[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1384 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1384

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national folic 
    acid education program to prevent birth defects, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 16, 1999

    Mr. Abraham (for himself, Mr. Bond and Mr. Kohl) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national folic 
    acid education program to prevent birth defects, 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 ``Folic Acid Promotion and Birth 
Defects Prevention Act of 1999''.

 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Each year an estimated 2,500 infants are born in the 
        United States with serious birth defects of the brain and 
        spine, called neural tube defects.
            (2) The most common neural tube defects are spina bifida 
        and anencephaly.
            (3) Spina bifida, the incomplete closure of the spinal 
        column, is a leading cause of childhood paralysis.
            (4) Anencephaly is a fatal condition in which an infant is 
        born with a severely underdeveloped brain and skull.
            (5) As many as 70 percent of neural tube birth defects 
        could be prevented if all women of childbearing age consumed 
        400 micrograms of folic acid daily, beginning before pregnancy.
            (6) Folic acid is a B vitamin found naturally in foods such 
        as leafy green vegetables, beans, citrus fruits, and juices.
            (7) Since January 1, 1998, the Food and Drug Administration 
        has required that all foods containing enriched flour, such as 
        breads, pasta and breakfast cereal, be fortified with folic 
        acid.
            (8) In addition to consuming a diet high in folate rich 
        foods, a daily multivitamin is one of the most reliable sources 
        of folic acid.
            (9) A majority of women are not aware of this prevention 
        opportunity, nor are they consuming the recommended daily 
        amount.
            (10) A national folic acid education campaign is needed to 
        urge women to take this simple step to prevent neural tube 
        defects.

 SEC. 3. PROGRAM REGARDING EFFECTS OF FOLIC ACID IN PREVENTION OF BIRTH 
              DEFECTS.

    Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 317G the following 
section:

         ``effects of folic acid in prevention of birth defects

     ``Sec. 317H. (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall carry 
out a program (directly or through grants or contracts) for the 
following purposes:
            ``(1) To provide education and training for health 
        professionals and the general public for purposes of explaining 
        the effects of folic acid in preventing birth defects and for 
        purposes of encouraging each woman of reproductive capacity 
        (whether or not planning a pregnancy) to consume on a daily 
        basis a dietary supplement that provides an appropriate level 
        of folic acid.
            ``(2) To conduct research with respect to such education 
        and training, including identifying effective strategies for 
        increasing the rate of consumption of folic acid by women of 
        reproductive capacity.
            ``(3) To conduct research to increase the understanding of 
        the effects of folic acid in preventing birth defects, 
        including understanding with respect to cleft lip, cleft 
        palate, and heart defects.
            ``(4) To provide for appropriate epidemiological activities 
        regarding folic acid and birth defects, including 
        epidemiological activities regarding neural tube defects.
    ``(b) Consultations With States and Private Entities.--In carrying 
out subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with the States and 
with other appropriate public or private entities, including national 
nonprofit private organizations, health professionals, and providers of 
health insurance and health plans.
    ``(c) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may (directly or through 
grants or contracts) provide technical assistance to public and 
nonprofit private entities in carrying out the activities described in 
subsection (a).
    ``(d) Evaluations.--The Secretary shall (directly or through grants 
or contracts) provide for the evaluation of activities under subsection 
(a) in order to determine the extent to which such activities have been 
effective in carrying out the purposes of the program under such 
subsection, including the effects on various demographic populations. 
Methods of evaluation under the preceding sentence may include surveys 
of knowledge and attitudes on the consumption of folic acid and on 
blood folate levels. Such methods may include complete and timely 
monitoring of infants who are born with neural tube defects.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 
for fiscal year 2000, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
fiscal years 2001 through 2004.''.
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