[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2739 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2739

To provide for the continuation of the demonstration program, known as 
 the Healthy Start Initiative, that is carried out by the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services as a program of grants to reduce the rate of 
                           infant mortality.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 5, 1999

  Mr. Cummings (for himself, Ms. Kilpatrick, Ms. Pelosi, Ms. Brown of 
Florida, Mr. Scott, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Hilliard, Mrs. Maloney of 
 New York, Mr. Owens, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Clay, Mr. Payne, Mrs. 
   Jones of Ohio, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Frost, Mr. Stark, and Mr. Coyne) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the continuation of the demonstration program, known as 
 the Healthy Start Initiative, that is carried out by the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services as a program of grants to reduce the rate of 
                           infant mortality.

    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 ``Healthy Start Initiative 
Continuation Act''.

SEC. 2. CONTINUATION OF HEALTHY START PROGRAM.

    Title V of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following section:

                      ``healthy start for infants

    ``Sec. 511. (a) In General.--
            ``(1) Continuation and expansion of program.--The 
        Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health 
        Resources and Services Administration, shall under authority of 
        this section continue in effect the Healthy Start Initiative 
        and may, during fiscal year 2000 and subsequent years, carry 
        out such program on a national basis.
            ``(2) Definition.--For purposes of paragraph (1), the term 
        `Healthy Start Initiative' is a reference to the program that, 
        as an initiative to reduce the rate of infant mortality and 
        improve perinatal outcomes, makes grants for project areas with 
        high annual rates of infant mortality and that, prior to the 
        effective date of this section, was a demonstration program 
        carried out under section 301 of the Public Health Service Act.
    ``(b) Requirements for Consortia in Making Grants.--In making 
grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall require that 
applicants (in addition to meeting all eligibility criteria established 
by the Secretary) establish, for project areas under such subsection, 
community-based consortia of individuals (including consumers of 
project services) and organizations (including public health 
departments, hospitals, health centers under section 330 of the Public 
Health Service Act, or other significant sources of health care 
services) that are appropriate for participation in projects under 
subsection (a).
    ``(c) Rule of Construction.--Except to the extent inconsistent with 
subsection (b), this section may not be construed as affecting the 
authority of the Secretary to make modifications in the program carried 
out under subsection (a).
    ``(d) Federal Reserves.--
            ``(1) Program administration.--The Secretary may reserve up 
        to 5 percent of amounts appropriated annually under this 
        section for coordination, dissemination, technical assistance, 
        and data activities under paragraphs (2) through (5) of section 
        509(a) that are determined by the Secretary to be appropriate 
        for carrying out the program under this section.
            ``(2) Evaluation.--The Secretary may reserve up to 1 
        percent of amounts appropriated annually under this section for 
        evaluation of projects carried out under subsection (a).
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $115,000,000 
for fiscal year 2000, $155,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $250,000,000 
for fiscal year 2002, and $300,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
2003 through 2005.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act takes effect October 1, 1999, or upon the date of the 
enactment of this Act, whichever occurs later.
                                 <all>