[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 479 Engrossed in House (EH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 479
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide a means for continued
improvement in emergency medical services for children.
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 ``Wakefield Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) There are 31,000,000 child and adolescent visits to the
Nation's emergency departments every year.
(2) Over 90 percent of children requiring emergency care
are seen in general hospitals, not in free-standing children's
hospitals, with one-quarter to one-third of the patients being
children in the typical general hospital emergency department.
(3) Severe asthma and respiratory distress are the most
common emergencies for pediatric patients, representing nearly
one-third of all hospitalizations among children under the age
of 15 years, while seizures, shock, and airway obstruction are
other common pediatric emergencies, followed by cardiac arrest
and severe trauma.
(4) Up to 20 percent of children needing emergency care
have underlying medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes,
sickle-cell disease, low birth weight, and bronchopulmonary
dysplasia.
(5) Significant gaps remain in emergency medical care
delivered to children. Only about 6 percent of hospitals have
available all the pediatric supplies deemed essential by the
American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of
Emergency Physicians for managing pediatric emergencies, while
about half of hospitals have at least 85 percent of those
supplies.
(6) Providers must be educated and trained to manage
children's unique physical and psychological needs in emergency
situations, and emergency systems must be equipped with the
resources needed to care for this especially vulnerable
population.
(7) Systems of care must be continually maintained,
updated, and improved to ensure that research is translated
into practice, best practices are adopted, training is current,
and standards and protocols are appropriate.
(8) The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC)
Program under section 1910 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 300w-9) is the only Federal program that focuses
specifically on improving the pediatric components of emergency
medical care.
(9) The EMSC Program promotes the nationwide exchange of
pediatric emergency medical care knowledge and collaboration by
those with an interest in such care and is depended upon by
Federal agencies and national organizations to ensure that this
exchange of knowledge and collaboration takes place.
(10) The EMSC Program also supports a multi-institutional
network for research in pediatric emergency medicine, thus
allowing providers to rely on evidence rather than anecdotal
experience when treating ill or injured children.
(11) The Institute of Medicine stated in its 2006 report,
``Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains'', that the EMSC
Program ``boasts many accomplishments . . . and the work of the
program continues to be relevant and vital''.
(12) The EMSC Program is celebrating its 25th anniversary,
marking a quarter-century of driving key improvements in
emergency medical services to children, and should continue its
mission to reduce child and youth morbidity and mortality by
supporting improvements in the quality of all emergency medical
and emergency surgical care children receive.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to reduce child and
youth morbidity and mortality by supporting improvements in the quality
of all emergency medical care children receive.
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN
PROGRAM.
Section 1910 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300w-9) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``3-year period (with an
optional 4th year'' and inserting ``4-year period (with an
optional 5th year'';
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) by striking ``and such sums'' and inserting
``such sums''; and
(B) by inserting before the period the following:
``, $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, $26,250,000 for
fiscal year 2011, $27,562,500 for fiscal year 2012,
$28,940,625 for fiscal year 2013, and $30,387,656 for
fiscal year 2014'';
(3) by redesignating subsections (b) through (d) as
subsections (c) through (e), respectively; and
(4) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b)(1) The purpose of the program established under this section
is to reduce child and youth morbidity and mortality by supporting
improvements in the quality of all emergency medical care children
receive, through the promotion of projects focused on the expansion and
improvement of such services, including those in rural areas and those
for children with special health care needs. In carrying out this
purpose, the Secretary shall support emergency medical services for
children by supporting projects that--
``(A) develop and present scientific evidence;
``(B) promote existing and innovative technologies
appropriate for the care of children; or
``(C) provide information on health outcomes and
effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
``(2) The program established under this section shall--
``(A) strive to enhance the pediatric capability of
emergency medical service systems originally designed primarily
for adults; and
``(B) in order to avoid duplication and ensure that Federal
resources are used efficiently and effectively, be coordinated
with all research, evaluations, and awards related to emergency
medical services for children undertaken and supported by the
Federal Government.''.
Passed the House of Representatives March 30, 2009.
Attest:
Clerk.
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 479
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide a means for continued
improvement in emergency medical services for children.