,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdgg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ab1
 #bjai,mrs4 ,gillibrand 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 #bjai 4  #b4 ,national          
commission on fibrotic diseases research
  7a7 ,establishment ,there is hereby   
established1 within the ,national       
,institutes of ,health 7referred to in  
this section as ,,nih71 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  
,,nih-supported research activities     
related to fibrosis and fibrotic        

diseases1 which may include scleroderma 
as a prototypical condition that can    
cause fibrosis in various organs4  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 the       
designees of such directors3 7i7        
,national ,institute of ,arthritis and  
,musculoskeletal and ,skin ,diseases4   
7ii7 ,national ,heart1 ,lung1 and ,blood
 ,institute4  7iii7 ,national ,institute
 of ,diabetes and ,digestive and ,kidney
 ,diseases4  7iv7 ,national ,human      
,genome ,research ,institute4  7v7 ,any 
other national research institutes or   
national centers with an active fibrotic
 disease research portfolio4  7vi7      
,twelve additional voting members       
appointed under paragraph 7#b74  7#b7   
,additional members ,the ,commission    
shall include additional voting members1
 as may be 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 and     
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 at least #c times
 a year1 with the first meeting         
occurring not later than ,april #a1     
#bjba4  7#e7 ,vacancies ,a vacancy on   
the ,commission shall be filled in the  
same manner as the original appointment4
  7c7 ,responsibilities ,the duties of  
the ,commission are the following3  7#a7
 ,to study the incidence1 duration1 and 
mortality rates of fibrotic diseases as 

described in subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,to  
evaluate facilities and resources for   
the diagnosis1 prevention1 and treatment
 of fibrotic diseases described in      
subsection 7a74  7#c7 ,to develop 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 a comprehensive       
research plan1 which prioritizes        
fibrosis opportunities that have        
cross-cutting value and require         
coordination across multiple national   
research institutes and national        
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  7#d7
 ,to make recommendations1 as           
appropriate1 to the ,director of ,,nih  
and ,congress with respect to the study1

 evaluation1 and long-range plan        
described in the preceding paragraphs of
 this subsection4  7d7 ,operating plan  
,not later than #ij days after its first
 meeting1 the ,commission shall submit  
to the ,director of ,,nih and the       
,congress an operating plan for carrying
 out the duties 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 the paragraphs in  
subsection 7c72  7#b7 a plan for        
completing the 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 of national research       
institutes and national centers 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 recommendation      
required by subsection 7c74  7f7 ,sunset
 ,the ,commission shall terminate #fj   
days after submitting its final report1 
but not later than ,september #cj1      
#bjbc4