[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7052 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7052

    To direct the Secretary of Education to provide grants to local 
 educational agencies to conduct demonstration projects to screen the 
      blood pressure of children in kindergarten through grade 6.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 24, 2008

Mrs. McMorris Rodgers (for herself, Ms. Castor, Mr. Carson, Ms. Norton, 
and Mr. Reichert) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of Education to provide grants to local 
 educational agencies to conduct demonstration projects to screen the 
      blood pressure of children in kindergarten through grade 6.

    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 ``Kids with Healthy Hearts Act of 
2008''.

SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR HYPERTENSION SCREENING.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Education shall provide a total 
of 5 grants to local educational agencies (as defined in section 9101 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)) 
to conduct demonstration projects to screen the blood pressure of 
children in kindergarten through grade 6 to identify those children 
with hypertension or early signs of hypertension.
    (b) Use of Funds.--To receive a grant for a demonstration project 
under this section, an applicant shall certify to the Secretary the 
following:
            (1) The screening program will be voluntary.
            (2) Subject to parental permission, children participating 
        in the program shall be screened every 6 months during the 
        academic year under the supervision of a licensed school nurse.
            (3) When screening children, the applicant will use the 
        most recent hypertension guidelines published by the National 
        Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
            (4) One month after the initial screening, children who 
        fall in the 95th percentile or above for students with high 
        blood pressure will be screened again.
            (5) After a second screening, the applicant will provide 
        the parents of those children who remain in the 95th percentile 
        or above for students with high blood pressure the following:
                    (A) A referral from a licensed school nurse to a 
                health care provider that can consult with the parents 
                about high blood pressure.
                    (B) Written information provided by the Department 
                of Health and Human Services regarding the risks of 
                hypertension and how to implement lifestyle changes 
                related to diet and exercise to improve overall health.
    (c) Selection of Groups at High Risk for Hypertension.--In 
selecting grant recipients under this section, the Secretary shall give 
preference to at least one local educational agency with a high 
percentage of Native American, Latino, or African-American students.
    (d) Evaluation.--Not later than 1 year after the completion of the 
demonstration projects carried out under this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Congress a report containing--
            (1) an evaluation of the success of the demonstration 
        projects carried out under this Act;
            (2) information on the blood pressure information taken and 
        the number of referrals made under subsection (b)(5)(A); and
            (3) for each local educational agency receiving a grant 
        under this Act, specific educational recommendations for such 
        agency in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, and 
        overall health.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For purposes of carrying out 
this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary for each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011.
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