A bill to establish an office in the National Institutes of Health to assist in the development of drugs for diseases and conditions of low incidence.

Original

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

4 February 1981

Last action

17 September 1982 · Committee

Status

For Further Action See H.R.5238.

Sponsors

Rep. Weiss, Ted [D-NY-17], Rep. Addabbo, Joseph P. [D-NY-7], Rescom. Corrada, Baltasar [I-PR-At Large], Rep. Shamansky, Bob [D-OH-12], Rep. Richmond, Frederick W. [D-NY-14], Rep. Solarz, Stephen J. [D-NY-13], Rep. Rinaldo, Matthew J. [R-NJ-12], Rep. Vento, Bruce F. [D-MN-4], Rep. Mitchell, Parren J. [D-MD-7], Rep. Walgren, Doug [D-PA-18], Rep. Scheuer, James H. [D-NY-11], Rep. Kildee, Dale E. [D-MI-7], Rep. Yatron, Gus [D-PA-6], Rep. Price, Melvin [D-IL-23], Rep. Howard, James J. [D-NJ-3], Rep. Guarini, Frank J. [D-NJ-14], Rep. Simon, Paul [D-IL-24], Rep. Roe, Robert A. [D-NJ-8], Rep. Traxler, Bob [D-MI-8], Rep. Collins, Cardiss [D-IL-7], Rep. Stokes, Louis [D-OH-21], Rep. Yates, Sidney R. [D-IL-9], Rep. Moffett, Toby [D-CT-6], Rep. Pepper, Claude [D-FL-14], Rep. Forsythe, Edwin B. [R-NJ-6], Rep. Fazio, Vic [D-CA-4], Rep. Chisholm, Shirley [D-NY-12], Del. Won Pat, Antonio B. [D-GU-At Large], Rep. Gray, William H., III [D-PA-2], Rep. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY-10], Rep. Zeferetti, Leo C. [D-NY-15], Rep. Dwyer, Bernard J. [D-NJ-6], Sen. Mikulski, Barbara A. [D-MD], Rep. Crockett, George W., Jr. [D-MI-13], Rep. Gilman, Benjamin A. [R-NY-26], Rep. Rodino, Peter W., Jr. [D-NJ-10], Rep. Applegate, Douglas [D-OH-18], Rep. Dixon, Julian C. [D-CA-28], Rep. Pritchard, Joel [R-WA-1], Rep. Clinger, William F., Jr. [R-PA-23], Rep. Barnes, Michael D. [D-MD-8], Rep. Edgar, Robert W. [D-PA-7], Rep. Neal, Stephen L. [D-NC-5], Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-25], Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-1], Rep. Schneider, Claudine [R-RI-2], Rep. Burton, Phillip [D-CA-6], Rep. Bailey, Donald A. [D-PA-21]

Subjects

Healthcare

Source updated

3 June 2026

Healthcare

Official source View documents Share

Summary

Establishes within the National Institutes of Health the Office of Drugs of Limited Commercial Value under the direction of the Director of the National Institutes of Health. Establishes within the Office an advisory council to advise the Director and make recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services respecting the time required for drug approval under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Authorizes the Director to provide financial assistance to entities for the development of drugs of limited commercial value, defined as a drug for a condition or disease of low incidence, to undertake the development of such drugs, undertake studies to determine the potential and need for specific drugs, and coordinate the efforts of public and private entities engaged in the development of such drugs. Requires the submission and approval of an application containing the scientific basis for the development and the proposed therapeutic use of the drug and other specified information before financial assistance is provided. Requires each entity receiving funds to keep specified records. Requires the Director to report to Congress within two years on the effectiveness of this Act.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

4 February 1981
Introduced
Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Source: IntroReferral
4 February 1981
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
4 February 1981
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
9 February 1981
Referred
Referred to Subcommittee on Health and the Environment.
Source: Committee
9 March 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
17 September 1982
Committee
For Further Action See H.R.5238.
Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

1 official file

Introduced in House
summary · EN · 4 February 1981
Open at official source

Related records

related to ← Orphan Drug Act
related to ← A bill to establish an office in the National Institutes of Health to assist in the development of drugs for diseases and conditions of low incidence.

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.

Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/97th-congress/house-bill/1663
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/97/hr/1663
us · 97-hr-1663 · source updated 3 June 2026