[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1028 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1028

To provide additional support for the efforts of community coalitions, 
   health care providers, parents, and others to prevent and reduce 
               underage drinking, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2009

 Ms. Roybal-Allard (for herself, Mrs. Bono Mack, Ms. DeLauro, and Mr. 
    Wamp) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide additional support for the efforts of community coalitions, 
   health care providers, parents, and others to prevent and reduce 
               underage drinking, 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 ``Support 21 Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) The age-21 minimum drinking law, enacted in 1984, has 
        been a remarkably effective public health and safety policy.
            (2) In 1984, when Congress passed the National Minimum 
        Drinking Age Act, resulting in a uniform minimum age of 21 for 
        purchase or public possession of alcohol in the United States, 
        67.2 percent of 12th graders had drunk alcohol in the past 
        month. Since that time, the percentage has fallen by one-third, 
        to 44.4 percent.
            (3) The age-21 law has also significantly reduced drinking 
        and driving traffic fatalities. The National Highway Traffic 
        Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that the age-21 law 
        saves 900 lives each year. The law has saved over 17,000 lives 
        since its inception.
            (4) The adolescent brain is not fully developed at age 21. 
        Underage drinking limits memory and impedes thinking skills, 
        leading to poor academic performance including lower grades, 
        absenteeism, and dropout.
            (5) In addition, alcohol use prior to age 21 can hinder 
        brain development and function, causing long-term and 
        irreversible damage.
            (6) Early initiation of alcohol use among adolescents 
        greatly increases the risk for lifetime alcohol abuse and 
        dependence.
            (7) The 2007 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent 
        and Reduce Underage Drinking calls on parents, communities, and 
        health care providers to engage in a national effort to prevent 
        and reduce underage drinking.
            (8) The screening of adolescents for alcohol use by health 
        care providers and the provision of brief interventions to 
        discourage such use is a valuable and cost-effective tool to 
        reduce youth drinking.
            (9) Appropriate reimbursement to health care professionals 
        for youth alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral 
        to appropriate treatment, if necessary, is essential to 
        encouraging these effective practices.
            (10) The Institute of Medicine concluded that there is 
        evidence that adult-oriented media campaigns on underage 
        drinking can be effective, and are an important part of 
        creating a sustained national commitment to preventing and 
        reducing underage drinking.
            (11) Community awareness, support, and mobilization provide 
        an important context for the effective enforcement of the age-
        21 minimum drinking law.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN ON MINIMUM LEGAL DRINKING AGE EDUCATION 
              AND ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation, acting through 
the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, shall establish and administer a program under which at 
least 2 high-visibility campaigns in support of enforcement of the 
minimum legal drinking age will be carried out per year for the 
purposes specified in subsection (b) in each of years 2010 through 
2014.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the semiannual campaigns under this 
section shall be to achieve both of the following objectives:
            (1) Educate the public about the public health and safety 
        benefits and basis for age-21 minimum legal drinking age laws.
            (2) Build public and parental support for and cooperation 
        with enforcement of age-21 laws.
    (c) Advertising.--The Secretary may use, or authorize the use of, 
funds available to carry out this section to pay for the development, 
production, and use of broadcast and print media advertising in 
carrying out minimum legal drinking age education and enforcement 
campaigns under this section, including advertising directed at non-
English speaking populations and those who listen, read, or watch 
nontraditional media.
    (d) Consultation Requirement.--In developing and implementing the 
semiannual media campaign, the Secretary shall direct the entity 
carrying out the campaign to consult with interested parties including 
public health and consumer groups, law enforcement, and community 
coalitions. The progress of this consultative process is to be covered 
in the report under subsection (f).
    (e) Coordination With States.--The Secretary shall coordinate with 
the States in carrying out the minimum legal drinking age education and 
enforcement campaigns under this section, including advertising funded 
under subsection (c), with a view to--
            (1) relying on States to provide the law enforcement 
        resources for the campaigns; and
            (2) providing means necessary for complementary education 
        efforts associated with the minimum legal drinking age 
        enforcement campaigns.
    (f) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall conduct an annual report on 
the effectiveness of campaigns referred to in subsection (a).
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $22,000,000 for fiscal year 
2010, and $22,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2014.

SEC. 4. GRANTS TO PREVENT AND REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING.

    (a) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
        the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration;
            (2) the term ``eligible entity'' means an organization 
        that--
                    (A) on or before the date of submitting an 
                application for a grant under this subsection is 
                currently receiving or has received grant funds under 
                the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 (21 U.S.C. 1521 
                et seq.);
                    (B) can provide evidence of preexisting pediatric 
                health care provider involvement in their coalition;
                    (C) has a documented strategy to identify and 
                reduce the barriers that pediatric health care 
                providers in their communities face in providing 
                alcohol education to their patients and their 
                caregivers;
                    (D) has a documented strategy to increase the 
                amount, frequency, and intensity of alcohol education 
                provided by pediatric health care providers to their 
                patients and their caregivers; and
                    (E) has a documented strategy to build on the 
                national media campaign described in section 3 above to 
                enhance support for enforcement of the minimum legal 
                drinking age;
            (3) the term ``pediatric health care provider'' shall mean 
        a provider of primary health care to individuals under the age 
        of 21;
            (4) the term ``professional pediatric medical 
        organization'' shall mean a national organization whose members 
        consist primarily of pediatric health care providers;
            (5) the term ``children and young adults'' means any person 
        under 21 years of age;
            (6) the term ``alcohol education'' means evidence-based 
        education about the effects of alcohol use and abuse on 
        children, young adults, and adults;
            (7) the term ``screening and brief intervention'' shall 
        mean using validated patient interview techniques to identify 
        and assess the existence and extent of alcohol use, then 
        providing brief advice and other brief motivational enhancement 
        techniques designed to increase patient insight regarding their 
        own alcohol use and any realized or potential consequences of 
        this behavior, as well as to effect the desired related 
        behavioral change; and
            (8) the term ``caregivers'' means the parents, family 
        members, or legal guardians of the child or young adult.
    (b) Supplemental Grants To Work With Local Pediatric Health Care 
Providers and Caregivers To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking and To 
Enhance the National Media Campaign on the Enforcement of the Minimum 
Legal Drinking Age.--
            (1) Authorization of program.--The Administrator, in 
        consultation with the Director of the Office of National Drug 
        Control Policy, may make supplemental grants to eligible 
        entities to implement strategies to--
                    (A) work with local pediatric health care providers 
                to identify and reduce the barriers to providing 
                alcohol education to their patients and their 
                caregivers, and screening and brief intervention to 
                their patients;
                    (B) work with local pediatric health care providers 
                to increase the amount, frequency, and intensity of 
                alcohol education they provide to children and young 
                adults and their caregivers, and screening and brief 
                intervention to children and young adults;
                    (C) serve as a resource to pediatric health care 
                providers by providing them with access to the 
                community sectors involved in collaborating on the 
                implementation of comprehensive, communitywide 
                programs, strategies, and services to reduce underage 
                alcohol use and abuse;
                    (D) provide science-based alcohol information and 
                education to caregivers of children and young adults 
                through relevant community sectors, such as schools, 
                workplaces, and local media, to reach the maximum 
                number of caregivers in the community; and
                    (E) undertake local activities to amplify and 
                enhance the national media campaign on the enforcement 
                of the minimum legal drinking age.
            (2) Application.--
                    (A) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a 
                supplemental grant under this subsection shall submit 
                an application to the Administrator at such time, in 
                such manner, and accompanied by such information as the 
                Administrator may require.
                    (B) Criteria.--As part of an application for a 
                grant under this subsection, the Administrator shall 
                require an eligible entity to demonstrate--
                            (i) the participation of local pediatric 
                        health care providers in their coalition;
                            (ii) the development and implementation of 
                        a multisector strategy to identify and remove 
                        existing barriers to the provision of alcohol 
                        education by pediatric health care providers to 
                        children and young adults and their caregivers, 
                        and screening and brief intervention to 
                        children and young adults;
                            (iii) the development and implementation of 
                        a multisector strategy to increase alcohol 
                        education by pediatric health care providers to 
                        children and young adults and their caregivers, 
                        and screening and brief intervention to 
                        children and young adults;
                            (iv) the ability to serve as a resource to 
                        pediatric health care providers by providing 
                        them with access to the community sectors that 
                        currently develop and implement programs, 
                        strategies, and services to reduce underage 
                        drinking and drug use;
                            (v) the development and implementation of a 
                        multisector strategy to provide science-based 
                        information and education to caregivers of 
                        children and young adults; and
                            (vi) the development and implementation of 
                        a multi-sector strategy to enhance and amplify 
                        the national media campaign on the enforcement 
                        of the minimum legal drinking age.
            (3) Uses of funds.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to 
        implement strategies, in coordination with pediatric health 
        care providers, to--
                    (A) prevent and reduce underage drinking by 
                identifying and removing barriers to the ability of 
                pediatric health care providers to provide alcohol 
                education to children and young adults and their 
                caregivers, and screening and brief intervention to 
                children and young adults;
                    (B) increase the amount, frequency, and intensity 
                of alcohol education by pediatric health care providers 
                to children and young adults and their caregivers, and 
                screening and brief intervention to children and young 
                adults;
                    (C) provide pediatric health care providers with 
                access to all of the community sectors collaborating to 
                reduce underage alcohol use and abuse;
                    (D) serve as a resource for pediatric health care 
                providers by providing them access to the community's 
                programs, strategies, and services to reduce underage 
                alcohol use and abuse;
                    (E) increase the provision of science-based alcohol 
                information and education to caregivers of children and 
                young adults through relevant community sectors, such 
                as schools, workplaces, and local media, to reach the 
                maximum number of caregivers in the community;
                    (F) obtain specialized training and technical 
                assistance by the entity funded under section 4 of 
                Public Law 107-82, as amended by Public Law 109-469 (21 
                U.S.C. 1521 note); and
                    (G) undertake activities and programs that will 
                enhance and amplify the national media campaign on the 
                enforcement of the minimum legal drinking age.
            (4) Grant terms.--A grant under this subsection--
                    (A) shall be made for a period of not more than 4 
                years; and
                    (B) shall not be in an amount of more than $100,000 
                per fiscal year.
            (5) Supplement not supplant.--Grant funds provided under 
        this subsection shall be used to supplement, not supplant, 
        Federal and non-Federal funds available for carrying out the 
        activities described in this subsection.
            (6) Evaluation.--A grant under this subsection shall be 
        subject to the evaluation requirements set forth by the 
        Administrator.
            (7) Administrative expenses.--Not more than 6 percent of a 
        grant under this subsection may be expended for administrative 
        expenses.
            (8) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 
        fiscal year 2010, and $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
        2011 through 2014.
    (c) Grants to Pediatric Health Care Providers To Reduce Underage 
Drinking.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, acting through the Administrator of the Substance 
        Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, shall make one 
        or more grants to professional pediatric medical organizations 
        to increase among the members of such organizations effective 
        practices to reduce the prevalence of alcohol use among 
        individuals under the age of 21, including college students.
            (2) Purposes.--Grants under this section shall be made to 
        promote the practices of--
                    (A) screening children and adolescents for alcohol 
                use;
                    (B) offering brief interventions to children and 
                adolescents to discourage such use;
                    (C) educating parents about the dangers of and 
                methods of discouraging such use;
                    (D) diagnosing and treating alcohol abuse 
                disorders; and
                    (E) referring patients, when necessary, to other 
                appropriate care.
            (3) Use of funds.--An organization receiving a grant under 
        this section may use such funding to promote the practices 
        specified in paragraph (2) among its members by--
                    (A) providing training to health care providers;
                    (B) disseminating best practices, including 
                culturally and linguistically appropriate best 
                practices, and developing, printing, and distributing 
                materials; and
                    (C) offering other activities approved by the 
                Secretary.
            (4) Application.--An organization desiring a grant under 
        this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
        such time, and in such manner, and accompanied by such 
        information as the Secretary may require. Each application 
        shall include--
                    (A) a description of the organization and how its 
                members are qualified to provide the services specified 
                in paragraph (2);
                    (B) a description of activities to be completed; 
                and
                    (C) a timeline for the completion of such 
                activities.
            (5) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $3,000,000 for 
        fiscal year 2010, and $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
        2011 through 2014.

SEC. 5. CDC FOCUS ON REDUCING UNDERAGE DRINKING.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
establish within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 
focus on underage drinking prevention.
    (b) Purposes.--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focus 
on underage drinking prevention shall include the following activities:
            (1) Synthesize, expand on, and widely disseminate existing 
        research on population-based strategies for reducing underage 
        drinking, including translational research, and make this 
        research easily accessible to the general public.
            (2) Improve and conduct public health surveillance on 
        alcohol use and alcohol-related conditions in States by 
        increasing the use of surveys such as but not limited to the 
        Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to monitor binge and 
        excessive drinking among 18- to 20-year-olds that is not 
        duplicative of research currently being conducted or supported 
        by the Department of Health and Human Services.
            (3) Develop models of State-level epidemiological 
        surveillance of underage drinking by funding in at least 5 
        States or large metropolitan areas new epidemiologists focused 
        on excessive drinking and underage alcohol use.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for fiscal year 
2010, and $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2014.

SEC. 6. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The National Academy of Sciences shall conduct a 
review of the research literature regarding the influence of drinking 
alcohol on the development of the adolescent brain and the public 
policy implications of this research, and report to the Congress on its 
findings.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this subsection $500,000 for fiscal year 
2010.
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