Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which has jurisdiction over the National Institutes of Health (NIH), issued for comments on April 9 a draft legislative proposal to address long COVID. The proposal would provide $1 billion in mandatory funding per year for ten years to the NIH to establish a long COVID research program, expedite long COVID research, establish a long COVID research advisory board, establish a long COVID data system derived from patient populations, develop an interagency public education and outreach campaign, provide information and continuing education programs for health care providers and allied health professionals, and require the director of the Long COVID Research Program to issue an annual report on previous year expenditures.
The proposal comes after the HELP Committee convened a January congressional hearing on gaps and opportunities in the long COVID research landscape at the NIH, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and other Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs.
Sanders is requesting feedback on the proposal by email no later than the close of business on April 23.
- Washington Highlights