[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2742 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2742

 To reduce the incidence, progression, and impact of diabetes and its 
     complications and establish the position of National Diabetes 
                              Coordinator.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 11, 2008

  Mr. Cochran introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To reduce the incidence, progression, and impact of diabetes and its 
     complications and establish the position of National Diabetes 
                              Coordinator.

    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 ``National Diabetes Coordinator Act of 
2008''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to provide leadership for the 
development and implementation of a national strategy for reducing the 
incidence, progression, and impact of diabetes and its complications.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL DIABETES COORDINATOR.

    (a) Establishment.--Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 241 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 330C the 
following:

``SEC. 330C-1. NATIONAL DIABETES COORDINATOR.

    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human 
        Services the position of National Diabetes Coordinator.
            ``(2) Appointment.--The Coordinator shall be appointed by 
        the Secretary in consultation with the President (or the 
        President's designee) and shall report directly to the 
        Secretary.
            ``(3) Qualifications.--The Coordinator shall be a 
        nationally recognized individual with experience in diabetes-
        related issues across private and public sectors.
            ``(4) Staff.--The Secretary shall provide the Coordinator 
        with appropriate staff, administrative support, and such other 
        resources as may be necessary for the Coordinator to carry out 
        the duties described in subsection (c).
    ``(b) Mission.--In carrying out the duties described in subsection 
(c), the Coordinator shall adhere to the mission of--
            ``(1) preventing diabetes in those individuals and 
        populations at risk for the disease;
            ``(2) increasing detection of diabetes;
            ``(3) maximizing the return on diabetes research;
            ``(4) increasing diabetes control efforts;
            ``(5) improving the standard of diabetes care available;
            ``(6) encouraging, when feasible, the development and 
        coverage of new diabetes therapies, treatments, and 
        technologies; and
            ``(7) supplementing, but not supplanting, existing diabetes 
        research programs.
    ``(c) Duties of the Coordinator.--The Coordinator shall--
            ``(1) serve as the principal advisor to the Secretary on 
        ways to save lives, improve the quality of life, and save money 
        for taxpayers and patients by reducing the rates of diabetes 
        and its complications;
            ``(2) develop a measurement for the incidence of diabetes;
            ``(3) develop and coordinate implementation of a national 
        strategy to reduce the incidence, progression, and impact of 
        diabetes and its complications in the United States;
            ``(4) provide leadership and coordination between 
        government agencies and across the public and private sectors 
        to ensure that diabetes-related programs and policies of the 
        Department of Health and Human Services are coordinated 
        internally and with those of relevant Federal, State, and local 
        agencies with a goal of avoiding duplication of effort, 
        maximizing impact, and marshaling all government resources; and
            ``(5) coordinate public and private resources to develop 
        and lead a public awareness campaign regarding the prevention 
        and control of diabetes and its complications.
    ``(d) Cooperation.--The head of any Federal department or agency 
and the head of any public or private agency or entity that receives 
Federal funds related to diabetes or diabetes-related complications, 
including those of the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating 
Committee, the National Diabetes Education Program, and the Office of 
Minority Health, shall, to the extent possible, give full cooperation 
to the Coordinator.
    ``(e) No New Rights or Benefits.--This section is not intended to, 
and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
enforceable at law or in equity against the United States, its 
agencies, its entities or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, 
or any other person.
    ``(f) Limitations.--The Secretary shall ensure that the activities 
of the National Diabetes Coordinator under this section will not 
negatively alter or impede existing diabetes research programs.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `Coordinator' means the National Diabetes 
        Coordinator.
            ``(2) The term `diabetes' means diabetes mellitus and 
        includes type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational 
        diabetes.''.
    (b) Executive Schedule.--Section 5315 of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
            ``National Diabetes Coordinator General, Department of 
        Health and Human Services.''.
    (c) Beginning of Operations.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the National Diabetes Coordinator shall 
begin operations under section 330C-1 of the Public Health Service Act, 
as added by subsection (a).

SEC. 4. REPORTS TO THE PRESIDENT.

    (a) National Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, in consultation with the National Diabetes 
        Coordinator, shall report to the President on a national 
        strategy to reduce the incidence, progression, and impact of 
        diabetes and its complications in the United States.
            (2) Updates.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
        in consultation with the National Diabetes Coordinator, shall 
        submit biennial updates to the report required by paragraph 
        (1).
    (b) Report by OPM.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management shall report to the President through the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services on ways that the Federal Government can build 
into its negotiations with health plans appropriate standards and 
activities to reduce risk factors for diabetes and encourage prevention 
and early treatment of diabetes and its complications.
    (c) Report by Secretary of Agriculture.--Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Agriculture shall report to the President on ways in which food 
programs and nutritional support can be better targeted at concerns 
specific to those at risk for diabetes or those already diagnosed with 
diabetes whose complications could be reduced by more effective diet.
    (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``diabetes'' means 
diabetes mellitus and includes type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and 
gestational diabetes.
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