Description:
H.R. 5585 would establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Health (ARPA–H) as an independent operating division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and authorize the appropriation of $500 million annually over the 2023-2027 period for its operations and programs. The bill delineates the goals, leadership, staffing, organizational structure, and activities of ARPA–H, including authorities to make grants and contracts and to coordinate with the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the development and coverage of health innovations. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103) appropriated $1 billion for the establishment of ARPA–H, and HHS elected to establish this agency as an entity within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). H.R. 5585 would require the Secretary to transfer all agency functions and funding from NIH to the new operating division within 180 days of enactment. Based on historical spending patterns for similar health research agencies, CBO estimates that H.R. 5585 would increase spending by $1.7 billion over the 2022-2027 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts.
