national arthritis advisory board

national arthritis advisory board Sec. 103. (a) Part D of title IV is amended by inserting after section 439 the following new section: “national arthritis advisory board “Sec. 440. “(a) The Secretary shall establish a National Arthritis Advisory Board (hereinafter in this section referred to as the ‘Board’) to be composed of twenty-four members as follows: “(1) Eight members shall be appointed by the Secretary from individuals who are scientists, physicians, or other health professionals, who are not employed by the Federal Government, and who represent the various specialties and disciplines involved in arthritis. Of the members appointed pursuant to this paragraph, three shall be clinical rheumatologists, two shall be orthopedic surgeons, two shall be rheumatology investigators, and one shall be an al iied health professional. “(2) Six members shall be appointed by the Secretary from individuals, who are not employed by the Federal Government,90 STAT. 2647 with an interest in arthritis and who as a group have knowledge and experience in the fields of medical education, nursing, community program development, health education, data systems, and public information. “(3) One member shall be appointed by the Secretary from individuals who are members of the National Arthritis, Metabolism, and Digestive Diseases Advisory Council and who are expert in the field of arthritis. “(4) Four members shall be appointed by the Secretary from the general public. At least two of such members shall be persons who have arthritis and one shall be the parent of a child who has arthritis. “(5) The Assistant Secretary of Health or his designee, the Director of the National Institutes of Health or his designee, the Associate Director for Arthritis of the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism, and Digestive Diseases or his designee, the Chief Medical Director of the Veterans’ Administration or his designee, and the Secretary of Defense or his designee shall each be ex officio members. “(b) The members of the Board shall select a Chairperson from among the appointed members. “(c) The Secretary shall, after consultation with and consideration of the recommendations of the Board, provide the Board with an executive director and one other professional staff member. In addition, the Secretary shall, after consultation with and consideration of the recommendations of the Board, provide the Board with such additional professional staff members, such clerical staff members, and (through contracts or other arrangements) with such administrative support services and facilities, such information, and such services of consultants, as the Secretary determines are necessary for the Board to carry out its functions. “(d) Members of the Board who are officers or employees of the Federal Government shall serve as members of the Board without compensation in addition to that received in their regular public employment. Other members of the Board shall receive compensation at rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate in effect for grade GS–18 of the General Schedule for each day (including traveltime) they are engaged in the performance of their duties as members of the Board. While away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Board, members of the Board shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703(b) of title 5 of the United States Code. “(e) The appointed members of the Board shall be appointed to serve until the expiration of the Board (as provided in subsection (1)). “(f) The Board shall— (1) review and evaluate the implementation of the Arthritis Plan (formulated under section 3(g) of the National Arthritis Act of 1974); and (2) for the purpose of assuring the most effective utilization and organization of arthritis resources, advise and make recommendations to Congress, the Secretary, and the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies with respect to the Arthritis Plan90 STAT. 2648 and with respect to the guidelines, policies and procedures of Federal programs relating to arthritis. “(g) The Board may collect such data as it deems advisable and necessary to enable it to perform the functions required by subsection “(h) The Board may, from time to time, establish Subcommittees. Such Subcommittees may be composed of Board members and non-member consultants with expertise in the particular area addressed by such Subcommittees. “(i) The full Board shall hold regular quarterly meetings. In addition, the full Board or any of its Subcommittees may hold such additional meetings as are necessary in order to enable the Board to carry out its activities. “(j) One year after the date of its establishment and each year thereafter the Board shall submit to the Secretary and to the Congress a report— “(1) which describes the Board’s activities during the year for which the report is made; “(2) which describes and evaluates the progress made in such year in arthritis research, treatment, education, and training; “(3) which summarizes and analyzes expenditures made by the Federal Government for arthritis-related activities during the year for which the report is made: and “(4) which contains the Boards recommendations (if any) for changes in the Arthritis Plan. The annual arthritis report shall be made available to the public at the same time it is transmitted to Congress and the Secretary. “(k) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the purposes of this section $300,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1978, $300,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1979, and $300,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1980. “(l) The Board shall expire on September 30, 1980.”. (b) The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare shall establish the National Arthritis Advisory Board (established by the amendment made by subsection (a)) not later than ninety days after the date of enactment of this section.