H.R. 5986 is expected to be considered on the House floor on Wednesday, September 29, 2010, under a suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority vote to pass. Rep. Johnson (D-GA) introduced H.R. 5986 on July 30, 2010, and it was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. On September 23, 2010, the Energy and Commerce Committee ordered the bill reported by voice vote.
H.R. 5986 would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report to Congress on the epidemiology of, impact of, and appropriate funding required to address neglected diseases of poverty, including neglected parasitic diseases, such as Chagas disease, cysticercosis, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, trichomoniasis, the soil-transmitted helminths, and other related diseases.
In addition, the bill would require the report to provide the information necessary to guide future health policy to evaluate accurately the current state of knowledge concerning such diseases and define gaps in such knowledge and address the threat of such diseases.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000, based on the availability of appropriated funds.
