National Arthritis Act

National Arthritis Act - Expresses the findings of Congress that arthritis and related musculoskeletal diseases constitute major health problems and that the development of methods for their diagnosis and treatment deserve the highest national priority.

Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to establish a National Commission on Arthritis and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases, and specifies the composition of the Commission.

Requires the Commission to survey Federal, State, and local programs relating to arthritis to assess the adequacy and coordination of such programs. Requires the Commission to formulate a long-range plan for the organization of national resources to combat arthritis. States that the Arthritis Plan shall provide a comprehensive program for the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism, and Digestive Diseases and plans for Federal, State, and local programs, including specified activities and research.

Requires the Commission to prepare an estimate of necessary expenditures for each of the National Institutes of Health to be affected by the Arthritis Plan, which shall be submitted to Congress for comparison with the amounts requested for each fiscal year. Directs the Commission to publish the Arthritis Plan within 210 days of the date on which funds are first appropriated and provides that the Commission shall cease to exist 30 days after the submission of the Plan. Authorizes to be appropriated $1,000,000 to carry out the provisions of this section.

Directs the Secretary to establish an Arthritis Coordinating Committee, to be composed of representatives of Federal departments and agencies involved in research, health services, and rehabilitation programs affecting arthritis. Requires the Committee to submit a report of its work to the Secretary at the end of each fiscal year.

Authorizes the Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary for Health: (1) to make grants to public and non-profit private entities for projects for the development and demonstration of methods for arthritis screening, detection, prevention and referral; and (2) to establish the Arthritis Screening and Detection Data Bank for the collection of data useful in the screening, prevention, and early detection of arthritis. Authorizes to be appropriated to carry out these duties $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1975; $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1976; and $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1977.

Allows the Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary for Health, to provide for the development, modernization, and operation of centers for arthritis research, screening, detection, diagnosis, prevention, control, and the rehabilitation of arthritis victims. Authorizes to be appropriated for such purposes $9,000,000 for fiscal year 1975; $11,000,000 for fiscal year 1976; and $13,000,000 for fiscal year 1977. Requires that not less than 20 percent of the funds for each year be used for the purpose of establishing new centers.