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                  In the Senate of the United States,

                                                     November 15, 2001.
    Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 
717) entitled ``An Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to 
provide for research with respect to various forms of muscular 
dystrophy, including Duchenne, Becker, limb girdle, congenital, 
facioscapulohumeral, myotonic, oculopharyngeal, distal, and Emery-
Dreifuss muscular dystrophies.'', do pass with the following

                               AMENDMENT:

    Page 17, after line 6 insert:

SEC. 7. STUDY ON THE USE OF CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE AT THE NATIONAL 
              INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.

    (a) Review.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter into a 
contract with the Institute of Medicine for the purpose of conducting a 
study and making recommendations on the impact of, need for, and other 
issues associated with Centers of Excellence at the National Institutes 
of Health.
    (b) Areas of Review.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), 
the Institute of Medicine shall at a minimum consider the following:
            (1) The current areas of research incorporating Centers of 
        Excellence (which shall include a description of such areas) 
        and the relationship of this form of funding mechanism to other 
        forms of funding for research grants, including investigator 
        initiated research, contracts and other types of research 
        support awards.
            (2) The distinctive aspects of Centers of Excellence, 
        including the additional knowledge that may be expected to be 
        gained through Centers of Excellence as compared to other forms 
        of grant or contract mechanisms.
            (3) The costs associated with establishing and maintaining 
        Centers of Excellence, and the record of scholarship and 
        training resulting from such Centers. The research and training 
        contributions of Centers should be assessed on their own merits 
        and in comparison with other forms of research support.
            (4) Specific areas of research in which Centers of 
        Excellence may be useful, needed, or underused, as well as 
        areas of research in which Centers of Excellence may not be 
        helpful.
            (5) Criteria that may be applied in determining when 
        Centers of Excellence are an appropriate and cost-effective 
        research investment and conditions that should be present in 
        order to consider the establishment of Centers of Excellence.
            (6) Alternative research models that may accomplish results 
        similar to or greater than Centers of Excellence.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
contract is entered into under subsection (a), the Institute of 
Medicine shall complete the study under such subsection and submit a 
report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 
appropriate committees of Congress that contains the results of such 
study.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
107th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 717

_______________________________________________________________________

                               AMENDMENT

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