§287c–21 — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

§287c–21 Purpose of Center

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES › Part Part E— - Other Agencies of NIH › Subpart subpart 5— - national center for complementary and integrative health › § 287c–21

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Creates a National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health to do and fund research, train researchers, and share clear health information about complementary and integrative methods, plus related diagnostic and prevention approaches. A director, picked by the Secretary, must run the Center and report directly to the Director of NIH. The Secretary must set up an advisory council. At least half of the non‑ex officio members must be licensed practitioners in the main systems the Center studies, and at least 3 members must represent individual consumers. The director must study how new and nontraditional health approaches can be used in care. The director must make sure scientists with the right expertise review and manage Center projects and can form special review groups when needed. The Center must find and test methods in each relevant discipline, including those with accreditation, national certification, or a State license. It must support research such as outcomes studies, epidemiology, health services research, basic science, and clinical trials. The director must keep a public, regularly updated bibliography of worldwide research and run an information clearinghouse for health professionals, patients, industry, and the public. The Center must support multipurpose research and education centers, including accredited facilities. After consulting the Center director, the NIH Director must ensure NIH resources and staff liaisons are available. Funds appropriated for fiscal years 1999 and 2000 are available for obligation through September 30, 2001.

Title 42, §287c–21

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The general purposes of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (in this subpart referred to as the “Center”) are the conduct and support of basic and applied research (including both intramural and extramural research), research training, the dissemination of health information, and other programs with respect to identifying, investigating, and validating complementary and integrative health, diagnostic and prevention modalities, disciplines and systems. The Center shall be headed by a director, who shall be appointed by the Secretary. The Director of the Center shall report directly to the Director of NIH.

(b)The Secretary shall establish an advisory council for the Center in accordance with section 284a of this title, except that at least half of the members of the advisory council who are not ex officio members shall include practitioners licensed in one or more of the major systems with which the Center is concerned, and at least 3 individuals representing the interests of individual consumers of complementary and integrative health.

(c)In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Center shall, as appropriate, study the integration of new and non-traditional approaches to health care treatment and consumption, including but not limited to non-traditional treatment, diagnostic and prevention systems, modalities, and disciplines.

(d)The Director of the Center, after consultation with the advisory council for the Center and the division of research grants, shall ensure that scientists with appropriate expertise in research on complementary and integrative health are incorporated into the review, oversight, and management processes of all research projects and other activities funded by the Center. In carrying out this subsection, the Director of the Center, as necessary, may establish review groups with appropriate scientific expertise. The Director of the Center shall coordinate efforts with other Institutes and Federal agencies to ensure appropriate scientific input and management.

(e)In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Center shall identify and evaluate complementary and integrative health, diagnostic and prevention modalities in each of the disciplines and systems with which the Center is concerned, including each discipline and system in which accreditation, national certification, or a State license is available.

(f)In order to ensure high quality, rigorous scientific review of complementary and alternative, diagnostic and prevention modalities, disciplines and systems, the Director of the Center shall conduct or support the following activities:

(1)Outcomes research and investigations.

(2)Epidemiological studies.

(3)Health services research.

(4)Basic science research.

(5)Clinical trials.

(6)Other appropriate research and investigational activities.

(g)(1)The Director of the Center shall establish a bibliographic system for the collection, storage, and retrieval of worldwide research relating to complementary and integrative health, diagnostic and prevention modalities, disciplines and systems. Such a system shall be regularly updated and publicly accessible.

(2)The Director of the Center shall establish an information clearinghouse to facilitate and enhance, through the effective dissemination of information, knowledge and understanding of integrative health treatment, diagnostic and prevention practices by health professionals, patients, industry, and the public.

(h)The Director of the Center, after consultation with the advisory council for the Center, shall provide support for the development and operation of multipurpose centers to conduct research and other activities described in subsection (a) with respect to complementary and integrative health, diagnostic and prevention modalities, disciplines and systems. The provision of support for the development and operation of such centers shall include accredited complementary and integrative health research and education facilities.

(i)After consultation with the Director of the Center, the Director of NIH shall ensure that resources of the National Institutes of Health, including laboratory and clinical facilities, fellowships (including research training fellowship and junior and senior clinical fellowships), and other resources are sufficiently available to enable the Center to appropriately and effectively carry out its duties as described in subsection (a). The Director of NIH, in coordination with the Director of the Center, shall designate specific personnel in each Institute to serve as full-time liaisons with the Center in facilitating appropriate coordination and scientific input.

(j)Amounts appropriated to carry out this section for fiscal year 1999 are available for obligation through September 30, 2001. Amounts appropriated to carry out this section for fiscal year 2000 are available for obligation through September 30, 2001.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–235, § 224(1), (3), substituted “National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health” for “National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine” and “complementary and integrative health” for “complementary and alternative treatment”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113–235, § 224(2), substituted “integrative health” for “alternative medicine”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–235, § 224(5), added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “In carrying out subsection (a) of this section, the Director of the Center shall, as appropriate, study the integration of alternative treatment, diagnostic and prevention systems, modalities, and disciplines with the practice of conventional medicine as a complement to such medicine and into health care delivery systems in the United States.” Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 113–235, § 224(2), substituted “integrative health” for “alternative medicine”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 113–235, § 224(3), substituted “complementary and integrative health” for “alternative and complementary medical treatment”. Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 113–235, § 224(3), substituted “complementary and integrative health” for “complementary and alternative treatment”. Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 113–235, § 224(4), substituted “integrative health treatment” for “alternative medical treatment”. Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 113–235, § 224(2), (3), substituted “complementary and integrative health,” for “complementary and alternative treatment,” and “integrative health research” for “alternative medicine research”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Termination of Advisory CouncilsAdvisory councils established after Jan. 5, 1973, to terminate not later than the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date of their establishment, unless, in the case of a council established by the President or an officer of the Federal Government, such council is renewed by appropriate action prior to the expiration of such 2-year period, or in the case of a council established by Congress, its duration is otherwise provided by law. See section 1001(2) and 1013 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Pub. L. 93–641, § 6, Jan. 4, 1975, 88 Stat. 2275, set out as a note under section 217a of this title, provided that an advisory committee established pursuant to the Public Health Service Act shall terminate at such time as may be specifically prescribed by an Act of Congress enacted after Jan. 4, 1975.

Executive Documents

Executive Order No. 13147 Ex. Ord. No. 13147, Mar. 7, 2000, 65 F.R. 13233, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 13167, Sept. 15, 2000, 65 F.R. 54079 [57079], 65 F.R. 57436, which established White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 13316, § 3(i), Sept. 17, 2003, 68 F.R. 55256, eff. Sept. 30, 2003.