[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9049 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9049

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a cancer 
                   center construction grant program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 24, 2020

   Mr. Higgins of New York 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 amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a cancer 
                   center construction grant program.

    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 ``Cancer Centers Assistance for 
Renovations and Expansion Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. CANCER CENTER CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM.

    The Social Security Act is amended by inserting after section 1897 
the following new section:

               ``cancer center construction grant program

    ``Sec. 1897A.  (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
program to award grants to qualifying cancer centers (as defined in 
subsection (b)) for payment of the capital costs of projects for the 
improvement of research, prevention, or patient care infrastructure.
    ``(b) Qualifying Cancer Center and Other Definitions.--In this 
section:
            ``(1) The term `qualifying cancer center' means an entity 
        that is designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the 
        National Cancer Institute.
            ``(2) The term `project for the improvement of research, 
        prevention, or patient care infrastructure' means--
                    ``(A) the expansion, remodeling, renovating, or 
                altering of an existing clinical, prevention, or 
                research facility; or
                    ``(B) the construction of a new clinical, 
                prevention, or research facility.
            ``(3) The term `intended use' means the purposes for which 
        the infrastructure improvements were made.
            ``(4) The term `shovel ready' means, with respect to a 
        project, that construction of the project will be completed 
        within 5 years of the date on which a grant for such project is 
        provided under this section.
    ``(c) Application; Qualifications; Terms of Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--No grant may be awarded under this 
        section to a qualifying cancer center except pursuant to an 
        application that is submitted and approved in a time, manner, 
        and form specified by the Secretary.
            ``(2) Qualifications.--A grant may not be provided under 
        this section for a project for a qualifying cancer center 
        unless the applicant--
                    ``(A) provides assurances satisfactory to the 
                Secretary that--
                            ``(i) the project--
                                    ``(I) is for the improvement of 
                                research, prevention, or patient care 
                                infrastructure of the center;
                                    ``(II) is shovel ready; and
                                    ``(III) will expand the applicant's 
                                capacity for research, prevention or 
                                patient care, or is necessary to 
                                improve or maintain the quality of the 
                                applicant's research, prevention, or 
                                patient care; and
                            ``(ii) the applicant will--
                                    ``(I) have sufficient funds to meet 
                                the non-Federal share of the cost of 
                                the infrastructure improvement;
                                    ``(II) use the facility improved or 
                                resulting from the project for its 
                                intended use for a period of at least 
                                20 years after completion of the 
                                project and has sufficient funds 
                                available to demonstrate effective use 
                                of such facility for its intended use;
                                    ``(III) facilitate reasonable depth 
                                and breadth of research activities in 
                                each of the three major areas of 
                                laboratory research, clinical research, 
                                and population-based research, with 
                                substantial transdisciplinary research 
                                that bridges these scientific areas;
                                    ``(IV) initiate and conduct 
                                investigator-initiated, early phase, 
                                innovative clinical trials;
                                    ``(V) perform community service, 
                                outreach, dissemination, and education 
                                and training of biomedical researchers 
                                and health care professionals; and
                                    ``(VI) develop and implement 
                                strategies or activities designed to 
                                reduce racial or ethnic, gender, age, 
                                or socioeconomic health disparities in 
                                cancer research, cancer care, cancer 
                                patient outcomes, or directly in the 
                                communities in which the center is 
                                located; and
                    ``(B) provides an estimate of the number of jobs 
                that will be created by such project.
            ``(3) No further requirements.--The Secretary shall not 
        promulgate any further requirements or restrictions on a 
        qualifying cancer center to obtain assistance under this 
        section other than those specified in this section.
            ``(4) Terms of grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Grants under this section shall 
                be made consistent with the requirements of this 
                section.
                    ``(B) Limitations on grants.--The maximum, 
                aggregate amount of grants that may be made under this 
                section (and for which reimbursement may be provided 
                under subsection (d)(2)) for a qualifying cancer center 
                is 75 percent of the total project costs, but not to 
                exceed $25,000,000.
    ``(d) Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--To carry out this section, there are 
        appropriated out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise 
        appropriated, $900,000,000.
            ``(2) Administrative costs.--For the administration of this 
        section, Secretary may not use more than $1,000,000 from the 
        funds made available under paragraph (1) for fiscal years 2021 
        through 2023.
            ``(3) Availability.--Amounts appropriated under this 
        section shall be available for obligation and obligated during 
        the period beginning on October 1, 2020, and ending on 
        September 30, 2023.
    ``(e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report on the projects for which grants are provided under this section 
and a recommendation as to whether the Congress should authorize the 
Secretary to continue grants under this section beyond fiscal year 
2023. For each applicant awarded a grant under this section, such 
report shall include an evaluation of whether such applicant has 
performed the actions described in each of subclauses (II) through (VI) 
of subsection (c)(1)(A)(ii), including whether such applicant has 
developed and implemented strategies or activities designed to reduce 
racial or ethnic, gender, age, or socioeconomic health disparities in 
cancer research, cancer care, cancer patient outcomes, or directly in 
the communities in which the center is located.''.
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