42 U.S.C. § 289g–3

(a) In general The Director of NIH may conduct or support research to examine the long-term health implications of silicone breast implants, both gel and saline filled. Such research studies may include the following: (1) Developing and examining techniques to measure concentrations of silicone in body fluids and tissues. (2) Surveillance of recipients of silicone breast implants, including long-term outcomes and local complications. (b) Definition For purposes of this section, the term “breast implant” means a breast prosthesis that is implanted to augment or reconstruct the female breast.