[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9686 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9686
To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
to codify the Panel of Health Advisors within the Congressional Budget
Office, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 19, 2024
Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself and Mr. Burgess) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
to codify the Panel of Health Advisors within the Congressional Budget
Office, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Healthy Equipping And Lending
Technical Help Panel Act'' or the ``HEALTH Panel Act''.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE PANEL OF HEALTH ADVISORS.
(a) In General.--Title II of the Congressional Budget and
Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 204. PANEL OF HEALTH ADVISORS.
``(a) In General.--The Panel of Health Advisors (in this section
referred to as the `Panel') shall be within the Congressional Budget
Office.
``(b) Duties and Priority Target Areas.--
``(1) Duties.--The Panel shall--
``(A) provide technical and functional expertise
and recommendations to the Congressional Budget Office
to improve the office's studies, analysis, and cost
estimates related to health and health care issues and
policies;
``(B) meet at least once annually; and
``(C) issue an annual report to the chair and
ranking minority members of the Committee on the Budget
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
the Budget of the Senate which--
``(i) details the work of the Panel and
includes such recommendations as have been
approved by a vote of at least 9 members of the
Panel and provided to the Congressional Budget
Office; and
``(ii) includes a description prepared by
the Director of the Congressional Budget Office
detailing how the office utilized any such
recommendations provided under clause (i) and
the extent to which any such recommendations
were integrated into the office's studies and
cost estimates.
``(2) Priority target areas.--For the purposes of this
section, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, in
consultation with the chairs and ranking minority members of
the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on the Budget of the Senate, as well as members
on the Panel, shall determine priorities to address in meetings
of the Panel, and the report detailed under paragraph (1)(C).
The Panel shall provide expertise and recommendations under
paragraph (1) with specific respect to the following areas:
``(A) Non-economic and economic studies on health
and health care issues and policies developed by the
Congressional Budget Office.
``(B) Official cost estimates prepared by the
Congressional Budget Office for proposed health care
legislation.
``(C) Models developed and utilized by the
Congressional Budget Office to project non-economic and
economic impacts of health care policy changes and
legislation.
``(D) Health care components of the Congressional
Budget Office's annual Budget and Economic Outlook
publications, Federal Health Subsidies for Health
Insurance reports, Health Insurance Coverage
Projections, and other official publications related to
health and health care by the Congressional Budget
Office.
``(3) Publication.--The Director of the Congressional
Budget Office shall publish, on the Office's public website,
the annual report prepared pursuant to paragraph (1)(C).
``(4) Ethical disclosure; confidentiality.--The Director of
the Congressional Budget Office may establish--
``(A) a system for public disclosure by members of
the Panel related to potential conflicts of interest
relating to such members; and
``(B) confidentiality agreements with members of
the Panel to protect information obtained by the
Government on a confidential basis to inform official
work products and confidential congressional requests
for analytical reports and budgetary scoring estimates.
``(c) Membership.--
``(1) Number and appointment.--The membership of the Panel
shall include 15 members appointed not later than 90 days after
the date of the enactment of this section, of which--
``(A) 3 members shall be appointed by the chair of
the Committee on the Budget of the House of
Representatives;
``(B) 3 members shall be appointed by the ranking
minority member of the Committee on the Budget of the
House of Representatives;
``(C) 3 members shall be appointed by the chair of
the Committee on the Budget of the Senate;
``(D) 3 members shall be appointed by the ranking
minority member of the Committee on the Budget of the
Senate; and
``(E) 3 members shall be appointed by the Director
of the Congressional Budget Office.
``(2) Qualifications.--The membership of the Panel shall
aim to include, but not be limited to, individuals with
national recognition for their expertise in health finance and
economics, actuarial science, health facility management, life
sciences and drug development, investment in health care
companies, health plans and integrated delivery systems,
reimbursement of health facilities, allopathic and osteopathic
physicians, and other providers of health services, Medicare,
Medicaid, and other related fields.
``(3) Special government employees.--Members of the Panel
shall serve as special Government employees (as defined in
section 202(a) of title 18, United States Code).
``(d) Terms.--
``(1) In general.--The terms of the members of the Panel
shall be for 3 years, except that the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office shall designate staggered terms of
the members first appointed.
``(2) Vacancies.--
``(A) In general.--A vacancy in the Panel shall be
filled in the manner in which the original appointment
was made.
``(B) Term of member appointed to fill vacancy.--
Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before
the expiration of the term for which the member's
predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for
the remainder of that term, except that a member may
serve after the expiration of that member's term until
a successor has taken office.
``(3) Chair; vice chair.--
``(A) In general.--The Director of the
Congressional Budget Office shall designate a member of
the Panel, at the time of appointment of the member, as
chair and a member as vice chair for that term of
appointment, except that in the case of vacancy of the
chair or vice chair, the Director of the Congressional
Budget Office may designate another member for the
remainder of that member's term.
``(B) Requirements.-- The chair and vice chair
shall be appointed by the Director of the Congressional
Budget Office--
``(i) after considering recommendations
received from the chairs of the Committees on
the Budget of the House of Representatives and
the Senate;
``(ii) without regard to political
affiliation; and
``(iii) solely on the basis of their
fitness to perform their duties.
``(4) Limits.--Members of the Panel shall be limited to two
3-year terms, for a total of not to exceed 6 years of service
on the Panel. For purposes of this paragraph, any year of
service on the Panel by a person appointed to fill a vacancy
under paragraph (2) shall be included in determining the number
of years that such person has served on the Panel.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 203 the
following:
``204. Panel of Health Advisors.''.
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