[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 259 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 259

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the prevention of 
            fetal alcohol syndrome, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 1997

Mr. Richardson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the prevention of 
            fetal alcohol syndrome, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 
Prevention Act''.

SEC. 2. PREVENTION OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME; PROGRAM OF NATIONAL 
              INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM.

    Subpart 14 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 285n et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
section:

                        ``fetal alcohol syndrome

    ``Sec. 464K. (a) In General.--The Director of the Institute shall 
establish a program for the conduct and support of research and 
training, the dissemination of health information, and other programs 
with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of 
fetal alcohol syndrome and the related condition known as fetal alcohol 
effects (which syndrome and effects are referred to collectively in 
this section as `fetal alcohol conditions').
    ``(b) Interagency Coordinating Committee.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (6), the Secretary 
        shall establish a committee to be known as the Interagency 
        Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (in this 
        subsection referred to as the `Coordinating Committee').
            ``(2) Duties.--With respect to fetal alcohol conditions, 
        the Coordinating Committee shall--
                    ``(A) coordinate the activities of the National 
                Institutes of Health; and
                    ``(B) coordinate the aspects of all Federal health 
                programs and activities relating to such conditions in 
                order to assure the adequacy and technical soundness of 
                such programs and activities, and in order to provide 
                for the full communication and exchange of information 
                necessary to maintain adequate coordination of such 
                programs and activities.
            ``(3) Composition.--The Coordinating Committee shall be 
        composed of--
                    ``(A) the directors of each of the national 
                research institutes, and the heads of other agencies of 
                the National Institutes of Health, that are involved in 
                research on fetal alcohol conditions; and
                    ``(B) representatives of all other Federal 
                departments and agencies whose programs involve health 
                functions or responsibilities relevant to such 
                conditions.
            ``(4) Chair.--The Secretary shall designate a member of the 
        Coordinating Committee to serve as the chair of the Committee. 
        The Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair, but not less 
        than four times a year.
            ``(5) Annual report.--
                    ``(A) In carrying out paragraph (2), the 
                Coordinating Committee shall comply with the following:
                            ``(i) Identify and monitor all activities 
                        regarding fetal alcohol conditions that are 
                        conducted or supported by the Department of 
                        Health and Human Services and other Federal 
                        departments or agencies.
                            ``(ii) Identify the goals expected to be 
                        achieved through the activities.
                            ``(iii) Conduct evaluations of the extent 
                        to which the activities have been effective in 
                        achieving such goals.
                            ``(iv) Determine the extent to which the 
                        activities have been coordinated with each 
                        other.
                            ``(v) Make recommendations on the 
                        activities that should be carried out, on 
                        priorities among the activities, and on the 
                        coordination of the activities.
                    ``(B) Subject to paragraph (6)(B), the Coordinating 
                Committee shall, for each fiscal year, prepare and 
                submit to the Congress a report detailing the 
                activities of the Committee in carrying out the duties 
                of the Committee for the fiscal year. The Coordinating 
                Committee shall submit copies of each such report to 
                the Secretary, the Director of NIH, the officials 
                specified in paragraph (3)(A), and the advisory council 
                for the Institute. Except as provided in paragraph 
                (6)(B), each such report shall be submitted not later 
                than February 1 of the fiscal year following the fiscal 
                year for which the report is prepared.
            ``(6) Initial intradepartmental status of committee.--
                    ``(A) During fiscal years 1998 and 1999, the 
                Secretary shall ensure that individuals appointed to 
                the Coordinating Committee under paragraph (3)(B) 
                include only officers or employees of the Department of 
                Health and Human Services, and that the duties of the 
                Coordinating Committee are carried out only with 
                respect to such Department.
                    ``(B) The first report under subparagraph (B) of 
                paragraph (5) shall concern fiscal years 1996 and 1997, 
                and shall consist of the findings and recommendations 
                made by the Coordinating Committee in applying 
                subparagraph (A) of such paragraph to the Department of 
                Health and Human Services. Such report shall be 
                submitted not later than February 1, 2000.
            ``(7) Prevention activities.--With respect to activities 
        for the prevention of fetal alcohol conditions--
                    ``(A) the Coordinating Committee shall, as soon as 
                is practicable after the date on which this section 
                takes effect, develop recommendations under paragraph 
                (5)(A) regarding the Department of Health and Human 
                Services; and
                    ``(B) such Committee shall, as soon as is 
                practicable after October 1, 1999, develop 
                recommendations under such paragraph regarding other 
                departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
    ``(c) Certain Activities.--
            ``(1) In general.--Activities under subsection (a) 
        regarding fetal alcohol conditions shall include conducting and 
        supporting basic and applied research, including 
        epidemiological research; demonstrations; the training of 
        health professionals, including the development of professional 
        practice standards for detecting and preventing such conditions 
        in pregnant women and for counseling such women; the evaluation 
        of programs, including training programs; and the dissemination 
        of diagnostic criteria. Activities under such subsection shall 
        include the provision of technical assistance to public and 
        nonprofit private entities that carry out such programs.
            ``(2) Prevention; public awareness.--
                    ``(A) With respect to the prevention of fetal 
                alcohol conditions, each of the requirements of 
                paragraph (1) regarding the conduct and support of 
                various types of activities shall be carried out, 
                except to the extent inapplicable to prevention 
                activities. Activities conducted or supported pursuant 
                to the preceding sentence shall include carrying out a 
                comprehensive program to educate health professionals 
                and the general public, and shall include programs 
                directed toward at-risk populations. Programs under 
                this paragraph that are directed toward particular 
                populations shall be provided in the language and 
                cultural context most appropriate for the population 
                involved.
                    ``(B) In the conduct and support of activities 
                under subparagraph (A), special emphasis shall be 
                placed upon the utilization of collaborative efforts 
                with both the public and private sectors for the 
                purpose of--
                            ``(i) increasing the awareness and 
                        knowledge of health professionals and the 
                        public regarding the prevention of fetal 
                        alcohol conditions; and
                            ``(ii) developing and disseminating to 
                        health professionals, patients and patient 
                        families, and the public information designed 
                        to encourage individuals to adopt healthful 
                        practices concerning the prevention of such 
                        conditions.
    ``(d) Uniform Criteria for Collection and Reporting of Data.--In 
order to provide for the comparability of data on fetal alcohol 
conditions, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, develop 
uniform criteria for the collection and reporting of such data by or 
through the National Institutes of Health and the other agencies of the 
Department of Health and Human Services. The Secretary shall encourage 
the States to utilize such criteria.
    ``(e) Collaborative Activities.--The Secretary may require that an 
activity under this section be carried out in collaboration with or 
through one or more of the other agencies of the Department of Health 
and Human Services, and amounts made available under subsection (f) are 
available to the Secretary for such purpose.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002.''.
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