The House is expected to vote on an updated package of biomedical innovation bills, known as 21st Century Cures (HR 6), as early as next week. We must act now to ensure language is included in this bill to enhance the stature and visibility of medical rehabilitation research at National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Last March, companion bipartisan bills, S. 800 and H.R. 1469: Enhancing the Stature and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at the NIH Act, were both introduced. Your Academy, through our leadership in the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC), has been working with members of Congress and NIH for years to craft this bill and recently made numerous congressional and committee office visits to garner support for S. 880 /H.R. 1631.
While this bill has already passed the Senate, we must act now to urge House offices to include Medical Rehabilitation Research language in the House 21st Century Cures package. We enthusiastically support the bill because it sends a powerful message that our nation can and must improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities and chronic conditions by enhancing medical rehabilitation research at NIH and, by so doing, improve the provision of rehabilitation services and devices.
Please take a moment to send a customizable email letting your legislators know that now is the time to enhance rehabilitation research and improve the quality of life for individuals with disability and chronic conditions.
Template Letter Act Now: Include S. 800 in the House “Cures” Package
Please include S. 800 as passed by the Senate HELP committee (and known in the House as companion bill H.R. 1631) in the House "Cures" package that we understand may move to the House floor this week.
S.800, the Enhancing the Stature and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at the NIH Act, is critically important because it would advance and improve the state of medical rehabilitation research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Importantly, S.800 is bipartisan, has been fully vetted by NIH and HHS officials, rehabilitation research organizations, clinical associations, and disability and consumer groups, and is expected to have no budgetary impact. Millions of Americans with disabilities, illnesses and chronic conditions require medical rehabilitation to restore, maintain, or prevent deterioration of function.
S.800/H.R. 1631 are endorsed by the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition, a coalition of 40 national non-profit organizations, including American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, American Occupational Therapy Association, American Physical Therapy Association, Amputee Coalition of America, Association of Academic Physiatrists, Brain Injury Association of America, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Paralyzed Veterans of America, RESNA, among others.
We hope you will join us in advocating for the inclusion of this bill to enhance medical rehabilitation research at NIH in the House "Cures" package, and by so doing, improve the provision of medical rehabilitation services and devices to those whose lives depend on it.