article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``National Center for Pain Research Act of 1996''. SEC. 2. NATIONAL CENTER FOR PAIN RESEARCH. (a) Establishment.--Section 401(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subparagraph: ``(F) The National Center for Pain Research.''. (b) Operation.--Part E of title IV (42 U.S.C. 287 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subpart: ``Subpart 5--National Center for Pain Research ``SEC. 485E. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE OF THE CENTER. ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish within the National Institutes of Health, a center to be known as the National Center for Pain Research (hereafter referred to in this subpart as the `Center'). The Center shall be headed by a Director (hereafter referred to in this subpart as the `Director') who shall be appointed by the Director of NIH, after consultation with experts in the fields of pain research and treatment representing the disciplines designated in subsection (b)(3), and have the powers described in section 405. ``(b) General Purpose.--The general purpose of the National Center for Pain Research is-- ``(1) to improve the quality of life of individuals suffering from pain by fostering of clinical and basic science research into the causes of and effective treatments for pain; ``(2) to establish a national agenda for conducting and supporting pain research in the specific categories described in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of paragraph (3); ``(3) to identify, coordinate and support research, training, health information dissemination and related activities with respect to-- ``(A) acute pain; ``(B) cancer and HIV-related pain; ``(C) back pain, headache pain, and facial pain; and ``(D) other painful conditions; including the biology of pain, the development of new and the refinement of existing pain treatments, the delivery of pain treatment through the health care system and the coordination of interdisciplinary pain management, that should be conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health; ``(4) to conduct and support pain research, training, education and related activities that have been identified as requiring additional, special priority as determined appropriate by the Director of the Center and the advisory council established under subsection (c); ``(5) to coordinate all pain research, training, and related activities being carried out among and within the National Institutes of Health; ``(6) to initiate a comprehensive program of collaborative interdisciplinary research among schools, colleges and universities, including colleges of medicine and osteopathy, colleges of nursing, colleges of chiropractic who are members of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, schools of dentistry, schools of physical therapy, schools of occupational therapy, and schools of clinical psychology, comprehensive health care centers, and specialized centers of pain research and treatment; and ``(7) to promote the sufficient allocation of the resources of the National Institutes of Health for conducting and supporting pain research in the specific categories described in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of paragraph (3). ``(c) Advisory Council.-- ``(1) In general.--The National Pain Research Center Advisory Board shall be the advisory council for the Center. Section 406 applies to the advisory council established under this paragraph, except that-- ``(A) the members of the advisory council shall include representatives of the broad range of health and scientific disciplines involved in research and treatment related to those categories of pain described in subsection (b)(2), and shall include an equal number of representatives of physicians who practice pain management, clinical psychologists, individuals who provide physical medicine and rehabilitative services (including physical therapy and occupational therapy), nurses, dentists, and chiropractic health care professionals; ``(B) the nonvoting ex officio members shall include-- ``(i) the Director of the National Cancer Institute; ``(ii) the Director of the National Institute of Dental Research; ``(iii) the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; ``(iv) the Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research; ``(v) the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; ``(vi) the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; ``(vii) the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; ``(viii) the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse; and ``(ix) the Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the Department of Education; and ``(3) the council shall meet at least two times each fiscal year. ``(2) Duties.--The advisory council shall advise, assist, consult with and make recommendations to the Director of the Center concerning matters relating to the coordination, research, training, education, and related general purposes set forth in sub section (b), including policy recommendations with regard to grants, contracts, and the operations of the Center. ``(d) Establishment of Regional Pain Research Centers.-- ``(1) Establishment.--To facilitate and enhance the research, training, education, and related activities to be carried out by the Center, the Director of the Center, in consultation with the advisory council established under subsection (c), shall establish not less than six regional pain research centers. ``(2) Focus and distribution.-- ``(A) Focus.--The regional centers established under paragraph (1) shall have as their primary focus one of the categories of pain described in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of subsection (b)(3). ``(B) Distribution.--One regional pain research center shall be established in each of the following six regions of the United States as defined by the Secretary: ``(A) The northeast region. ``(B) The southeast region. ``(C) The midwest region. ``(D) The southwest region. ``(E) The west region, including Hawaii. ``(F) The Pacific Northwest region, including Alaska. ``(2) Use of technology.--The regional centers established under paragraph (1) shall be a part of the Center and shall be interconnected to the Center headquarters through the utilization of distance learning technologies, satellites, fiber optic links, or other telecommunications and computer systems, to allow for the interactive exchange of information, research data, findings, training programs, educational programs, and other Center research and related initiatives. ``(3) Initial regional centers.--The initial regional centers shall be selected through a competitive process from among institutions and centers of the type described in subsection (b)(6). ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.-- ``(1) In general.--For the purposes of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1997, 1998, and 1999, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000. ``(2) Regional centers.--Of the amount appropriated under paragraph (1) for fiscal year 1998 and each subsequent fiscal year, not less than $1,000,000 shall be made available to each of the regional centers established under subsection (d). ``(3) Report to congress.--Not later than January 1, 1998, and each January 1, thereafter, the Director of the Center shall prepare and submit to the committees of Congress a report concerning the total amount of funds expended to support for pain-related research in for the year for which the report was prepared.''.
summary: National Center for Pain Research Act of 1996 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish, in the National Institutes of Health, the National Center for Pain Research. Makes the National Pain Research Center Advisory Board the advisory council for the Center. Mandates establishment of not less than six regional pain research centers. Authorizes appropriations.