Bill > S06603

This bill creates a comprehensive Lupus Research Enhancement Program and Fund in New York to address the significant health challenges posed by lupus, a complex autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects women, particularly women of color. The program will establish a 15-member Lupus Research Advisory Council to oversee research grants to state academic medical institutions, with members including lupus patients, medical professionals, and experts in lupus research. The council will review and recommend research grants focused on understanding lupus's causes, developing diagnostic tests, exploring health disparities, and creating potential treatments, using a peer review process similar to the National Institutes of Health. Grants will be awarded based on scientific merit and research priorities, covering both direct and indirect research costs. The bill also creates a special lupus research enhancement fund to receive appropriations, grants, and gifts, which will be used exclusively to support lupus research and the advisory council's operations. The fund will be maintained separately from other state funds and overseen by the Commissioner of Health and the State Comptroller. The council will be required to submit an annual report to the legislature detailing grant activities, research findings, and recommendations, with the first report also evaluating potential compensation mechanisms for profit-making research outcomes.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6603