Senate Bills - 110th Congress

S. 3408—The Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Act of 2008

On July 31, 2008, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) introduced S. 3408, the Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Act of 2008. The bill would establish a nonprofit corporation called the Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute to contract with appropriate Federal agencies or the private sector to conduct comparative effectiveness research. The Institute would be responsible for (1) establishing and carrying out a research project agenda [in carrying out a research agenda, Institute must give preference for contracts to Federal government agencies with experience in conducting CER], (2) establishing a methodology committee to develop scientifically-based methodological standards for comparative clinical effectiveness research [would be required to consult or contract with IOM, AHRQ, NIH (can contract with one or more) in developing and updating standards], and (3) ensuring that there is a process for peer-review of the research [Institute would be authorized to use existing peer-review processes used by entities with which the Institute contracts]. Provisions would also establish a Board of Governors comprising 21 members, including the Secretary of HHS, the Director of AHRQ, and the Director of NIH, to oversee the Institute’s activities. The legislation would create the Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund in the U.S. Treasury. Total funding for the first year (FY 2009) would be $5 million, and funding would increase to $300 million a year by the year 2013. Funding for the Institute would sunset after 10 years. S. 3408 was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.