[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2202 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2202

    To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to increase 
   professional and public awareness of the link between periodontal 
disease in pregnant women and pre-term, low-birth weight babies and the 
                    maternal transmission of caries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 18, 2002

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to increase 
   professional and public awareness of the link between periodontal 
disease in pregnant women and pre-term, low-birth weight babies and the 
                    maternal transmission of caries.

    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 ``Perinatal Dental Health Improvement 
Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Emerging evidence may link severe periodontal disease 
        in pregnant women to a sevenfold increase in the risk of 
        delivering pre-term low birth weight babies.
            (2) The National Institutes of Health reports that ``as 
        many as 18 percent of the 250,000 premature low-weight infants 
        born in the United States each year may be attributable to 
        infectious oral disease.''.
            (3) Recent scientific studies suggest that the severe 
        consequences of premature delivery and associated low birth 
        weight may be partially preventable through improved oral 
        health of pregnant women.
            (4) Additionally, extensive laboratory, clinical and 
        epidemiologic studies show that a mother's experience with 
        tooth decay determines their young children's risk of 
        developing cavities.
            (5) Dental caries (tooth decay) is now understood to be an 
        infectious and transmissible disease acquired by children 
        primarily from their mothers.

SEC. 3. GRANTS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS THAT 
              APPLY NEW SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ABOUT MATERNAL AND CHILD 
              ORAL HEALTH LINKAGES.

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

``SEC. 317M-1. GRANTS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS 
              THAT APPLY NEW SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ABOUT MATERNAL AND 
              CHILD ORAL HEALTH LINKAGES.

    ``(a) Authority To Award Grants.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Director of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, shall award grants to 
nonprofit organizations and accredited dental education and research 
institutions to conduct research and demonstration projects that apply 
new scientific evidence about maternal and child oral health linkages 
related to adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal transmission of 
dental caries.
    ``(b) Requirement for Nonprofit Organizations and Accredited Dental 
Education and Research Institutions.--In order to be eligible for a 
grant under this section, a nonprofit organization or accredited dental 
education and research institution shall provide the Secretary with an 
assurance that it is a nonprofit organization or an accredited dental 
education and research institution.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--Funds provided under this section may be 
        used to provide direct funding to support projects in the 
        following areas:
                    ``(A) Professional education.--Projects that are 
                designed to develop programs based on the most recent 
                research available as of the date of the conduct of the 
                project with respect to maternal and child health to 
                inform dentists, pediatricians, family physicians, 
                obstetricians, nurse practitioners, and other primary 
                care providers so they can educate women of 
                childbearing age on the possible maternal-child health 
                consequences of poor oral health.
                    ``(B) Public education.--Projects that are designed 
                to develop programs based on the most recent research 
                available as of the date of the conduct of the project 
                with respect to maternal and child health to raise the 
                public's awareness on possible maternal and child 
                health consequences of poor oral health and improve the 
                oral health practices of women of childbearing age.
            ``(2) Limitation.--Funds provided under a grant awarded 
        under this section may not be used for payment of direct 
        dental, medical, or other services or to obtain Federal 
        matching funds under any Federal program.
    ``(d) Application.--A nonprofit organization or an accredited 
dental education and research institution desiring a grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Secretary in such form and 
manner and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to make grants under this section $10,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2003, 2004 and 2005.''.
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