that can 
                lead to a secondary diagnosis of pulmonary 
                hypertension), and pulmonary hypertension;
                    (C) clinical research for the development and 
                evaluation of new treatments for pulmonary 
                hypertension, including the establishment of a 
                ``Pulmonary Hypertension Clinical Research Network'';
                    (D) support for the training of new clinicians and 
                investigators with expertise in the pulmonary 
                hypertension; and
                    (E) information and education programs for the 
                general public.
    (b) Biennial Reports.--As part of the biennial report made under 
section 403 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 283), the 
Secretary shall include information on the status of pulmonary 
hypertension research at the National Institutes of Health.

        TITLE II--INCREASING AWARENESS OF PULMONARY HYPERTENSION

SEC. 201. PROMOTING PUBLIC AWARENESS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall carry out an 
educational campaign to increase public awareness of pulmonary 
hypertension. Print, video, and Web-based materials distributed under 
this program may include--
            (1) basic information on pulmonary hypertension and its 
        symptoms; and
            (2) information on--
                    (A) the incidence and prevalence of pulmonary 
                hypertension;
                    (B) diseases and conditions that can lead to 
                pulmonary hypertension as a secondary diagnosis;
                    (C) the importance of early diagnosis; and
                    (D) the availability, as medically appropriate, of 
                a range of treatment options and pulmonary 
                hypertension.
    (b) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary is encouraged to 
disseminate information under subsection (a) through a cooperative 
agreement with a national nonprofit entity with expertise in pulmonary 
hypertension.
    (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than September 30, 2009, the 
Secretary shall report to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate on the status of activities 
under this section.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $2,500,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011.

SEC. 202. PROMOTING AWARENESS AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of 
the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Director of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall carry out an 
educational campaign to increase awareness of pulmonary hypertension 
among health care providers. Print, video, and Web-based materials 
distributed under this program may include information on--
            (1) the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension;
            (2) the importance of early diagnosis;
            (3) current diagnostic criteria; and
            (4) Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies for the 
        disease.
    (b) Targeted Health Care Providers.--Health care providers targeted 
through the campaign under subsection (a) shall include, but not be 
limited to, cardiologists, pulmonologists, rheumatologists, primary 
care physicians, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners
    (c) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary is encouraged to 
disseminate information under subsection (a) through a cooperative 
agreement with a national nonprofit entity with expertise in pulmonary 
hypertension.
    (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than September 30, 2009, the 
Secretary shall report to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate on the status of activities 
under this section.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $2,500,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011.

           TITLE III--GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDY

SEC. 301. STUDY ON MEDICARE AND MEDICAID COVERAGE STANDARDS FOR 
              PULMONARY HYPERTENSION THERAPIES.

    (a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study on the coverage standards that, under the programs 
under titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act (commonly known 
as Medicare and Medicaid, respectively), apply to patients with 
pulmonary hypertension. The study shall detail Medicare and Medicaid 
coverage standards for all therapies approved by the Food and Drug 
Administration for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
    (b) Content.--The study under subsection (a) shall take into 
account the appropriate outpatient or home health care delivery 
settings.
    (c) Report.--Not later than September 30, 2009, the Comptroller 
General shall submit to the Congress a report describing the findings 
of the study under subsection (a).
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