Senate Bills - 110th Congress

S. 3387—The National Pain Care Policy Act of 2008

On July 31, 2008, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced for himself and Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) S. 3387, the National Pain Care Policy Act of 2008. Among other provisions, the bill would amend the Public Health Act to require the Director of the NIH to establish a new office to be known as the Pain Consortium. The Consortium would be required to (1) establish and maintain a national agenda for basic and clinical research on the causes and treatments of pain, (2) coordinate pain research and related training and other activities across programs at the NIH, (3) convene an annual conference, and (4) undertake other appropriate actions. The bill would also require the NIH Director to establish an advisory committee to the Consortium, known as the National Pain Care Research Advisory Committee. S. 3387 was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.