[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 309 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 309


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 10, 2017

     Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
    To amend the Public Health Service Act to foster more effective 
  implementation and coordination of clinical care for people with a 
   complex metabolic or autoimmune disease, a disease resulting from 
 insulin deficiency or insulin resistance, or complications caused by 
                such a disease, 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 ``National Clinical Care Commission 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL CLINICAL CARE COMMISSION.

    Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 399V-7. NATIONAL CLINICAL CARE COMMISSION.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established, within the 
Department of Health and Human Services, a National Clinical Care 
Commission (in this section referred to as the `Commission') to 
evaluate, and recommend solutions regarding better coordination and 
leveraging of, programs within the Department and other Federal 
agencies that relate in any way to supporting appropriate clinical care 
(such as any interactions between physicians and other health care 
providers and their patients related to treatment and care management) 
for individuals with--
            ``(1) one or more complex metabolic or autoimmune diseases;
            ``(2) one or more diseases resulting from insulin 
        deficiency or insulin resistance; or
            ``(3) complications caused by one or more of any of such 
        diseases.
    ``(b) Membership.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of the 
        following voting members:
                    ``(A) The heads (or their designees) of the 
                following Federal agencies and departments:
                            ``(i) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
                        Services.
                            ``(ii) The Agency for Healthcare Research 
                        and Quality.
                            ``(iii) The Centers for Disease Control and 
                        Prevention.
                            ``(iv) The Indian Health Service.
                            ``(v) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
                            ``(vi) The National Institutes of Health.
                            ``(vii) The Food and Drug Administration.
                            ``(viii) The Health Resources and Services 
                        Administration.
                            ``(ix) The Department of Defense.
                    ``(B) Twelve additional voting members appointed 
                under paragraph (2).
                    ``(C) Such additional voting members as may be 
                appointed by the Secretary, at the Secretary's 
                discretion, from among the heads (or their designees) 
                of governmental or nongovernmental entities that impact 
                clinical care of individuals with any of the diseases 
                and complications described in subsection (a).
            ``(2) Additional members.--The Commission shall include 
        additional voting members appointed by the Secretary, in 
        consultation with national medical societies and patient 
        advocacy organizations with expertise in the care and 
        epidemiology of any of the diseases and complications described 
        in subsection (a), including one or more such members from each 
        of the following categories:
                    ``(A) Clinical endocrinologists.
                    ``(B) Physician specialties (other than as 
                described in subparagraph (A)) that play a role in 
                diseases and complications described in subsection (a), 
                such as cardiologists, nephrologists, and eye care 
                professionals.
                    ``(C) Primary care physicians.
                    ``(D) Non-physician health care professionals, such 
                as certified diabetes educators, registered dieticians 
                and nutrition professionals, nurses, nurse 
                practitioners, physician assistants.
                    ``(E) Patient advocates.
                    ``(F) National experts in the duties listed under 
                subsection (c).
                    ``(G) Health care providers furnishing services to 
                a patient population that consists of a high percentage 
                (as specified by the Secretary) of individuals who are 
                enrolled in a State plan under title XIX of the Social 
                Security Act or who are not covered under a health plan 
                or health insurance coverage.
            ``(3) Chairperson.--The voting members of the Commission 
        shall select a chairperson from the members appointed under 
        paragraph (2) from the category under paragraph (2)(A).
            ``(4) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at least twice, 
        and not more than four times, a year.
            ``(5) Board terms.--Members of the Commission appointed 
        pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (1), including 
        the chairperson, shall serve for a 3-year term. A vacancy on 
        the Commission shall be filled in the same manner as the 
        original appointments.
    ``(c) Duties.--The Commission shall--
            ``(1) evaluate programs of the Department of Health and 
        Human Services regarding the utilization of diabetes screening 
        benefits, annual wellness visits, and other preventive health 
        benefits that may reduce the incidence of the diseases and 
        complications de scribed in subsection (a), including 
        identifying problems regarding such utilization and related 
        data collection mechanisms and make recommendations;
            ``(2) identify current activities and critical gaps in 
        Federal efforts to support clinicians in providing integrated, 
        high-quality care to individuals with any of the diseases and 
        complications described in subsection (a);
            ``(3) make recommendations regarding the coordination of 
        clinically based activities that are being supported by the 
        Federal Government with respect to the diseases and 
        complications described in subsection (a);
            ``(4) make recommendations regarding the development and 
        coordination of federally funded clinical practice support 
        tools for physicians and other health care professionals in 
        caring for and managing the care of individuals with any of the 
        diseases and complications described in subsection (a), 
        specifically with regard to implementation of new treatments 
        and technologies;
            ``(5) evaluate programs described in subsection (a) that 
        are in existence as of the date of the enactment of this 
        section and determine if such programs are meeting the needs 
        identified in paragraph (2) and, if such programs are 
        determined as not meeting such needs, recommend programs that 
        would be more appropriate;
            ``(6) recommend, with respect to the diseases and 
        complications described in subsection (a), clinical pathways 
        for new technologies and treatments, including future data 
        collection activities, that may be developed and then used to 
        evaluate--
                    ``(A) various care models and methods; and
                    ``(B) the impact of such models and methods on 
                quality of care as measured by appropriate care 
                parameters (such as A1C, blood pressure, and 
                cholesterol levels);
            ``(7) evaluate and expand education and awareness 
        activities provided to physicians and other health care 
        professionals regarding clinical practices for the prevention 
        and treatment of the diseases and complications described in 
        subsection (a);
            ``(8) review and recommend appropriate methods for outreach 
        and dissemination of educational resources that--
                    ``(A) address the diseases and complications 
                described in subsection (a);
                    ``(B) are funded by the Federal Government; and
                    ``(C) are intended for health care professionals 
                and the public; and
            ``(9) carry out other activities, such as activities 
        relating to the areas of public health and nutrition, that the 
        Commission deems appropriate with respect to the diseases and 
        complications described in subsection (a).
    ``(d) Operating Plan.--
            ``(1) Initial plan.--Not later than 90 days after its first 
        meeting, the Commission shall submit to the Secretary and the 
        Congress an operating plan for carrying out the activities of 
        the Commission as described in subsection (c). Such operating 
        plan may include--
                    ``(A) a list of specific activities that the 
                Commission plans to conduct for purposes of carrying 
                out the duties described in each of the paragraphs in 
                subsection (c);
                    ``(B) a plan for completing the activities;
                    ``(C) a list of members of the Commission and other 
                individuals who are not members of the Commission who 
                will need to be involved to conduct such activities;
                    ``(D) an explanation of Federal agency involvement 
                and coordination needed to conduct such activities;
                    ``(E) a budget for conducting such activities;
                    ``(F) a plan for evaluating the value and potential 
                impact of the Commission's work and recommendations, 
                including the possible continuation of the Commission 
                for the purposes of overseeing their implementation; 
                and
                    ``(G) other information that the Commission deems 
                appropriate.
            ``(2) Updates.--The Commission shall periodically update 
        the operating plan under paragraph (1) and submit such updates 
        to the Secretary and the Congress.
    ``(e) Final Report.--By not later than 3 years after the date of 
the Commission's first meeting, the Commission shall submit to the 
Secretary and the Congress a final report containing all of the 
findings and recommendations required by this section. Not later than 
120 days after the submission of the final report, the Secretary shall 
review the plan required by subsection (d)(1)(F) and submit to the 
Congress a recommendation on whether the Commission should be 
reauthorized to operate after fiscal year 2021.
    ``(f) Sunset.--The Commission shall terminate 120 days after 
submitting its final report, but not later than the end of fiscal year 
2021.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives January 9, 2017.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.