H.R. 2421: To amend the Public Health Service Act to increase accountability at the National Institutes of Health.

114th Congress · introduced 2015-05-19 · Health · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-05-19 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Barton, Joe [R-TX-6] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

To amend the Public Health Service Act to increase accountability at the National Institutes of Health.

Plain summary

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to appoint the directors of the national research institutes and national centers (excluding the National Cancer Institute) instead of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Directors appointed by the Director of NIH have five-year terms. This bill amends the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 to remove a provision that makes appropriations available for compensation of consultants or individual scientists appointed for limited periods of time to the Public Health Service. Before a national research institute or national center awards a grant for a research project (R-series grant) the director of the institute or center must review and approve the award, taking into consideration the mission and priorities of the institute or center and whether other agencies are funding projects to accomplish the same goal. HHS must enter an arrangement with the National Academy of Medicine (formerly known as the Institute of Medicine) under which a study is completed on the extent to which federally funded biomedical research is duplicative and recommendations are made on preventing such duplication.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To amend the Public Health Service Act to increase accountability at the National Institutes of Health.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Barton, Joe [R-TX-6] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr2421.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr2421 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114