To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Intitute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for fiscal year 2024.
Impact
The enactment of HB 1979 would represent a significant shift in funding priorities within federal health research agencies, particularly affecting research related to neurological disorders. By imposing a funding cap, the bill may restrict the Institute's ability to support various research initiatives, potentially delaying advancements in treatment and care for related conditions. Furthermore, its implications could extend to the broader health research community that relies on NIH funding for various projects.
Summary
House Bill 1979 proposes a limitation on the availability of funds for the Department of Health and Human Services, specifically targeting the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for the fiscal year 2024. The bill sets a cap of $2,216,913,000 on the funds that can be appropriated for this purpose, a measure aimed at controlling federal spending in health-related research.
Contention
As with many budget-related bills, HB 1979 has faced a range of responses from different stakeholders. Proponents may argue that the funding limitation is a necessary step towards fiscal responsibility, especially in light of national budget constraints. However, opponents raise concerns that such limitations could hinder scientific progress and jeopardize ongoing and future research efforts in critical health areas. The fundamental debate revolves around ensuring adequate funding for health initiatives versus the necessity of budgetary discipline.
Recognizing the significance of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and the need for robust funding of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health.
No Pro-Abortion Task Force Act This bill prohibits federal funding of the Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force. The Department of Health and Human Services launched the task force on January 21, 2022, to identify and coordinate departmental activities related to accessing sexual and reproductive health care.
World Deserves To Know Act This bill requires sanctions on certain members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and officials of Chinese health agencies. It also addresses related issues. The President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person who is a CCP official and who is knowingly responsible for or complicit in (1) the disappearances of whistleblowers and citizen journalists in China relating to COVID-19, or (2) limiting free speech and academic freedom in China relating to COVID-19. The President must also impose such sanctions on specified individuals who have leadership positions in China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention and China's National Health Commission (NHC). The authority to impose such sanctions shall end when the President certifies to Congress that an independent and unimpeded investigation into the potential origin of COVID-19 from the Wuhan Institute of Virology has taken place. The bill also bars federal funds and certain federal student assistance from going to institutions of higher education that enter into a contract with any element or China-based affiliate of the NHC. Federal funding to the National Academy of Sciences may not be used to enter into a contract with any element or China-based affiliate of the NHC. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress a review of all funds that the National Institutes of Health have made available to the NHC since FY2010. This report must also be publicly available.
This bill grants exclusive jurisdiction to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia over (1) cases arising under immigration laws, or (2) claims by foreign nationals challenging an order of removal or another action authorized under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Research and Education Act of 2023 This bill requires research and education activities related to triple-negative breast cancer. The cells of these breast cancers are negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and excess HER2 protein, so they do not respond to hormonal therapy medicines or medicines that target the HER2 protein receptors. Specifically, the National Institutes of Health must conduct and support research into the disease. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration must develop information about triple-negative breast cancer, including information regarding the elevated risk for minority women, for the public and for health care providers.
Appropriations: department of health and human services; appropriations for fiscal year 2026-2027 for human services; provide for. Creates appropriation act.