June 12, 2025
Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Fields, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Norton, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Doggett, Ms. Pettersen, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Scholten, Mr. Bell, Mr. Keating, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Latimer, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Barragán, Mr. Veasey, Mr. García of Illinois, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Landsman, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Mfume, Mrs. Fletcher, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, and Mr. Swalwell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To unfreeze and release funding for grant agreements of the National Institutes of Health, prohibit termination of such agreements for active and ongoing research, require the inclusion of termination clauses in such agreements, and prohibit termination of such agreements for no longer effectuating program goals or agency priorities.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Prevent Halting of Active Research Act of 2025
or the PHARA Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Releasing NIH grant funding
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (in this section referred to as the Secretary
)—
(1)
shall, immediately after the date of the enactment of this Act, with respect to a grant agreement or cooperative agreement entered into by the Secretary—
(A)
release and expend all funding to the extent required by such agreement; and
(B)
otherwise fully implement such agreement;
(2)
shall, as rapidly as possible after the date of the enactment of this Act, pay all pending reimbursement requests owed by the Secretary under the agreements described in paragraph (1); and
(3)
may not cancel any agreement described in paragraph (1) under which an awardee is performing active and ongoing research.
Sec. 3. Inclusion of termination clauses in NIH grant agreements and cooperative agreements
Any grant agreement or cooperative agreement from the National Institutes of Health that is entered into after the date of the enactment of this Act shall include a termination clause. Such clause shall specify that the agreement may only be terminated in cases of material breach, change in circumstances, or mutual agreement of all parties, provided that—
(1)
the terminating party invoking such clause submits to all non-terminating parties a written notice of the intent to terminate at least 90 days before the date of termination; and
(2)
before the date of termination, the terminating party attempts to amend the terms of the grant agreement or cooperative agreement with each non-terminating party.
Sec. 4. No termination of NIH grant agreements or cooperative agreements for no longer effectuating program goals or agency priorities
(a) In general
The National Institutes of Health may not terminate, in whole or in part, a grant agreement or cooperative agreement that is entered into after the date of the enactment of this Act on the basis of such agreement no longer effectuating the program goals or agency priorities.
(b) Regulatory revision
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, shall revise section 200.340(a) of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations, in order to comply with subsection (a) of this section.