New Jersey Congressman Albio Sires [D-NJ-8], a longtime supporter of NJCTS, has reintroduced bill H.R. 1131, Collaborative Academic Research Efforts (CARE) for Tourette Syndrome, into Congress. The bill seeks to “amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the expansion, intensification, and coordination of the programs and activities of the National Institutes of Health with respect to Tourette Syndrome.”
The CARE Act would require the NIH to award grants and contracts to academic, healthcare and other institutions to support the establishment of four to six Collaborative Tourette Syndrome Research Centers in different regions of the country. These “centers of excellence” will host high level, concerted, scientific and clinical research into TS and related disorders.
In 2004, Sires supported the establishment of NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome, based in Somerville, NJ, as the nation’s first Center for Excellence. The bill does not authorize any new funding for TS, but rather reallocates existing funds towards new programs to more effectively research and collect data on TS.
The bill is being considered by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce before being sent to the full House and Senate. Current co-sponsors include Rep. Eliot Engel [D-NY-16], Rep. Steve Cohen [D-TN-9], Rep. Ro Khanna [D-CA-17] and Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA-28]. NJCTS is urging TS supporters from across the country to write or call to their US Congress members asking them to support the bill.
The NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, the nation’s first Center for Excellence for Tourette Syndrome, is a not-for-profit organization committed to the advocacy of children and families with Tourette Syndrome and its associated disorders. Dedicated to delivering high quality services to these individuals, the Center recognizes the importance of educating the public, medical professionals, and teachers about this disorder through programs and affiliations with public schools, health centers, and universities. Visit www.njcts.org for more information.
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