[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 844 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 844
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment
of a National Center for Social Work Research.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 13, 2003
Mr. Rodriguez (for himself, Mr. Leach, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Towns,
Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Frost, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Rangel, Mrs.
Davis of California, Ms. Granger, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Payne,
Ms. Lee, Mr. Holden, Mr. Greenwood, Mrs. Tauscher, Ms. Norton, and Ms.
Roybal-Allard) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment
of a National Center for Social Work Research.
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 Center for Social Work
Research Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Social workers focus on the improvement of individual
and family functioning and the creation of effective health and
mental health prevention and treatment interventions in order
for individuals to become more productive members of society.
(2) Social workers provide front line prevention and
treatment services in the areas of school violence, aging, teen
pregnancy, child abuse, domestic violence, juvenile crime, and
substance abuse, particularly in rural and underserved
communities.
(3) Social workers are in a unique position to provide
valuable research information on these complex social concerns,
taking into account a wide range of social, medical, economic
and community influences from an interdisciplinary, family-
centered and community-based approach.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH.
Title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.),
as amended by title I of Public Law 106-525, is amended--
(1) in section 401(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 281(b)(2)), by adding
at the end the following:
``(H) The National Center for Social Work Research.''; and
(2) in part E (42 U.S.C. 287 et seq.), by adding at the end
the following:
``Subpart 7--National Center for Social Work Research
``SEC. 485J. PURPOSE OF CENTER.
``The general purpose of the National Center for Social Work
Research (referred to in this subpart as the `Center') is the conduct
and support of, and dissemination of targeted research on social work
methods and outcomes related to problems of significant social concern.
The Center shall promote research and training designed to inform
social work practice, thus increasing the knowledge base which promotes
a healthier America. In addition, the Center shall provide policymakers
with empirically-based research information to better understand
complex social issues and make informed funding decisions about service
effectiveness and cost efficiency.
``SEC. 485K. SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES.
``(a) In General.--To carry out the purpose described in section
485J, the Director of the Center may provide research training and
instruction and establish, in the Center and in other nonprofit
institutions, research traineeships and fellowships in the study and
investigation of the prevention of disease, health promotion, the
association of socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, age, and
geographical location and health, the social work care of persons with
and families of individuals with acute and chronic illnesses, child
abuse, neglect, and youth violence, and child and family care to
address problems of significant social concern especially in
underserved populations and underserved geographical areas.
``(b) Stipends and Allowances.--The Director of the Center may
provide individuals receiving training and instruction or traineeships
or fellowships under subsection (a) with such stipends and allowances
(including amounts for travel and subsistence and dependency
allowances) as the Director determines necessary.
``(c) Grants.--The Director of the Center may make grants to
nonprofit institutions to provide training and instruction and
traineeships and fellowships under subsection (a).
``SEC. 485L. ADVISORY COUNCIL.
``(a) Duties.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish an
advisory council for the Center that shall advise, assist,
consult with, and make recommendations to the Secretary and the
Director of the Center on matters related to the activities
carried out by and through the Center and the policies with respect to
such activities.
``(2) Gifts.--The advisory council for the Center may
recommend to the Secretary the acceptance, in accordance with
section 231, of conditional gifts for study, investigations,
and research and for the acquisition of grounds or
construction, equipment, or maintenance of facilities for the
Center.
``(3) Other duties and functions.--The advisory council for
the Center--
``(A)(i) may make recommendations to the Director
of the Center with respect to research to be conducted
by the Center;
``(ii) may review applications for grants and
cooperative agreements for research or training and
recommend for approval applications for projects that
demonstrate the probability of making valuable
contributions to human knowledge; and
``(iii) may review any grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement proposed to be made or entered
into by the Center;
``(B) may collect, by correspondence or by personal
investigation, information relating to studies that are
being carried out in the United States or any other country and, with
the approval of the Director of the Center, make such information
available through appropriate publications; and
``(C) may appoint subcommittees and convene
workshops and conferences.
``(b) Membership.--
``(1) In general.--The advisory council shall be composed
of the ex officio members described in paragraph (2) and not
more than 18 individuals to be appointed by the Secretary under
paragraph (3).
``(2) Ex officio members.--The ex officio members of the
advisory council shall include--
``(A) the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
the Director of NIH, the Director of the Center, the
Director of the Office of Behavioral and Social
Sciences Research, the Chief Social Work Officer of the
Veterans' Administration, the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Health Affairs, the Associate Director of
Prevention Research at the National Institute of Mental
Health, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, the Director of the Division of
Epidemiology and Services Research, the Assistant
Secretary of Health and Human Services for the
Administration for Children and Families, the Assistant
Secretary of Education for the Office of Educational
Research and Improvement, the Assistant Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development for Community Planning
and Development, and the Assistant Attorney General for
Office of Justice Programs (or the designees of such
officers); and
``(B) such additional officers or employees of the
United States as the Secretary determines necessary for
the advisory council to effectively carry out its
functions.
``(3) Appointed members.--The Secretary shall appoint not
to exceed 18 individuals to the advisory council, of which--
``(A) not more than two-thirds of such individual
shall be appointed from among the leading
representatives of the health and scientific
disciplines (including public health and the behavioral
or social sciences) relevant to the activities of the
Center, and at least 7 such individuals shall be
professional social workers who are recognized experts
in the area of clinical practice, education, policy, or
research; and
``(B) not more than one-third of such individuals
shall be appointed from the general public and shall
include leaders in fields of public policy, law, health
policy, economics, and management.
The Secretary shall make appointments to the advisory council
in such a manner as to ensure that the terms of the members do
not all expire in the same year.
``(4) Compensation.--Members of the advisory council who
are officers or employees of the United States shall not
receive any compensation for service on the advisory council.
The remaining members shall receive, for each day (including
travel time) they are engaged in the performance of the
functions of the advisory council, compensation at rates not to
exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate in effect for an
individual at grade GS-18 of the General Schedule.
``(c) Terms.--
``(1) In general.--The term of office of an individual
appointed to the advisory council under subsection (b)(3) shall
be 4 years, except that any individual appointed to fill a
vacancy on the advisory council shall serve for the remainder
of the unexpired term. A member may serve after the
expiration of the member's term until a successor has been appointed.
``(2) Reappointments.--A member of the advisory council who
has been appointed under subsection (b)(3) for a term of 4
years may not be reappointed to the advisory council prior to
the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date on
which the prior term expired.
``(3) Vacancy.--If a vacancy occurs on the advisory council
among the members under subsection (b)(3), the Secretary shall
make an appointment to fill that vacancy not later than 90 days
after the date on which the vacancy occurs.
``(d) Chairperson.--The chairperson of the advisory council shall
be selected by the Secretary from among the members appointed under
subsection (b)(3), except that the Secretary may select the Director of
the Center to be the chairperson of the advisory council. The term of
office of the chairperson shall be 2 years.
``(e) Meetings.--The advisory council shall meet at the call of the
chairperson or upon the request of the Director of the Center, but not
less than 3 times each fiscal year. The location of the meetings of the
advisory council shall be subject to the approval of the Director of
the Center.
``(f) Administrative Provisions.--The Director of the Center shall
designate a member of the staff of the Center to serve as the executive
secretary of the advisory council. The Director of the Center shall
make available to the advisory council such staff, information, and
other assistance as the council may require to carry out its functions.
The Director of the Center shall provide orientation and training for
new members of the advisory council to provide such members with such
information and training as may be appropriate for their effective
participation in the functions of the advisory council.
``(g) Comments and Recommendations.--The advisory council may
prepare, for inclusion in the biennial report under section 485M--
``(1) comments with respect to the activities of the
advisory council in the fiscal years for which the report is
prepared;
``(2) comments on the progress of the Center in meeting its
objectives; and
``(3) recommendations with respect to the future direction
and program and policy emphasis of the center.
The advisory council may prepare such additional reports as it may
determine appropriate.
``SEC. 485M. BIENNIAL REPORT.
``The Director of the Center, after consultation with the advisory
council for the Center, shall prepare for inclusion in the biennial
report under section 403, a biennial report that shall consist of a
description of the activities of the Center and program policies of the
Director of the Center in the fiscal years for which the report is
prepared. The Director of the Center may prepare such additional
reports as the Director determines appropriate. The Director of the
Center shall provide the advisory council of the Center an opportunity
for the submission of the written comments described in section
485L(g).
``SEC. 485N. QUARTERLY REPORT.
``The Director of the Center shall prepare a quarterly report to
Congress with a summary of findings and policy implications from
research conducted or supported through the Center.
``SEC. 485O. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``For the purpose of carrying out this subpart, there is authorized
to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2004
through 2008.''.
<all>