June 4, 2026
Mr. James introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To establish the National Diabetes Project, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the National Diabetes Project Act
.
Sec. 2. National diabetes project
(a) Establishment
There is established in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services the National Diabetes Project (referred to in this Act as the Project
).
(b) Purpose of the project
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee, shall—
(1)
be responsible for the creation and maintenance of an integrated national plan to overcome diabetes;
(2)
provide information and coordination of diabetes research and services across all Federal agencies;
(3)
accelerate the development of treatments that would prevent, halt, or reverse the course of diabetes;
(4)
improve the—
(A)
early diagnosis of diabetes disease; and
(B)
coordination of the care and treatment of citizens with diabetes;
(5)
ensure the inclusion of ethnic and racial populations at higher risk for diabetes or least likely to receive care, in clinical, research, and service efforts with the purpose of decreasing health disparities in diabetes; and
(6)
coordinate with international bodies to integrate and inform the fight against diabetes globally.
(c) Duties of the Secretary
(1) In general
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee, shall—
(A)
oversee the creation and updating of the national plan described in paragraph (2); and
(B)
use discretionary authority to evaluate all Federal programs around diabetes, including budget requests and approvals.
(2) National plan
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee, shall carry out an annual assessment of the Nation’s progress in preparing for the escalating burden of diabetes, including both implementation steps and recommendations for priority actions based on the assessment.
(d) Advisory council
(1) In general
There is established an Advisory Council on Diabetes Research, Care, and Services (referred to in this Act as the Advisory Council
).
(2) Membership
(A) Federal members
The Advisory Council shall be comprised of the following experts:
(i)
A designee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(ii)
A designee of the Administration on Aging.
(iii)
A designee of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
(iv)
A designee of the Indian Health Service.
(v)
A designee of the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health.
(vi)
The Surgeon General.
(vii)
A designee of the National Science Foundation.
(viii)
A designee of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(ix)
A designee of the Food and Drug Administration.
(x)
A designee of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
(B) Non-Federal members
In addition to the members outlined in subparagraph (A), the Advisory Council shall include 12 expert members from outside the Federal Government, which shall include—
(i)
2 diabetes patient advocates;
(ii)
2 diabetes caregivers;
(iii)
2 health care providers;
(iv)
2 representatives of State health departments;
(v)
2 researchers with diabetes-related expertise in basic, translational, clinical, or drug development science; and
(vi)
2 voluntary health association representatives, including a national diabetes disease organization that has demonstrated experience in research, care, and patient services, and a State-based advocacy organization that provides services to families and professionals, including information and referral, support groups, care consultation, education, and safety services.
(3) Meetings
The Advisory Council shall meet quarterly and such meetings shall be open to the public.
(4) Advice
The Advisory Council shall advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee.
(5) Annual report
The Advisory Council shall provide to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee and Congress—
(A)
an initial evaluation of all federally funded efforts in diabetes research, clinical care, and institutional-, home-, and community-based programs and their outcomes;
(B)
initial recommendations for priority actions to expand, eliminate, coordinate, or condense programs based on the program’s performance, mission, and purpose;
(C)
initial recommendations to—
(i)
reduce the financial impact of diabetes on—
(I)
Medicare and other federally funded programs; and
(II)
families living with diabetes disease; and
(ii)
improve health outcomes; and
(D)
annually thereafter, an evaluation of the implementation, including outcomes, of the recommendations, including priorities if necessary, through an updated national plan under subsection (c)(2).
(e) Data sharing
Agencies both within the Department of Health and Human Services and outside of the Department that have data relating to diabetes shall share such data with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee, to enable the Secretary, or the Secretary’s designee, to complete the report described in subsection (f).
(f) Annual report
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee, shall submit to Congress—
(1)
an annual report that includes an evaluation of all federally funded efforts in diabetes research, clinical care, and institutional-, home-, and community-based programs and their outcomes;
(2)
an evaluation of all federally funded programs based on program performance, mission, and purpose related to diabetes disease;
(3)
recommendations for—
(A)
priority actions based on the evaluation conducted by the Secretary and the Advisory Council to—
(i)
reduce the financial impact of diabetes on—
(I)
Medicare and other federally funded programs; and
(II)
families living with diabetes disease; and
(ii)
improve health outcomes;
(B)
implementation steps; and
(C)
priority actions to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care, institutional-, home-, and community-based programs of diabetes disease for individuals with diabetes disease and their caregivers; and
(4)
an annually updated national plan.
(g) Sunset
The Project shall expire on December 31, 2036.