[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1902 Reported in Senate (RS)]


                                                       Calendar No. 585
109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1902

                          [Report No. 109-323]

  To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize funding for the 
establishment of a program on children and the media within the Centers 
  for Disease Control and Prevention to study the role and impact of 
            electronic media in the development of children.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 20, 2005

 Mr. Lieberman (for himself, Mr. Brownback, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Santorum, 
Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Bayh) introduced the following bill; which was read 
 twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                                Pensions

                           September 5, 2006

                Reported by Mr. Enzi, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize funding for the 
establishment of a program on children and the media within the Centers 
  for Disease Control and Prevention to study the role and impact of 
            electronic media in the development of children.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Children and Media Research 
Advancement Act'' or the ``CAMRA Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following 
findings:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Congress has recognized the important role of 
        electronic media in children's lives when it passed the 
        Children's Television Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-437) and the 
        Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-104), both of 
        which documented public concerns about how electronic media 
        products influence children's development.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Congress has held hearings over the past 
        several decades to examine the impact of specific types of 
        media products such as violent television, movies, and video 
        games on children's and adolescents' health and development. 
        These hearings and other public discussions about the role of 
        media in children's and adolescents' development require 
        behavioral and social science research to inform the policy 
        deliberations.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) There are important gaps in our knowledge 
        about the role of electronic media and in particular, the newer 
        interactive digital media, in children's and adolescents' 
        healthy development. The consequences of very early screen 
        usage by babies and toddlers on children's cognitive growth are 
        not yet understood, nor has a research base been established on 
        the psychological consequences of high definition interactive 
        media and other format differences for child and adolescent 
        viewers.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Studies have shown that children who primarily 
        watch educational shows on television during their preschool 
        years are significantly more successful in school 10 years 
        later even when critical contributors to the child's 
        environment are factored in, including their household income, 
        parent's education, and intelligence.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) The early stages of childhood are a critical 
        formative period for development. Virtually every aspect of 
        human development is affected by the environments and 
        experiences that one encounters during his or her early 
        childhood years, and media exposure is an increasing part of 
        every child's social and physical environment.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) As of the late 1990's, just before the 
        National Institute of Child Health and Human Development funded 
        5 studies on the role of sexual messages in the media on 
        children's and adolescents' sexual attitudes and sexual 
        practices, a review of research in this area found only 15 
        studies ever conducted in the United States on this topic, even 
        during a time of growing concerns about HIV 
        infection.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) In 2001, a National Academy of Sciences study 
        group charged with studying Internet pornography exposure on 
        youth found virtually no literature about how much children and 
        adolescents were exposed to Internet pornography or how such 
        content impacts their development.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) In order to develop strategies that maximize 
        the positive and minimize the negative effects of each medium 
        on children's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional 
        development, it would be beneficial to develop a research 
        program that can track the media habits of young children and 
        their families over time using valid and reliable research 
        methods.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) Research about the impact of the media on 
        children and adolescents is not presently supported through one 
        primary programmatic effort. The responsibility for directing 
        the research is distributed across disparate agencies in an 
        uncoordinated fashion, or is overlooked entirely. The lack of 
        any centralized organization for research minimizes the value 
        of the knowledge produced by individual studies. A more 
        productive approach for generating valuable findings about the 
        impact of the media on children and adolescents would be to 
        establish a single, well-coordinated research effort with 
        primary responsibility for directing the research 
        agenda.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) Due to the paucity of research about 
        electronic media, educators and others interested in 
        implementing electronic media literacy initiatives do not have 
        the evidence needed to design, implement, or assess the value 
        of these efforts.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to enable the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) examine the role and impact of electronic 
        media in children's and adolescents' cognitive, social, 
        emotional, physical, and behavioral development; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) provide for a report to Congress containing 
        the empirical evidence and other results produced by the 
        research funded through grants under this Act.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN 
              THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``SEC. 399O. RESEARCH ON THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC 
              MEDIA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND 
              ADOLESCENTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    ``(a) In General.--The Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (referred to in this section as the `Director') 
shall enter into appropriate arrangements with the National Academy of 
Science in collaboration with the Institute of Medicine to establish an 
independent panel of experts to review, synthesize and report on 
research, theory, and applications in the social, behavioral, and 
biological sciences and to establish research priorities regarding the 
positive and negative roles and impact of electronic media use, 
including television, motion pictures, DVD's, interactive video games, 
and the Internet, and exposure to that content and medium on youth in 
the following core areas of child and adolescent development:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) Cognitive.--The role and impact of media use 
        and exposure in the development of children and adolescents 
        within such cognitive areas as language development, attention 
        span, problem solving skills (such as the ability to conduct 
        multiple tasks or `multitask'), visual and spatial skills, 
        reading, and other learning abilities.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Physical.--The role and impact of media use 
        and exposure on children's and adolescents' physical 
        coordination, diet, exercise, sleeping and eating routines, and 
        other areas of physical development.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Socio-behavioral.--The influence of 
        interactive media on children's and adolescents' family 
        activities and peer relationships, including indoor and outdoor 
        play time, interaction with parents, consumption habits, social 
        relationships, aggression, prosocial behavior, and other 
        patterns of development.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(b) Pilot Projects.--During the first year in which the 
National Academy of Sciences panel is summarizing the data and creating 
a comprehensive research agenda in the children and adolescents and 
media area under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide for the 
conduct of initial pilot projects to supplement and inform the panel in 
its work. Such pilot projects shall consider the role of media exposure 
on--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) cognitive and social development during 
        infancy and early childhood; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) the development of childhood and adolescent 
        obesity, particularly as a function of media advertising and 
        sedentary lifestyles that may co-occur with heavy media 
        diets.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(c) Research Program.--Upon completion of the review 
under subsection (a), the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention shall develop and implement a program that funds 
additional research determined to be necessary by the panel under 
subsection (a) concerning the role and impact of electronic media in 
the cognitive, physical, and socio-behavioral development of children 
and adolescents with a particular focus on the impact of factors such 
as media content, format, length of exposure, age of child or 
adolescent, and nature of parental involvement. Such program shall 
include extramural and intramural research and shall support 
collaborative efforts to link such research to other Department of 
Health and Human Services research investigations on early child health 
and development.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(d) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, an entity shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) prepare and submit to the Director an 
        application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Director may require; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) agree to use amounts received under the 
        grant to carry out activities that establish or implement a 
        research program relating to the effects of media on children 
        and adolescents pursuant to guidelines developed by the 
        Director relating to consultations with experts in the area of 
        study.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(e) Use of Funds Relating to the Media's Role in the 
Life of a Child or Adolescent.--An entity shall use amounts received 
under a grant under this section to conduct research concerning the 
social, cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral development of 
children or adolescents as related to electronic mass media, including 
the areas of--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) television;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) motion pictures;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) DVD's;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) interactive video games;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(5) the Internet; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(6) cell phones.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(f) Reports.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) Report to director.--Not later than 12 
        months after the date of enactment of this section, the panel 
        under subsection (a) shall submit the report required under 
        such subsection to the Director.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than December 
        31, 2011, the Director shall prepare and submit to the 
        Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
        Senate, and Committee on Education and the Workforce of the 
        House of Representatives a report that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) summarizes the empirical evidence 
                and other results produced by the research under this 
                section in a manner that can be understood by the 
                general public;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) places the evidence in context with 
                other evidence and knowledge generated by the 
                scientific community that address the same or related 
                topics; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) discusses the implications of the 
                collective body of scientific evidence and knowledge 
                regarding the role and impact of the media on children 
                and adolescents, and makes recommendations on how 
                scientific evidence and knowledge may be used to 
                improve the healthy developmental and learning 
                capacities of children and adolescents.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(5) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 
        2010.''.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Children and Media Research 
Advancement Act'' or the ``CAMRA Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to enable the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention to--
            (1) examine the role and positive and negative impact of 
        electronic media in children's and adolescents' cognitive, 
        social, emotional, physical, and behavioral development; and
            (2) provide for a report to Congress containing the 
        empirical evidence and other results produced by the research 
        funded through grants under this Act.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN THE 
              DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.

    Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280g et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the second section 399O (relating to 
        grants to foster public health responses to domestic violence, 
        dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking) as section 399P; 
        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 399Q. RESEARCH ON THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN THE 
              DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.

    ``(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, 
the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (referred to in this section as the `Director'), 
shall enter into a contract with the National Academy of Science or 
another appropriate entity to review, synthesize, and report on 
research, and establish research priorities, regarding the roles and 
impact of electronic media (including television, motion pictures, 
DVD's, interactive video games, digital music, the Internet, and cell 
phones) and exposures to such media on youth in the following core 
areas of development:
            ``(1) Cognitive.--Cognitive areas such as language 
        development, attention span, problem solving skills (such as 
        the ability to conduct multiple tasks or `multitask'), visual 
        and spatial skills, reading, and other learning abilities.
            ``(2) Physical.--Physical areas such as physical 
        coordination, diet, exercise, sleeping and eating routines.
            ``(3) Socio-behavioral.--Socio-behavioral areas such as 
        family activities and peer relationships including indoor and 
        outdoor play time, interactions with parents, consumption 
        habits, social relationships, aggression, and positive social 
        behavior.
    ``(b) Research Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--Taking into account the report provided 
        for under subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through the 
        Director and in coordination with the Director of the National 
        Institutes of Health, shall, subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, award grants for research concerning the role 
        and impact of electronic media on the cognitive, physical, and 
        socio-behavioral development of youth.
            ``(2) Requirements.--The research provided for under 
        paragraph (1) shall comply with the following requirements:
                    ``(A) Such research shall focus on the impact of 
                factors such as media content (whether direct or 
                indirect), format, length of exposure, age of youth, 
                venue, and nature of parental involvement.
                    ``(B) Such research shall not duplicate other 
                Federal research activities.
                    ``(C) For purposes of such research, electronic 
                media shall include television, motion pictures, DVD's, 
                interactive video games, digital music, the Internet, 
                and cell phones.
            ``(3) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
        under this subsection, an entity shall--
                    ``(A) prepare and submit to the Director an 
                application at such time, in such manner, and 
                containing such information as the Director shall 
                require; and
                    ``(B) agree to use amounts received under the grant 
                to carry out activities as described in this 
                subsection.
    ``(c) Reports.--
            ``(1) Report to the director.--Not later than 15 months 
        after the date of the enactment of this section, the report 
        provided for under subsection (a) shall be submitted to the 
        Director and to the appropriate committees of Congress.
            ``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than December 31, 
        2012, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall prepare 
        and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 
        that--
                    ``(A) synthesizes the results of--
                            ``(i) research carried out under the grant 
                        program under subsection (b); and
                            ``(ii) other related research, including 
                        research conducted by the private or public 
                        sector and other Federal entities; and
                    ``(B) outlines existing research gaps in light of 
                the information described in subparagraph (A).
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, such sums as may be necessary 
for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2012.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 585

109th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1902

                          [Report No. 109-323]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize funding for the 
establishment of a program on children and the media within the Centers 
  for Disease Control and Prevention to study the role and impact of 
            electronic media in the development of children.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 5, 2006

                       Reported with an amendment