111^th Congress

Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act
(the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009)

P.L. 111-11 (H.R. 146)

Impact of Public Law

On March 30, 2009, the President signed H.R. 146, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, into law as P.L. 111-11. Included in this Act is Title XIV, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, which authorizes the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop mechanisms to coordinate the paralysis research and rehabilitation activities of the NIH Institutes and Centers to further advance these activities and avoid the duplication of effort. The Act also authorizes NIH to establish research consortia, which would then be designated the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Research Consortium. The Director of NIH is authorized to award grants for multicenter networks of clinical sites that will collaborate to design clinical rehabilitation intervention protocols and measures of outcomes on one or more forms of paralysis that result from central nervous system trauma, disorders, stroke, or any combination of these conditions. The Act authorizes $25 million for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2011 for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promote the study of the unique health challenges associated with paralysis and other physical disabilities and carry out projects and interventions to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of individuals with these conditions. It further authorizes the Secretary to award grants for activities related to paralysis, including establishing a population-based database for research on paralysis and other disabling conditions, developing comprehensive paralysis and other physical action plans and activities, providing education and training opportunities and programs for health professionals and allied caregivers, and improving access to services for individuals living with paralysis and other physical disabilities and their caregivers.

Legislative History

In May 1995, Christopher Reeve was involved in an equestrian accident, suffering injuries to his spinal column that left him paralyzed from the neck down. In the years following the accident, he became a highly visible spokesperson for spinal cord injury and created a foundation to motivate neuroscientists around the world to conquer the most complex diseases of the brain and the central nervous system, especially paralysis. Christopher Reeve died on October 10, 2004, at age 52, after falling into a coma. Dana Reeve died of lung cancer on March 6, 2006, at age 45.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), a personal friend of Christopher Reeve, first introduced the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act in 2002 with bipartisan cosponsors. In the 110th Congress, there were several versions of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, sponsored by Senator Harkin and Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). The bill passed the House twice during the past two Congresses but did not pass the Senate until 2009 as part of H.R. 146.

September 2009