Hello,

The House of Representatives approved the fiscal year 2001 Labor-
HHS-Education appropriations bill, H.R. 4577 June 14, and passed
it along for consideration by the Senate.  FY 2001 starts on
October 1, 2000.  The Senate has its own version, S2553, and
differences will need to be resolved.

I haven't seen mention of this legislation on the list lately.  Here are
some details: The institutes and amounts (last year, House
version, Senate version) that most concern us are:

National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS)
1,029,743,000; 1,185,767,000; 1,189,425,000

National Institute of Environment Health Sciences (NIEHS)
442,688,000; 506,730,000; 508,263,000

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
687,861,000; 790,299,000; 794,625,000

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
974,673,000; 1,114,638,000; 1,117,928,000

Some research is also done on PD by NIA, NIMH and especially
NIEHS (see below).

I am confused by the following statement in the House committee
report no. 645 that accompanies the bill:  "The Committee provides
$1,185,767,000 for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke (NINDS), which is $156,024,000 above the fiscal year
2000 comparable level and $100,939,000 above the Administration
request; however, due to limited funding within the allocation,
funding increases in the bill are constrained to the amount
proposed in the Administration request."

The report contains the following statement specific to Parkinson's
disease:

"The Committee is encouraged by continuing discoveries in the
cause, pathophysiology, and treatment of Parkinson's disease, and
continues to encourage NINDS to enhance efforts to speed the
development of effective therapies for this devastating disorder. The
Committee also recognizes the benefits of research breakthroughs
in this area on other disorders within the Institute's scope. The
Committee is further aware that the NIH has completed a
Parkinson's-focused research agenda including professional
judgement funding projections for the next five years. The
Committee urges NINDS to enhance its funding levels for
Parkinson's-focused research to implement the agenda's
recommendations. The Committee also urges NINDS to collaborate
with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, and private sector foundations
to expand research to provide the groundwork of information and
intervention strategies for surveillance and control of suffering and
disability associated with the disease."

The agenda referred to can be found on the NINDS web page
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/whatsnew/pdagenda2000
/nihparkinsonsagenda.htm

The NINDS paragraph on PD in the committee report
accompanying S2553 states:

"The Committee is encouraged by continuing discoveries in the
cause, pathophysiology and treatment of Parkinson's disease, and
continues to encourage efforts by NINDS to speed the development
of effective therapies for this devastating disorder. Several recent
findings demonstrate a strong scientific foundation for a major new
initiative in Parkinson's research. The Committee also recognizes
the benefits of research breakthroughs in this area on other
disorders within the Institute's scope. The Committee
acknowledges the 1997 enactment of the Morris K. Udall
Parkinson's Research Act as a timely recognition of the scientific
potential in this field and a clear statement of intent by Congress to
make Parkinson's research a priority. The Committee is further
aware that the NIH has completed a Parkinson's-Disease research
agenda including professional judgement funding projections for the
next 5 years. In addition, the Committee is pleased with the joint
initiative of NIEHS and NINDS on investigating environmental
determinants of Parkinson's disease, and expects the Director to
encourage further collaboration among Institutes through the
Parkinson's Disease Coordinating Committee. The NIH director
should be prepared to discuss Parkinson's disease research
planning and implementation for fiscal year 2001 and 2002 during
the hearings on the fiscal year 2002 budget."

Congress is early in addressing these bills compared to previous
years, when they often went into the new fiscal year before
appropriations were passed.

This is very encouraging news!

Phil Tompkins
Amherst MA
age 62/dx 1990