What's happening
This bill establishes a research grants program and special fund to support research and education on lymphedema and lymphatic diseases in New York State.
Why it matters
Targets Rare and Often Overlooked Diseases. By dedicating funds specifically to lymphedema and lymphatic diseases, the bill addresses conditions that are frequently underfunded and poorly understood, potentially leading to better treatments and quality of life for affected patients.
Supports New York-Based Biomedical Innovation. Grants can only go to not-for-profit New York institutions or their consortia, which could stimulate local research, foster collaborations among universities, hospitals, and labs, and potentially create new biotech jobs and expertise within the state.
Encourages Leveraging of Private and Federal Funds. The program prioritizes applicants who secure private research support and allows the pursuit of federal and private grants, potentially increasing the total pool of resources and promoting sustainable, ongoing research efforts.
Mandates Transparency and Justification for Future Funding. Annual reporting on all applicants (not just recipients) and detailed descriptions of funded projects are required, which helps demonstrate demand, informs policymakers and the public, and could justify future funding increases or program expansion.
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Fund Lymphedema Research Grants
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Fund Lymphedema Research Grants
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Linda Rosenthal
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4195
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 4, 2019
Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research grants program; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to creating the lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education fund; and making an appropriation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 208-b to read as follows:
§ 208-b. Lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research grants program. 1. The department shall, within available appropriations, establish the lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research grants program, hereafter "grants program." Such grants program funds shall be used to provide financial assistance in the form of grants, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars per grant, to New York state biomedical research institutions for working capital to further new and emerging research and development for the diagnosis and treatment of lymphedema and lymphatic diseases. Such grants shall be awarded on a competitive basis to biomedical research institutions responding to requests for proposals issued by the foundation when funds are appropriated.
2. (a) "Biomedical research institution" shall mean a not-for-profit university, college, hospital, private or federal research laboratory located in New York state, or a consortium of such entities, that conducts an intensive and ongoing program of research and development directly related to lymphedema and/or lymphatic diseases research.
(b) "Lymphedema" shall mean an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the interstitial tissue that causes swelling, most often in the arms and/or legs, and occasionally in other parts of the body, from any cause.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03595-01-9
S. 4195 2
(c) "Lymphatic diseases" shall include but not be limited to: insufficiency of lymphatic circulatory function (to include all forms of lymphedema), lipedema, complex congenital diseases of the lymphatic vasculature, including lymphangiomatosis, lymphangioleio-myomatosis, lymphangiectasias, lymphangiomas, cystic hygromas, Gorham's disease, lymphangiosarcoma, and complex vascular/lymphatic malformations.
3. In addition to such other criteria as the department may adopt in rules and regulations for the consideration of applications for grants pursuant to subdivision one of this section, the foundation shall:
(a) determine that the applicant is unable to obtain sufficient funding on reasonable terms from other public or private sources to permit the institution's planned investment to proceed without the required assistance;
(b) give priority to those applications for assistance from biomedical research institutions that secure private support for research or commit new resources to the expansion of lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research; and
(c) consider the potential long term economic benefits to the state of awarding the specific grant and whether the grant will result in a reasonable likelihood of success in meeting the purposes for which it was sought by the applicant.
4. The department may apply to the national institutes of health, the United States department of health and human services, and other appropriate federal, public, and private entities for funding. Such monies shall be deposited into the lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education fund, established pursuant to section ninety-nine-ff of the state finance law.
5. The department shall submit to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, and to any other state legislator at his or her request, a report on the grants program by September first, two thousand twenty-one and annually thereafter. Such report shall include, for each grant awarded, the name and location of the recipient, a description of the product, device, technique, system or process being researched and developed, the recipient's relationship to the research institution, the amount and use of the grant, the total project cost, and such other information as the department shall deem appropriate. Such report shall also include a list of all applicants and their contact information, regardless of receiving a grant, in order to help demonstrate the need for future funds.
6. Nothing in this section shall require the department to disclose any matters involving confidential intellectual property or work product, whether patentable or not, including any formula, plan, pattern, process, tool, mechanism, compound, procedure, production data or compilation of information, which is not patented, but which is known only to certain individuals who are using it to fabricate, produce or compound an article of trade or service having commercial value and which gives its user an opportunity to obtain a business advantage over competitors who do not know it or use it.
§ 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ff to read as follows:
§ 99-ff. Lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the comptroller, a special fund to be known as the lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education fund, hereafter the "fund".
S. 4195 3
2. Such fund shall consist of all monies appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into the fund according to law.
3. Monies of the fund shall be expended only for lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education projects approved by the department of health.
4. (a) "Lymphedema" shall mean an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the interstitial tissue that causes swelling, most often in the arms and/or legs, and occasionally in other parts of the body, regardless of cause.
(b) "Lymphatic diseases" shall include but not be limited to: insufficiency of lymphatic circulatory function (to include all forms of lymphedema), lipedema, complex congenital diseases of the lymphatic vasculature, including lymphangiomatosis, lymphangioleio-myomatosis, lymphangiectasias, lymphangiomas, cystic hygromas, Gorham's disease, lymphangiosarcoma, and complex vascular/lymphatic malformations.
(c) "Lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education projects" shall mean research by qualified researchers, as determined by the department of health, to stimulate research on the pathogenesis and new treatments for lymphedema and lymphatic diseases. Education projects are those projects which promote and provide information on lymphedema and lymphatic diseases including: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, long-term chronic care, and/or research by qualified organizations as determined by the department of health.
5. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner of health.
6. To the extent practicable, the commissioner of health shall ensure that all monies received during a fiscal year are expended prior to the end of that fiscal year.
§ 3. The sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000), is hereby appropriated to the department of audit and control out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit of the lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education fund, not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of health in the manner prescribed by law.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research grants program; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to creating the lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education fund; and making an appropriation therefor
Purpose or general idea of bill
To promote greater scientific understanding of lymphedema and lymphatic disease by establishing a lymphedema and lymphatic disease research grants program. Grants, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars, would be awarded on a competitive basis to biomedical research institutions that are conducting direct research related to lymphedema and lymphatic disease.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of this bill amends the Public Health Law by adding a new section 207-a to establish a lymphedema and lymphatic disease research grants program. This new section establishes how the grants program shall be administered. It also defines "biomedical research institu- tion," "lymphedema," and "lymphatic diseases." This new section also provides that the Department of Health may adopt rules and regulations to determine whether an applicant can find other funding, give priority to those applications for assistance that secure private support for research, or commit new resources to the expansion of this type of research, and consider the potential long term economic benefits to the state for awarding the specific grant. Further, the Department will be required to submit a report on the grants program to the Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, the Temporary President of the Senate, and to any other State Legislator at his or her request.
Section 2 of this bill amends the State Finance Law by adding a new section 99-aa to create a fund for lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education.
Section 3 of this bill appropriates $200,000 to the fund for lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education.
Section 4 of this bill provides that this act shall take effect imme- diately.
Justification
Lymphedema is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the interstitial tissue that causes swelling, most often in the arms or legs, but can also occur in other parts of the body. Lymphedema can develop when lymp- hatic vessels are missing or impaired (primary), or when lymph vessels are damaged or lymph nodes are removed (secondary). Untreated lymphedema can lead into a decrease or loss of functioning of the limbs, skin breakdown, and chronic infections. In the most severe cases, untreated lymphedema can develop into a rare form of lymphatic cancer.
This legislation would provide much needed funding to those involved in direct research of lymphedema or lymphatic diseases. These diseases are
far more common than society notes; however, funding for research has historically not kept pace with the dramatic growing need for it.
Prior legislative history
2018: S.1764-A - Referred to Finance 2017: S.1764 - Passed the Senate 2016: S.6654 - Referred to Finance
Fiscal implications
$200,000 is appropriated to the fund for lymphedema and lymphatic diseases research and education from the general fund.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.