What This Bill Does
This law directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create and run a national project to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure Parkinson's disease and related conditions. The bill also creates an advisory council to advise the Secretary on Parkinson's research and care issues.
Who It Affects
People living with Parkinson's disease and related conditions, their families and caregivers, healthcare providers who treat Parkinson's patients, biomedical researchers, federal agencies involved in health research and services, nonprofit organizations working on Parkinson's issues.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary must create, maintain and update an integrated national plan to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure Parkinson's, ease symptoms and slow or stop disease progression (Sec. 399OO(c)(1)).
• The Secretary must conduct an annual assessment of the nation's progress in preparing for and responding to Parkinson's burden, with recommendations for priority actions (Sec. 399OO(d)).
• An Advisory Council on Parkinson's Research, Care, and Services must be established with at least one member from 14 federal agencies plus 10 non-federal expert members including patients, caregivers, healthcare providers and researchers (Sec. 399OO(e)(1) and (e)(2)).
• The Advisory Council must hold quarterly meetings for two years, then meet at the Secretary's discretion, convene an annual research meeting open to the public, and provide annual reports to the Secretary and Congress (Sec. 399OO(e)(3) and (e)(4)).
• The Secretary must coordinate research and services across federal agencies and work with international bodies to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure Parkinson's (Sec. 399OO(c)(4) and (c)(8)).
What Changes
A new federally coordinated project on Parkinson's will be established within the Public Health Service. Federal agencies will be required to coordinate their Parkinson's-related work and share information with the Secretary. An advisory council will be created to provide guidance and annual reports on Parkinson's research and federal programs. The Secretary will assess national progress on Parkinson's annually and provide funding estimates.
Important Definitions
The bill defines "Parkinson's" as Parkinson's disease and all other neurodegenerative Parkinsonisms, including multiple system atrophy (a disorder affecting nerve cells controlling involuntary functions), corticobasal degeneration (a rare neurological disorder), progressive supranuclear palsy (a neurological disorder causing movement difficulties) and Parkinson's-related dementia (memory loss linked to Parkinson's disease) (Sec. 399OO(a)).
Effective Date
The project sunsets and ceases to be effective at the end of calendar year 2035 (Sec. 399OO(g)).
138 STAT. 1443
PUBLIC LAW 118–66—JULY 2, 2024
Public Law 118–66
118th Congress
An Act
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national
project to prevent, diagnose, treat, and cure Parkinson’s, to be known as the
National Parkinson’s Project, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and
Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act’’.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL PARKINSON’S PROJECT.
Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end:
‘‘PART W—PARKINSON’S AND RELATED
DISORDERS
‘‘SEC. 399OO. NATIONAL PARKINSON’S PROJECT.
‘‘(a) DEFINITION
OF PARKINSON’S.—In this section, the term
‘Parkinson’s’ means—
‘‘(1) Parkinson’s disease; and
‘‘(2) all other neurodegenerative Parkinsonisms, including
multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration, progressive
supranuclear palsy, and Parkinson’s-related dementia.
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall carry out a national
project, to be known as the National Parkinson’s Project (referred
to in this section as the ‘Project’), to prevent, diagnose, treat,
and cure Parkinson’s.
‘‘(c) ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT THROUGH PROJECT.—In carrying
out the Project, the Secretary shall—
‘‘(1) create, maintain, and periodically update an integrated
national plan to prevent, diagnose, treat, and cure Parkinson’s,
ameliorate symptoms, and slow or stop progression;
‘‘(2) carry out the annual assessment under subsection
(d);
‘‘(3) provide information, including—
‘‘(A) an estimate of the level of current Federal invest-
ment in preventing, diagnosing, treating, and curing
Parkinson’s, ameliorating symptoms, and slowing or stop-
ping progression; and
‘‘(B) if applicable, an estimate of the investment nec-
essary to prevent, diagnose, treat, and cure Parkinson’s,
ameliorate symptoms, and slow or stop progression;
Estimate.
Updates.
Plan.
42 USC 280n.
42 USC 201 note.
Dr. Emmanuel
Bilirakis and
Honorable
Jennifer Wexton
National Plan to
End Parkinson’s
Act.
July 2, 2024
[H.R. 2365]
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138 STAT. 1444
PUBLIC LAW 118–66—JULY 2, 2024
‘‘(4) coordinate research and services across all Federal
agencies related to Parkinson’s;
‘‘(5) encourage the development of safe and effective treat-
ments, strategies, and other approaches to prevent, diagnose,
treat, and cure Parkinson’s, ameliorate symptoms, and slow
or stop progression;
‘‘(6) improve the—
‘‘(A) early diagnosis of Parkinson’s; and
‘‘(B) coordination of the care and treatment of individ-
uals with Parkinson’s;
‘‘(7) review the impact of Parkinson’s on the physical,
mental, and social health of individuals living with Parkinson’s
and their caregivers and families;
‘‘(8) coordinate with international bodies, to the extent pos-
sible, to integrate and inform the mission to prevent, diagnose,
treat, and cure Parkinson’s, ameliorate symptoms, and slow
or stop progression globally; and
‘‘(9) to the extent practicable, collaborate with other entities
to prevent duplication of existing research activities for related
disorders.
‘‘(d) ANNUAL ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 24 months after
the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter,
the Secretary shall carry out an assessment of the Nation’s progress
in preparing for, and responding to, the escalating burden of Parkin-
son’s, including—
‘‘(1) recommendations for priority actions based on the
assessment;
‘‘(2) a description of any steps that are planned or have
already been taken to implement such recommendations,
including whether such recommendations can be implemented
under existing law; and
‘‘(3) such other items as the Secretary determines appro-
priate.
‘‘(e) ADVISORY COUNCIL.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and main-
tain an Advisory Council on Parkinson’s Research, Care, and
Services (referred to in this section as the ‘Advisory Council’)
to advise the Secretary on Parkinson’s-related issues.
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.—
‘‘(A) FEDERAL MEMBERS.—The Advisory Council shall
be comprised of experts, to be appointed by the Secretary,
who collectively are from various backgrounds and perspec-
tives, including at least one member from each of—
‘‘(i) the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion;
‘‘(ii) the Administration on Community Living;
‘‘(iii) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services;
‘‘(iv) the National Institutes of Health;
‘‘(v) the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality;
‘‘(vi) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
‘‘(vii) the Food and Drug Administration;
‘‘(viii) the National Science Foundation;
‘‘(ix) the Department of Defense;
‘‘(x) the Environmental Protection Agency;
‘‘(xi) the Office of Minority Health;
‘‘(xii) the Indian Health Service;
Appointments.
Establishment.
Deadline.
Recommenda-
tions.
Coordination.
Review.
Coordination.
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138 STAT. 1445
PUBLIC LAW 118–66—JULY 2, 2024
‘‘(xiii) the Office of the Surgeon General of the
Public Health Service; and
‘‘(xiv) other relevant Federal departments and
agencies as determined by the Secretary.
‘‘(B) NON-FEDERAL MEMBERS.—In addition to the mem-
bers listed in subparagraph (A), the Advisory Council shall
include 10 expert members, to be appointed by the Sec-
retary, who shall include representatives of minority
communities, communities disproportionately affected by
Parkinson’s, and communities underrepresented in Parkin-
son’s research, who shall each be from outside the Federal
Government, and who shall include—
‘‘(i) 2 Parkinson’s patient advocates, at least 1
of whom is living with young-onset Parkinson’s;
‘‘(ii) 1 Parkinson’s family caregiver;
‘‘(iii) 1 health care provider;
‘‘(iv) 2 biomedical researchers with Parkinson’s-
related expertise in basic, translational, clinical, or
drug development science;
‘‘(v) 1 movement disorder specialist who treats
Parkinson’s patients;
‘‘(vi) 1 dementia specialist who treats Parkinson’s
patients; and
‘‘(vii) 2 representatives from nonprofit organiza-
tions that have demonstrated experience in Parkin-
son’s-related research or Parkinson’s-related patient
care and other services.
‘‘(C) REPRESENTATION.—The Secretary shall ensure
that the members of the Advisory Council are collectively
representative of agencies, professions, individuals, and
entities concerned with, or affected by, activities under
this section.
‘‘(3) MEETINGS.—
‘‘(A) FREQUENCY.—The Advisory Council shall meet—
‘‘(i) at least once each quarter during the 2-year
period beginning on the date on which the Advisory
Council is established; and
‘‘(ii) at the Secretary’s discretion after such period.
‘‘(B) ANNUAL RESEARCH MEETING.—Not later than 24
months after the date of enactment of this section, and
every year thereafter, the Advisory Council shall convene
a meeting of Federal and non-Federal organizations to
discuss Parkinson’s research.
‘‘(C) OPEN MEETINGS.—The meetings under subpara-
graphs (A) and (B) shall be open to the public.
‘‘(4) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the
date of enactment of this section, and every year thereafter,
the Advisory Council shall provide to the Secretary and Con-
gress a report containing—
‘‘(A) a list of all federally-funded efforts in Parkinson’s
research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, clinical care,
and institutional-, home-, and community-based programs
and the outcomes of such efforts;
‘‘(B) recommendations for priority actions to expand,
eliminate, coordinate, refocus, streamline, or condense Fed-
eral programs based on each program’s performance, mis-
sion, scope, and purpose;
Recommenda-
tions.
List.
Public
information.
Deadline.
Time periods.
Effective date.
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138 STAT. 1446
PUBLIC LAW 118–66—JULY 2, 2024
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2365:
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 118–313 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
Vol. 169 (2023): Dec. 13, 14, considered and passed House.
Vol. 170 (2024): May 23, considered and passed Senate.
Æ
‘‘(C) recommendations to—
‘‘(i) reduce the financial impact of Parkinson’s on
families living with Parkinson’s;
‘‘(ii) improve health outcomes for, and the quality
of life of, individuals living with Parkinson’s;
‘‘(iii) prevent Parkinson’s, ameliorate symptoms,
and slow or stop progression;
‘‘(iv) improve the quality of care provided to bene-
ficiaries with Parkinson’s who receive coverage through
a federally-funded health care program, such as the
Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Secu-
rity Act or the Medicaid program under title XIX of
such Act;
‘‘(v) research the association between environ-
mental triggers and Parkinson’s to help reduce expo-
sure to potential triggers; and
‘‘(vi) research and better understand the under-
lying factors contributing to Parkinson’s;
‘‘(D) priority actions to improve all federally-funded
efforts in Parkinson’s research, prevention, diagnosis, treat-
ment, clinical care, and institutional-, home-, and commu-
nity-based programs;
‘‘(E) an evaluation of the implementation, including
outcomes, of the national plan under subsection (c)(1); and
‘‘(F) implementation steps to address the recommenda-
tions and priority actions under subparagraphs (B), (C),
and (D), based in part on the evaluation under subpara-
graph (E).
‘‘(5) TERMINATION.—The Advisory Council shall terminate
at the end of calendar year 2035.
‘‘(f) INFORMATION SHARING.—Each Federal department and
agency that has information relating to Parkinson’s shall share
such information with the Secretary consistent with the statutory
obligations of such department or agency regarding disclosure of
information, as necessary to enable the Secretary to complete a
report under subsection (e)(4).
‘‘(g) SUNSET.—The section shall cease to be effective at the
end of calendar year 2035.’’.
Approved July 2, 2024.
Evaluation.
Recommenda-
tions.
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