REPORT ON ALLOTMENT FORMULA.

SEC. 707. REPORT ON ALLOTMENT FORMULA. (a) Study.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the “Secretary”) shall enter into a contract with a public or nonprofit private entity, subject to subsection (b), for the purpose of conducting a study or studies concerning the statutory formulae under which funds made available under sections 1911 and 1921 of the Public Health Service Act are allo-106 STAT. 440cated among the States and territories. Such study or studies shall include— (1) an assessment of the degree to which the formula allocates funds according to the respective needs of the States and territories; (2) a review of relevant epidemiological research regarding the incidence of substance abuse and mental illness among various age groups and geographic regions of the country; (3) the identification of factors not included in the formula that are reliable predictors of the incidence of substance abuse and mental illness; (4) an assessment of the validity and relevance of factors currently included in the formula, such as age, urban population and cost; and (5) any other information that would contribute to a thorough assessment of the appropriateness of the current formula. (b) National Academy of Sciences.—The Secretary shall request the National Academy of Sciences to enter into the contract under subsection (a) to conduct the study described in such sub-section. If such Academy declines to conduct the study, the Secretary shall carry out such subsection through another public or nonprofit private entity. (c) Report.—The Secretary shall ensure that not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the study required under subsection (a) is completed and a report describing the findings made as a result of such study is submitted to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate. (d) Consultation.—The entity preparing the report required under subsection (c), shall consult with the Comptroller General of the United States. The Comptroller General shall review the study after its transmittal to the committees described in subsection (c) and within three months make appropriate recommendations concerning such report to such committees.