To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Science for fiscal year 2024.
Impact
The implications of HB1981 include potential reductions in funding that could significantly affect ongoing and future research initiatives managed by the NIH's National Institute of General Medical Science. As funding levels are pivotal for research growth, this bill may hinder advancements in medical science and public health initiatives, limiting the capability of researchers and healthcare facilities to innovate and address emerging health challenges.
Summary
House Bill 1981 is designed to impose a limitation on the availability of funds for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of General Medical Science for the fiscal year 2024. The bill specifies that the total funding authorized for this purpose shall not exceed $2,872,780,000. This limitation reflects ongoing concerns regarding governmental spending and emphasizes the intent to curtail resources allocated to federal health programs.
Contention
Points of contention surrounding HB1981 may arise from its proponents and opponents. Supporters argue that fiscal prudence is essential in managing federal expenditures, especially in a climate of increasing budget deficits. However, critics may express concerns that limiting NIH funding could stall vital research projects, thereby impacting public health outcomes and the healthcare system at large. The debate underscores broader issues regarding the prioritization of health funding within the federal budget framework, particularly in the wake of recent public health crises.
Urging Congress to ensure strong annual federal funding for the National Institutes of Health and to increase investment in cutting-edge medical research through grants from the NIH to research institutions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Close the Medigap Act of 2023 This bill (1) expands guaranteed issue rights with respect to Medigap policies (Medicare supplemental health insurance policies), (2) eliminates certain limitations on Medigap policies for newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries, and (3) modifies other provisions related to Medigap policies. (Guaranteed issue rights require that a policy be offered to any eligible applicant without regard to health status.)
To Continue To Encourage The Pursuit Of National Cancer Institute Designation By The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute At The University Of Arkansas For Medical Sciences.