Liver Illness Visibility, Education, and Research Act of 2019

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 3074 To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for and support liver illness visibility, education, and research, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 17, 2019 Ms. DUCKWORTH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for and support liver illness visibility, education, and re- search, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Liver Illness Visibility, 4 Education, and Research Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 (1) Liver cancer is the fastest-growing cause of 8 cancer death in the United States and among the 9 leading causes of cancer deaths globally. 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 3074 IS (2) In 2018, approximately 42,220 people in 1 the United States will be diagnosed with primary 2 liver cancer, and approximately 30,200 will die from 3 the disease. 4 (3) Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer 5 death among the Asian American and Pacific Is- 6 lander community. 7 (4) The most vulnerable Asian Americans are 8 those who are foreign-born, low-income, and living in 9 ethnic enclaves. 10 (5) Asian and Pacific Islander men and women 11 are more than twice as likely to develop liver cancer 12 compared to the non-Hispanic White population. 13 (6) Among the Asian and Pacific Islander pop- 14 ulation, the higher incidence rate of liver cancer is 15 partially explained by higher incidence rates of hepa- 16 titis B and diabetes, which are comorbidities shown 17 to increase an individual’s risk of developing liver 18 cancer. 19 (7) The most common causes of liver cancer in- 20 clude hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infec- 21 tion. 22 (8) Hepatitis B is a primary risk factor for de- 23 veloping liver cancer, and 1 in 4 of those chronically 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 3074 IS infected with hepatitis B develop cirrhosis, liver fail- 1 ure, or liver cancer. 2 (9) Half of all individuals with hepatitis B in 3 the United States are Asian American or Pacific Is- 4 lander, though this group accounts for only 5 per- 5 cent of the population of the United States. 6 (10) Among African immigrants in the United 7 States, the prevalence of hepatitis B infection is ap- 8 proximately 1 in 10, and African immigrants make 9 up 30 percent of those with chronic hepatitis B in- 10 fection in the United States. 11 (11) Among Hispanic/Latino communities, liver 12 cancer incidence and death rates are twice as high 13 compared to the non-Hispanic White population. 14 (12) Hispanics/Latinos are 60 percent more 15 likely to die from viral hepatitis than non-Hispanic 16 Whites. 17 SEC. 3. LIVER CANCER AND DISEASE RESEARCH. 18 Subpart 1 of part C of title IV of the Public Health 19 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285 et seq.) is amended by adding 20 at the end the following new section: 21 ‘‘SEC. 417H. LIVER CANCER AND DISEASE RESEARCH. 22 ‘‘(a) EXPANSION AND COORDINATION OF ACTIVI- 23 TIES.—The Director of the Institute shall expand, inten- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 3074 IS sify, and coordinate the activities of the Institute with re- 1 spect to research on liver cancer and other liver diseases. 2 ‘‘(b) PROGRAMS FOR LIVER CANCER.—In carrying 3 out subsection (a), the Director of the Institute shall— 4 ‘‘(1) provide for an expansion and intensifica- 5 tion of the conduct and support of— 6 ‘‘(A) basic research concerning the etiology 7 and causes of liver cancer; 8 ‘‘(B) clinical research and related activities 9 concerning the causes, prevention, detection, 10 and treatment of liver cancer; 11 ‘‘(C) control programs with respect to liver 12 cancer, in accordance with section 412, includ- 13 ing community-based programs designed to as- 14 sist members of medically underserved popu- 15 lations (including women), low-income popu- 16 lations, or minority groups; and 17 ‘‘(D) information and education programs 18 with respect to liver cancer, in accordance with 19 section 413; 20 ‘‘(2) issue targeted calls for proposals from re- 21 search scientists for purposes of funding priority 22 areas of liver cancer research; 23 ‘‘(3) establish a special emphasis panel (as de- 24 fined by the National Institutes of Health) to review 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 3074 IS any proposal submitted pursuant to paragraph (2); 1 and 2 ‘‘(4) based on reviews by the special emphasis 3 panel under paragraph (3), select which proposals to 4 fund or support. 5 ‘‘(c) INTER-INSTITUTE WORKING GROUP.—The Di- 6 rector of the Institute shall establish an inter-institute 7 working group to coordinate research agendas focused on 8 finding better outcomes and cures for liver cancer and 9 other liver diseases, including hepatitis B and nonalcoholic 10 steatohepatitis. 11 ‘‘(d) GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award 13 grants and enter into cooperative agreements with 14 entities for the purpose of expanding and supporting 15 research on— 16 ‘‘(A) conditions known to increase an indi- 17 vidual’s risk of developing a major liver disease, 18 such as liver cancer, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, 19 nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic 20 steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis of the liver; and 21 ‘‘(B) opportunities for preventative and di- 22 agnostic measures for such a disease, including 23 the study of molecular pathology and biomark- 24 ers for early detection of such disease. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 3074 IS ‘‘(2) EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT AND PRE- 1 VENTION.—In the case of an entity that is a hospital 2 or a health care facility, the Secretary may award a 3 grant or enter into a cooperative agreement with 4 such an entity for the purpose of supporting an ex- 5 perimental treatment or prevention program for liver 6 cancer carried out by such entity. 7 ‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 8 For purposes of carrying out this subsection, there 9 is authorized to be appropriated $45,000,000 for 10 each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024. Any 11 amounts appropriated under this paragraph shall re- 12 main available until expended.’’. 13 SEC. 4. LIVER CANCER AND DISEASE PREVENTION, AWARE- 14 NESS, AND PATIENT TRACKING GRANTS. 15 Subpart I of part D of title III of the Public Health 16 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended by adding 17 at the end the following new section: 18 ‘‘SEC. 330N. LIVER CANCER AND DISEASE PREVENTION, 19 AWARENESS, AND PATIENT TRACKING 20 GRANTS. 21 ‘‘(a) PREVENTION INITIATIVE GRANT PROGRAM.— 22 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 23 through the Director of the Centers for Disease 24 Control and Prevention, may award grants and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 3074 IS enter into cooperative agreements with entities for 1 the purpose of expanding and supporting— 2 ‘‘(A) prevention activities (including pro- 3 viding screenings, vaccinations, or other pre- 4 ventative treatment) for conditions known to in- 5 crease an individual’s risk of developing a major 6 liver disease, such as liver cancer, hepatitis B, 7 hepatitis C, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, 8 nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis of the 9 liver; 10 ‘‘(B) activities relating to surveillance, 11 diagnostics, and provision of guidance for indi- 12 viduals at high risk for contracting liver cancer 13 and other liver diseases; and 14 ‘‘(C) a robust hepatitis surveillance infra- 15 structure to provide for timely and accurate in- 16 formation regarding progress to eliminate viral 17 hepatitis. 18 ‘‘(2) REPORT.—An entity that receives a grant 19 or cooperative agreement under paragraph (1) shall 20 submit to the Secretary, at a time specified by the 21 Secretary, a report describing each activity carried 22 out pursuant to such paragraph and evaluating the 23 effectiveness of such activity in promoting prevention 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 3074 IS and treatment of liver cancer and other liver dis- 1 eases. 2 ‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 3 For purposes of carrying out this subsection, there 4 is authorized to be appropriated $90,000,000 for 5 each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024. Any 6 amounts appropriated under this paragraph shall re- 7 main available until expended and shall be used to 8 supplement and not supplant other Federal funds 9 provided for activities under this subsection. 10 ‘‘(b) AWARENESS INITIATIVE GRANT PROGRAM.— 11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 12 through the Director of the Centers for Disease 13 Control and Prevention, may award grants to eligi- 14 ble entities for the purpose of raising awareness for 15 liver cancer and other liver diseases, which may in- 16 clude the production, dissemination, and distribution 17 of informational materials targeted towards commu- 18 nities and populations with a higher risk for devel- 19 oping liver cancer and other liver diseases. 20 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to re- 21 ceive a grant under paragraph (1), an entity shall 22 submit to the Secretary an application, at such time, 23 in such manner, and containing such information as 24 the Secretary may require, including a description of 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 3074 IS how the entity, in disseminating information on liver 1 cancer and other liver diseases pursuant to para- 2 graph (1), will— 3 ‘‘(A) with respect to any community or 4 population, consult with members of such com- 5 munity or population and provide such informa- 6 tion in a manner that is culturally and linguis- 7 tically appropriate for such community or popu- 8 lation; 9 ‘‘(B) highlight the range of treatments 10 available for liver cancer and other liver dis- 11 eases; 12 ‘‘(C) integrate information on available 13 hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing programs 14 into any liver cancer presentations carried out 15 by the entity; and 16 ‘‘(D) target communities and populations 17 with a higher risk for contracting liver cancer 18 and other liver diseases. 19 ‘‘(3) PREFERENCE.—In awarding grants under 20 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to 21 entities that— 22 ‘‘(A) are, or work with, a Federally-quali- 23 fied health center; or 24 ‘‘(B) are community-based organizations. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 3074 IS ‘‘(4) REPORT.—An entity that receives a grant 1 under paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary, 2 at a time specified by the Secretary, a report de- 3 scribing each activity carried out pursuant to such 4 paragraph and evaluating the effectiveness of such 5 activity in raising awareness for liver cancer and 6 other liver diseases. 7 ‘‘(5) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 8 For purposes of carrying out this subsection, there 9 is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for 10 each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024. Any 11 amounts appropriated under this paragraph shall re- 12 main available until expended and shall be used to 13 supplement and not supplant other Federal funds 14 provided for activities under this subsection.’’. 15 SEC. 5. HEPATITIS B RESEARCH. 16 Subpart 3 of part C of title IV of the Public Health 17 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c et seq.) is amended by adding 18 at the end the following new section: 19 ‘‘SEC. 434B. HEPATITIS B. 20 ‘‘The Director of the Institute shall, in collaboration 21 with the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and 22 Infectious Diseases, issue targeted calls for hepatitis B re- 23 search proposals focused on key research questions identi- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 •S 3074 IS fied by the research community and discussed in peer-re- 1 viewed research journal articles.’’. 2 SEC. 6. CHANGES RELATING TO NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 3 DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DIS- 4 EASES. 5 (a) CHANGE OF NAME OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 6 DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES.— 7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subpart 3 of part C of title 8 IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285c 9 et seq.) is amended in the subpart heading by strik- 10 ing ‘‘National Institute of Diabetes and Di- 11 gestive and Kidney Diseases’’ and inserting 12 ‘‘National Institute of Diabetes and Diges- 13 tive, Kidney, and Liver Diseases’’. 14 (2) TREATMENT OF DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL 15 INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KID- 16 NEY DISEASES.—The individual serving as the Di- 17 rector of the National Institute of Diabetes and Di- 18 gestive and Kidney Diseases as of the date of enact- 19 ment of this Act may continue to serve as the Direc- 20 tor of the National Institute of Diabetes and Diges- 21 tive, Kidney, and Liver Diseases commencing as of 22 that date. 23 (3) REFERENCES.—Any reference to the Na- 24 tional Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kid- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Dec 24, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3074.IS S3074 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 12 •S 3074 IS ney Diseases, or the Director of the National Insti- 1 tute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2 in any law, regulation, document, record, or other 3 paper of the United States shall be deemed to be a 4 reference to the National Institute of Diabetes and 5 Digestive, Kidney, and Liver Diseases, or the Direc- 6 tor of the National Institute of Diabetes and Diges- 7 tive, Kidney, and Liver Diseases, respectively. 8 (4) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 9 (A) Section 401(b)(3) of the Public Health 10 Service Act [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]