[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 746 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 746

To provide for the establishment of a Commission to Accelerate the End 
                           of Breast Cancer.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 16, 2015

 Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Heller, Mr. Reed, Ms. 
Collins, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Franken) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
               on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the establishment of a Commission to Accelerate the End 
                           of Breast Cancer.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Accelerating the 
End of Breast Cancer Act of 2015''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Establishment.
Sec. 4. Purpose; duties.
Sec. 5. Membership.
Sec. 6. Powers.
Sec. 7. Chairperson; program managers.
Sec. 8. Coordination and nonduplication.
Sec. 9. Evaluation of the Commission.
Sec. 10. Authorization of funding.
Sec. 11. Termination.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) In the United States, the chance of a woman developing 
        breast cancer during her lifetime has increased from 1 in 11 in 
        1975 to 1 in 8 today.
            (2) Worldwide, breast cancer is the most frequently 
        diagnosed cancer in women with 1,700,000 new cancer cases 
        diagnosed in 2012. Breast cancer is also one of the leading 
        causes of cancer death in women, with 522,000 women dying from 
        the disease worldwide in 2012, a 14 percent increase since 
        2008.
            (3) More than 90 percent of deaths from breast cancer are 
        caused by metastasis, which occurs when cancerous cells spread 
        to other organs or bone.
            (4) The National Cancer Institute estimated that breast 
        cancer care in the United States costs $16,500,000,000 in 2010, 
        and costs the Nation $12,100,000,000 in lost productivity. It 
        is projected with no changes, the cost of breast cancer care 
        will rise to at least $20,900,000,000 in 2020.
            (5) Over the past 40 years, very little has improved the 
        incidence, morbidity, and mortality rates of breast cancer.
            (6) In recognition of the complexity of breast cancer, 
        experts have identified the need to transform how research is 
        conducted by engaging investigators from many disciplines.
            (7) Advances in understanding the progression of breast 
        cancer, particularly metastasis, have the potential to 
        translate to better understanding and preventing the spread of 
        other types of cancer.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There shall be established a commission to be known as the 
Commission to Accelerate the End of Breast Cancer (in this Act referred 
to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 4. PURPOSE; DUTIES.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of the Commission shall be to help end 
breast cancer by January 1, 2020.
    (b) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall identify, recommend, 
        and promote initiatives, partnerships, and research within the 
        public and private sectors, basic and applied sciences, and 
        epidemiology that can be turned into strategies to prevent 
        breast cancer and breast cancer metastasis.
            (2) Priority.--The Commission shall give priority to 
        initiatives, partnerships, and research that are--
                    (A) not prioritized within the public sector; and
                    (B) unlikely to be achieved by the private sector 
                due to technical and financial uncertainty.
    (c) Strategic Plan.--Not later than 6 months after the appointment 
of the initial members of the Commission, the Commission shall submit 
to the President and to the relevant authorizing and appropriations 
committees of Congress, a description of the Commission's strategic 
plan to advance the purpose described in subsection (a).
    (d) Annual Report.--Not later than January 15, 2016, and annually 
thereafter, the Commission shall submit an annual report to the 
President, Congress, and the public--
            (1) describing the Commission's activities under this 
        section, including its progress in achieving the purpose 
        described in subsection (a); and
            (2) containing a full financial report, including a line 
        item report of the Commission's expenditures for the preceding 
        year.

SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number; Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of not 
more than 10 members who shall be appointed by the President, with the 
advice and consent of the Senate, not later than 60 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, in accordance with this section.
    (b) Representation.--
            (1) In general.--Each member of the Commission shall be 
        appointed to represent one of the following 3 categories:
                    (A) Individuals who represent the interests of 
                varied disciplines within the biomedical research 
                field.
                    (B) Individuals who represent the relevant varied 
                disciplines outside of the biomedical research field.
                    (C) Patient advocates, including individuals who--
                            (i) represent a patient-led, patient-
                        centered organization with a patient 
                        constituency either directly related to or 
                        relevant to breast cancer; and
                            (ii) are trained, knowledgeable, and 
                        prepared to participate in the decision-making 
                        process of science and medicine.
            (2) Representation of membership categories.--Of the 
        members of the Commission--
                    (A) at least 1, but not more than 3, shall be 
                appointed to represent the category described in 
                paragraph (1)(A);
                    (B) at least 1, but not more than 3, shall be 
                appointed to represent the category described in 
                paragraph (1)(B); and
                    (C) at least 2, but not more than 4, shall be 
                appointed to represent the category described in 
                paragraph (1)(C).
    (c) Terms.--
            (1) In general.--Each member of the Commission shall be 
        appointed for a term of 3 years and may be reappointed.
            (2) Vacancies.--Any member of the Commission appointed to 
        fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for 
        which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed 
        only for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after 
        the expiration of that member's term until a successor has 
        taken office. A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in 
        the manner in which the original appointment was made and shall 
        not affect the power of the remaining members to execute the 
        duties of the Commission.
    (d) Quorum.--Three members of the Commission shall constitute a 
quorum.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    The Commission shall have the following powers:
            (1) Hearings and other activities.--For the purpose of 
        carrying out its duties, the Commission may hold such hearings 
        and undertake such other activities as the Commission 
        determines to be necessary to carry out its duties.
            (2) Detail of federal employees.--Upon the request of the 
        Commission, the head of any Federal agency is authorized to 
        detail, without reimbursement, any of the personnel of such 
        agency to the Commission to assist the Commission in carrying 
        out its duties. Any such detail shall not interrupt or 
        otherwise affect the civil service status or privileges of the 
        Federal employee.
            (3) Technical assistance.--Upon the request of the 
        Commission, the head of a Federal agency may provide such 
        technical assistance to the Commission as the Commission 
        determines to be necessary to carry out its duties.
            (4) Use of mails.--The Commission may use the United States 
        mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as 
        Federal agencies.
            (5) Obtaining information.--The Commission may secure 
        directly from any Federal agency information necessary to 
        enable it to carry out its duties, if the information may be 
        disclosed under section 552 of title 5, United States Code. 
        Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of 
        such agency shall furnish such information to the Commission.
            (6) Administrative support services.--Upon the request of 
        the Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall 
        provide to the Commission on a reimbursable basis such 
        administrative support services as the Commission may request.

SEC. 7. CHAIRPERSON; PROGRAM MANAGERS.

    (a) Chairperson.--
            (1) Designation.--Of the members of the Commission 
        appointed under section 5(a), the President shall at the time 
        of the appointment, designate one such member to serve as the 
        Chairperson of the Commission.
            (2) Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of the 
        Chairperson shall include--
                    (A) approving areas of study of the Commission 
                based on criteria including scientific and technical 
                merit, innovation, and impact;
                    (B) developing criteria (including benchmarks) for 
                assessing, and overseeing the assessment of, the 
                progress of areas of study of the Commission;
                    (C) terminating areas of study of the Commission 
                that are not achieving the purpose described in section 
                4(a);
                    (D) designating members of the Commission to act as 
                program managers as described in subsection (b); and
                    (E) appointing staff as necessary to aid in 
                carrying out the purpose described in section 4(a).
    (b) Program Managers.--
            (1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission may 
        designate members of the Commission who may act as program 
        managers to oversee one or more areas of study of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Responsibilities.--A member designated under paragraph 
        (1) shall, with respect to one or more areas of study, be 
        responsible for the following:
                    (A) Recommending novel proposals, projects, and 
                collaborations based on scientific and technical merit 
                to achieve the purpose described in section 4(a) with a 
                focus on strategies for the primary prevention of 
                breast cancer, and methods to prevent breast cancer 
                metastasis. Program directors may--
                            (i) convene workshops and confer with 
                        experts in both the public and private sector;
                            (ii) identify areas of study;
                            (iii) identify all areas where resources 
                        could be leveraged; and
                            (iv) carry out other functions of the 
                        Commission that are approved by the Chairperson 
                        and that the Chairperson deems necessary to 
                        carry out the purpose described in section 
                        4(a).
                    (B) Working with relevant Federal agencies to 
                identify areas of concurrent interests in order to 
                maximize Federal investment and stimulate collaborative 
                projects.
                    (C) Monitoring the progress of areas of study and 
                recommend restructure or termination.

SEC. 8. COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.

    To the maximum extent practicable, the Commission shall ensure that 
the activities of the Commission are coordinated with, and do not 
duplicate the efforts of, programs and laboratories of other government 
agencies.

SEC. 9. EVALUATION OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The President shall enter into an agreement with 
the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences under 
which the Institute, after the Commission has been in operation for 3 
years, shall evaluate the Commission's progress towards achieving the 
purpose described in section 4(a).
    (b) Inclusions.--The evaluation under subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) a recommendation on whether the Commission should be 
        continued or terminated; and
            (2) a description of lessons learned from operation of the 
        Commission.
    (c) Availability.--On completion of the evaluation under subsection 
(a), the Commission shall make the evaluation available to the Congress 
and the public.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDING.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out the purpose of 
this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated--
            (1) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2016;
            (2) $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 and 2018; and
            (3) such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year 
        thereafter until the Commission is terminated.
    (b) Limitation.--None of the amounts appropriated for a fiscal year 
under subsection (a) shall be used for the operation or construction of 
any laboratories or pilot plants.

SEC. 11. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate on June 1, 2020.
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