APPOINTMENT AND AUTHORITY OF DIRECTORS OF NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES.

SEC. 301. APPOINTMENT AND AUTHORITY OF DIRECTORS OF NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES. (a) Establishment of General Authority Regarding Direct Funding.— (1) In general.— Section 405(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284(b)(2)) is amended— (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” after the semicolon at the end; (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and (C) by adding at the end the following subparagraph: “(C) shall, subject to section 2353(d)(2), receive from the President and the Office of Management and Budget directly all funds appropriated by the Congress for obligation and expenditure of the Institute.”. (2) Conforming amendment.— Section 413(b)(9) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285a–2(b)(9)) is amended— (A) by striking “(A)” after “(9)”; and (B) by striking “advisory council;” and all that follows and inserting “advisory council.”. (b) Appointment and Duration of Technical and Scientific Peer Review Groups.— Section 405(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284(c)) is amended— (1) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows: “(3) may, in consultation with the advisory council for the Institute and with the approval of the Director of NIH— 107 STAT. 151 “(A) establish technical and scientific peer review groups in addition to those appointed under section 402(b)(6); and “(B) appoint the members of peer review groups established under subparagraph (A); and”; and (2) by adding after and below paragraph (4) the following: “The Federal Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the duration of a peer review group appointed under paragraph (3).”.