,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cbfg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #be1     
#bjah ,mrs4 ,gillibrand 7for herself and
 ,mr4 ,schumer7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,health1          
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to establish a ,national       
,commission on ,fibrotic ,diseases4  #a4
 ,short title  ,this ,act may be cited  
as the ,national ,commission on         
,scleroderma and ,fibrotic ,diseases    
,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,national           
,commission on ,fibrotic ,diseases  7a7 
,establishment ,there is established1   
within the ,national ,institutes of     
,health1 a ,national ,commission on     
,fibrotic ,diseases 7referred to in this
 section as the ,commission7 to evaluate
 and make recommendations regarding     
improvements to the coordination and    
advancement of research activities      
related to fibrosis and fibrotic        
diseases1 which may include scleroderma 

as a prototypical condition that can    
cause fibrosis in various organs1       
supported by the ,national ,institutes  
of ,health4  7b7 ,membership  7#a7 ,in  
general ,the ,commission shall be       
composed of the following voting        
members3 7,a7 ,the ,director of ,,nih1  
or the designee of such director4  7,b7 
,the ,directors of the following        
,institutes1 or their designees3 7i7    
,the ,national ,institute of ,arthritis 
and ,musculoskeletal and ,skin          
,diseases4  7ii7 ,the ,national ,heart1 
,lung1 and ,blood ,institute4  7iii7    
,the ,national ,institute of ,diabetes  
and ,digestive and ,kidney ,diseases4   
7iv7 ,the ,national ,human ,genome      
,research ,institute4  7v7 ,any other   
national research institute or center   
with an active fibrotic disease research
 portfolio4  7,c7 ,twelve additional    
voting members appointed under paragraph
 7#b74  7#b7 ,additional members ,the   
,commission shall include voting        
members1 appointed by the ,director of  

,,nih1 with expertise in the prevention1
 care1 and epidemiology of any of the   
diseases and complications described in 
subsection 7a71 including one or more   
such members from each of the following 
categories3  7,a7 ,leading scientists or
 physicians with research expertise in  
the conditions described in subsection  
7a74  7,b7 ,patient advocates with a    
perspective on the conditions described 
in subsection 7a74  7#c7 ,chairperson   
,the members of the ,commission shall   
select a chairperson from the members   
appointed under paragraph 7#b74  7#d7   
,meetings ,the ,commission shall meet #c
 times per year4  7#e7 ,vacancies ,a    
vacancy on the ,commission shall be     
filled in the same manner as the        
original appointments4  7c7             
,responsibilities ,the ,commission shall
 evaluate and make recommendations1 as  
appropriate1 to the ,director of ,,nih  
and ,congress regarding--  7#a7 the     
incidence1 duration1 and mortality rates
 of fibrotic diseases as described in   

subsection 7a72  7#b7 facilities and    
resources for the diagnosis1 prevision1 
and treatment of fibrotic diseases      
described in subsection 7a72 and  7#c7 a
 long-range plan for the use and        
organization of national resources to   
effectively advance research and        
effectively deal with fibrotic diseases 
as described in subsection 7a71         
including--  7,a7 comprehensive research
 plan1 which prioritizes fibrosis       
opportunities that have cross-cutting   
value and require coordination across   
multiple national research institutes   
and centers2  7,b7 topic-specific       
research recommendations for each organ 
or system as impacted by fibrotic       
diseases described in subsection 7a72   
and  7,c7 an overview of common themes  
and specific steps for implementation4  
7d7 ,operating plan ,not later than #ij 
days after its first meeting the        
,commission shall--  7#a7 submit to the 
,director of ,,nih and ,congress an     
operating plan for carrying out the     

activities of the ,commission as        
described in subsection 7c74 ,such      
operating plan may include--  7,a7 a    
list of specific activities that the    
,commission plans to conduct for        
purposes of carrying out the duties     
described in each of paragraphs 7#a7    
through 7#c7 of subsection 7c72  7,b7 a 
plan for completing such activities2    
7,c7 a list of members of the           
,commission and other individuals who   
are not members of the ,commission who  
will need to be involved to conduct such
 activities2  7,d7 an explanation of    
involvement and coordination among the  
institutes and centers of the ,national 
,institutes of ,health that is needed to
 conduct such activities2  7,e7 a budget
 for conducting such activities2 and    
7,f7 other information that the         
,commission determines appropriate4  7e7
 ,final report ,not later than #b years 
after the date of the ,commission's     
first meeting1 the ,commission shall    
submit to the ,director of ,,nih and    

,congress a final report containing all 
of the findings and recommendations     
required under subsection 7c74  7f7     
,sunset ,the ,commission shall terminate
 #fj days after submitting its final    
report1 and not later than the end of   
fiscal year #bjbb4