[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1586-S1587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Reed, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Brown, Mrs. 
        Feinstein, Mr. Markey, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Boxer, and 
        Mrs. Hagan):
  S. 2115. A bill to provide for the establishment of a fund to provide 
for an expanded and sustained national investment in biomedical 
research; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2115

       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 ``American Cures Act''.

     SEC. 2. BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FUND.

       (a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to 
     establish a Biomedical Research Fund (referred to in this 
     section as the ``Fund''), to be administered by the Secretary 
     of the Treasury, to provide for an expanded and sustained 
     national investment in biomedical research through the 
     programs and agencies described in subsection (b)(2).
       (b) Use of Fund.--
       (1) In general.--For each fiscal year, amounts shall be 
     transferred from the Fund to the accounts related to the 
     programs and agencies described in paragraph (2) to ensure 
     that funding for such programs and agencies for such fiscal 
     year does not fall below 105 percent of the level of funding 
     provided for the fiscal year immediately preceding the

[[Page S1587]]

     fiscal year for which the determination is being made and an 
     additional amount to account for any increases in the Gross 
     Domestic Product for the year involved.
       (2) Agencies.--The programs and agencies described in this 
     paragraph are the following:
       (A) The National Institutes of Health.
       (B) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
       (C) The Department of Defense health program.
       (D) The medical and prosthetics research program of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (c) Minimum Continued Funding Requirement.--Amounts 
     appropriated for each of the programs and agencies described 
     in subsection (b)(2) for a fiscal year shall not be less than 
     the amounts appropriated for such programs and agencies for 
     fiscal year 2014.
       (d) Funding.--There are hereby authorized to be 
     appropriated, and appropriated, to the Fund, out of any 
     monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums 
     as may be necessary in each fiscal year to enable the 
     transfers to be made in accordance with subsection (b)(1).
       (e) Transfer Authority.--The Committee on Appropriations of 
     the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
     of Representatives may provide for the transfer of funds in 
     the Fund to eligible programs and agencies under this 
     section, subject to subsection (b).
       (f) Exemption of Certain Payments From Sequestration.--
       (1) In general.--Section 255(g)(1)(A) of the Balanced 
     Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (2 U.S.C. 
     905(g)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting after ``Advances to the 
     Unemployment Trust Fund and Other Funds (16-0327-0-1-600).'' 
     the following:
       ``Biomedical Research Fund.''.
       (2) Applicability.--The amendment made by this section 
     shall apply to any sequestration order issued under the 
     Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 
     U.S.C. 900 et seq.) on or after the date of enactment of this 
     Act.

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