H.R. 1946 — Introduced in House

I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1946 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 5, 2017Mr. Lewis of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to require reporting by the National Institutes of Health on requests for funding research that were not granted and had the greatest potential for improving public health, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Missed Opportunities Act of 2017. 2. Annual reporting by NIH on missed opportunities The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 403D of such Act (42 U.S.C. 283a–3) the following: 403E. Annual reporting on missed opportunities (a) In general Not later than the last day of the first fiscal quarter following the end of each fiscal year, the Director of NIH shall submit a report to Congress— (1) identifying— (A) the total number of requests that were under review during such fiscal year by any office, agency, institute, or center of the National Institutes of Health for funding, in whole or in part, research; and (B) of such total number— (i) the number of such requests that were granted; (ii) the number of such requests that were denied; and (iii) the number of such requests that remained pending at the end of the fiscal year; and (2) of the requests that were denied or remained pending, as described in clauses (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (1)(B), identifying the requests with the greatest potential for improving public health. (b) Trade secrets and confidential information This section does not authorize the Secretary to disclose any information that is a trade secret or confidential information subject to section 552(b)(4) of title 5, United States Code, or section 1905 of title 18, United States Code. .