text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``American Cures Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. CAP ADJUSTMENT.
  
      (a) In General.--Section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and 
  Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) is amended--
              (1) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); 
          and
              (2) by inserting after subparagraph (C), the following:
                      ``(D) Biomedical research.--
                              ``(i) National institutes of health.--If a 
                          bill or joint resolution making appropriations 
                          for a fiscal year is enacted that specifies 
                          amounts for the National Institutes of Health 
                          at the Department of Health and Human Services, 
                          then the adjustments for that fiscal year shall 
                          be the amount of additional new budget 
                          authority provided in that Act for such 
                          programs for that fiscal year, but shall not 
                          exceed--
                                      ``(I) for fiscal year 2016, 
                                  $1,741,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(II) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                  $3,422,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(III) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                  $5,167,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(IV) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                  $7,085,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(V) for fiscal year 2020, 
                                  $9,149,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority; and
                                      ``(VI) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                  $11,435,000,000 in additional new 
                                  budget authority.
                              ``(ii) Centers for disease control and 
                          prevention.--If a bill or joint resolution 
                          making appropriations for a fiscal year is 
                          enacted that specifies amounts for the Centers 
                          for Disease Control and Prevention at the 
                          Department of Health and Human Services, then 
                          the adjustments for that fiscal year shall be 
                          the amount of additional new budget authority 
                          provided in that Act for such programs for that 
                          fiscal year, but shall not exceed--
                                      ``(I) for fiscal year 2016, 
                                  $716,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(II) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                  $1,287,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(III) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                  $1,503,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(IV) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                  $1,980,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(V) for fiscal year 2020, 
                                  $2,298,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority; and
                                      ``(VI) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                  $2,884,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority.
                              ``(iii) Department of defense health 
                          program.--If a bill or joint resolution making 
                          appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted 
                          that specifies amounts for the Department of 
                          Defense health program, then the adjustments 
                          for that fiscal year shall be the amount of 
                          additional new budget authority provided in 
                          that Act for such programs for that fiscal 
                          year, but shall not exceed--
                                      ``(I) for fiscal year 2016, 
                                  $57,402,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(II) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                  $139,213,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(III) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                  $226,460,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(IV) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                  $322,742,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(V) for fiscal year 2020, 
                                  $425,700,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority; and
                                      ``(VI) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                  $540,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority.
                              ``(iv) Medical and prosthetics research 
                          program of the department of veterans 
                          affairs.--If a bill or joint resolution making 
                          appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted 
                          that specifies amounts for the medical and 
                          prosthetics research program of the Department 
                          of Veterans Affairs, then the adjustments for 
                          that fiscal year shall be the amount of 
                          additional new budget authority provided in 
                          that Act for such programs for that fiscal 
                          year, but shall not exceed--
                                      ``(I) for fiscal year 2016, 
                                  $25,201,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(II) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                  $52,945,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(III) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                  $80,866,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(IV) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                  $112,189,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority;
                                      ``(V) for fiscal year 2020, 
                                  $146,157,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority; and
                                      ``(VI) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                  $184,027,000 in additional new budget 
                                  authority.
                              ``(v) Definitions.--As used in this 
                          subparagraph:
                                      ``(I) Additional new budget 
                                  authority.--The term `additional new 
                                  budget authority' means--
                                              ``(aa) with respect to the 
                                          National Institutes of Health, 
                                          the amount provided for a 
                                          fiscal year, in excess of the 
                                          amount provided in fiscal year 
                                          2015, in an appropriation Act 
                                          and specified to support the 
                                          National Institutes of Health;
                                              ``(bb) with respect to the 
                                          Centers for Disease Control and 
                                          Prevention, the amount provided 
                                          for a fiscal year, in excess of 
                                          the amount provided in fiscal 
                                          year 2015, in an appropriation 
                                          Act and specified to support 
                                          the Centers for Disease Control 
                                          and Prevention;
                                              ``(cc) with respect to the 
                                          Department of Defense health 
                                          program, the amount provided 
                                          for a fiscal year, in excess of 
                                          the amount provided in fiscal 
                                          year 2015, in an appropriation 
                                          Act and specified to support 
                                          the Department of Defense 
                                          health program; and
                                              ``(dd) with respect to the 
                                          medical and prosthetics 
                                          research program of the 
                                          Department of Veterans Affairs, 
                                          the amount provided for a 
                                          fiscal year, in excess of the 
                                          amount provided in fiscal year 
                                          2015, in an appropriation Act 
                                          and specified to support the 
                                          medical and prosthetics 
                                          research program of the 
                                          Department of Veterans Affairs.
                                      ``(II) Centers for disease control 
                                  and prevention.--The term `Centers for 
                                  Disease Control and Prevention' means 
                                  the appropriations accounts that 
                                  support the various institutes, 
                                  offices, and centers that make up the 
                                  Centers for Disease Control and 
                                  Prevention.
                                      ``(III) Department of defense 
                                  health program.--The term `Department 
                                  of Defense health program' means the 
                                  appropriations accounts that support 
                                  the various institutes, offices, and 
                                  centers that make up the Department of 
                                  Defense health program.
                                      ``(IV) Medical and prosthetics 
                                  research program of the department of 
                                  veterans affairs.--The term `medical 
                                  and prosthetics research program of the 
                                  Department of Veterans Affairs' means 
                                  the appropriations accounts that 
                                  support the various institutes, 
                                  offices, and centers that make up the 
                                  medical and prosthetics research 
                                  program of the Department of Veterans 
                                  Affairs.
                                      ``(V) National institutes of 
                                  health.--The term `National Institutes 
                                  of Health' means the appropriations 
                                  accounts that support the various 
                                  institutes, offices, and centers that 
                                  make up the National Institutes of 
                                  Health.''.
      (b) Funding.--There are hereby authorized to be appropriated--
              (1) for the National Institutes of Health, the amounts 
          provided for under clause (i) of such section 251(b)(2)(D) in 
          each of fiscal years 2016 through 2021, and such sums as may be 
          necessary for each subsequent fiscal year;
              (2) for the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
          through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
          amounts provided for under clause (ii) of such section 
          251(b)(2)(D) in each of fiscal years 2016 through 2021, and 
          such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year;
              (3) for the Department of Defense health program, the 
          amounts provided for under clause (iii) of such section 
          251(b)(2)(D) in each of fiscal years 2016 through 2021, and 
          such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year; 
          and
              (4) for the Medical and prosthetics research program of the 
          Department of Veterans Affairs, the amounts provided for under 
          clause (iv) of such section 251(b)(2)(D) in each of fiscal 
          years 2016 through 2021, and such sums as may be necessary for 
          each subsequent fiscal year.
      (c) Minimum Continued Funding Requirement.--Amounts appropriated 
  for each of the programs and agencies described in section 251(b)(2)(D) 
  of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (as 
  added by subsection (a)) for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2021, 
  and each subsequent fiscal year, shall not be less than the amounts 
  appropriated for such programs and agencies for fiscal year 2015.
      (d) Exemption of Certain Appropriations From Sequestration.--
              (1) In general.--Section 255(g)(1)(A) of the Balanced 
          Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (2 U.S.C. 
          905(g)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting after ``Advances to the 
          Unemployment Trust Fund and Other Funds (16-0327-0-1-600).'' 
          the following:
                              ``Appropriations under the American Cures 
                          Act.''.
              (2) Applicability.--The amendment made by this section 
          shall apply to any sequestration order issued under the 
          Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 
          U.S.C. 900 et seq.) on or after the date of enactment of this 
          Act.
target: American Cures Act  This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require certain adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2016-FY2021 to accommodate increases in appropriations for agencies that perform biomedical research. Adjustments are required for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense health program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs medical and prosthetics research program.  The bill also requires annual appropriations for each of the programs and agencies referenced in this bill to be at least the amount appropriated in FY2015.  The bill exempts appropriations provided pursuant to this bill from sequestration. Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals. 
feat_title: American Cures Act