42 U.S.C. § 285b–7 — National Center on Sleep Disorders Research

(a) Establishment. Within 1 year of June 10, 1993, the Director of the Institute had to create the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (the "Center"), headed by a director whom the Institute's Director appoints. (b) Purpose. The Center exists to (1) conduct and support research, training, health information sharing, and other work on sleep disorders — including biological and circadian-rhythm research, basic sleep science, and chronobiology — and (2) coordinate its work with similar work by other federal agencies (including other parts of NIH) and other public and nonprofit groups. (c) Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board. (1) The Director of NIH must create a Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board (the "Advisory Board"). (2) The Advisory Board advises, assists, consults with, and makes recommendations to the Director of NIH (through the Institute's Director) and the Center's director about the Center's scientific work and policies, including input on the required research plan. (3)(A) The Director of NIH must appoint 12 qualified public members who are not federal employees — 8 representing health and scientific fields related to sleep disorders, and 4 representing people who have or are being treated for sleep disorders. (B) These officials serve as ex-officio (automatic) members: the Director of NIH; the Center's director; and the directors of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the National Institute of Mental Health; the National Institute on Aging; the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; plus the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and the Veterans Administration's Chief Medical Director. (4) The Advisory Board members choose a chair from among themselves. (5) The general rules for NIH advisory councils under section 284a apply to this Advisory Board too, except where they do not fit. (d) Development of comprehensive research plan; revision. (1) After consulting the Center's director and the Advisory Board, the Director of NIH must create a comprehensive plan for sleep disorders research. (2) This plan must set research priorities and coordinate research done or supported by NIH's various agencies. (3) The Director of NIH, again after consulting the Center's director and the Advisory Board, must update the plan as needed. (e) Collection and dissemination of information. The Center's director, working with the CDC, may coordinate with the Departments of Transportation, Defense, Education, Labor, and Commerce to collect data, conduct studies, and share public information about the impact of sleep disorders and sleep deprivation.