[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2678 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2678

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of 
  Health and Human Services to carry out programs to provide youth in 
racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities the information and 
              skills needed to reduce teenage pregnancies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2011

 Ms. Roybal-Allard (for herself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Lee of 
   California, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Maloney, and Ms. Bass of California) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of 
  Health and Human Services to carry out programs to provide youth in 
racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities the information and 
              skills needed to reduce teenage pregnancies.

    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 ``Communities of Color Teenage 
Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Teenage pregnancy is one of the most critical issues 
        facing the Nation today. The United States has the highest 
        teenage pregnancy rate of any developed nation, with nearly 
        750,000 teenage girls (who are 15 to 19 years of age) becoming 
        pregnant each year, and 82 percent of those pregnancies 
        unplanned.
            (2) For the first time in more than a decade, between 2005 
        and 2006, the teenage pregnancy rate in the United States rose 
        3 percent. The decrease in teenage pregnancy rates in the 1990s 
        was overwhelmingly the result of more and better use of 
        contraceptives.
            (3) Nationally, teenage pregnancy has significant fiscal 
        implications, costing taxpayers at least $10,900,000,000 
        annually.
            (4) Communities of color are disproportionately affected by 
        teenage pregnancy. Fifty-two percent of Latinas and 50 percent 
        of African-American girls will become pregnant at least once 
        before they turn 20. In comparison, only 19 percent of non-
        Hispanic White teenage girls under the age of 20 become 
        pregnant.
            (5) Between 2007 and 2009, the teenage birth rate decreased 
        for most communities of color, however the birth rates for 
        Hispanic, African-American, and Native American teenagers 
        continue to be much higher than other racial and ethnic groups.
            (6) Research shows that starting a family too soon may have 
        significant social, educational, and financial impacts on the 
        lives of young people. Less than half of teenage mothers finish 
        high school and less than 2 percent go on to finish college, 
        making it difficult to find and maintain a job.
            (7) Research also shows that teenage dating violence and 
        abuse are serious public health problems and are associated 
        with higher levels of teenage pregnancy and unplanned 
        pregnancy. Adolescent girls in physically abusive relationships 
        are three times more likely to become pregnant than non-abused 
        girls.
            (8) Promoting and building healthy relationships are 
        fundamental to preventing teenage pregnancies and unplanned 
        pregnancies.

SEC. 3. YOUTH PREGNANCY PREVENTION.

    Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new part:

             ``PART W--YOUTH PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAMS

``SEC. 399OO. PURPOSE.

    ``It is the purpose of this part to develop and carry out research 
and demonstration projects on new and existing program interventions to 
provide youth in racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities the 
information and skills needed to reduce teenage pregnancies, build 
healthy relationships, and improve overall health and well-being.

``SEC. 399OO-1. DEMONSTRATION GRANTS TO REDUCE TEENAGE PREGNANCIES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award competitive grants to 
eligible entities for establishing or expanding programs to provide 
youth in racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities the 
information and skills needed to avoid teenage pregnancy and develop 
healthy relationships.
    ``(b) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to applicants--
            ``(1) proposing to carry out projects in racial or ethnic 
        minority or immigrant communities;
            ``(2) that have a demonstrated history of effectively 
        working with such targeted communities; or
            ``(3) that have a demonstrated history of engaging in a 
        meaningful and significant partnership with such targeted 
        communities.
    ``(c) Program Settings.--Programs funded through a grant under 
subsection (a) shall be provided--
            ``(1) through classroom-based settings, such as school 
        health education, humanities, language arts, or family and 
        consumer science education; after-school programs; community-
        based programs; workforce development programs; and health care 
        settings; or
            ``(2) in collaboration with systems that serve large 
        numbers of at-risk youth such as juvenile justice or foster 
        care systems.
    ``(d) Project Requirements.--As a condition of receipt of a grant 
under this section, an entity shall agree that, with respect to 
information and skills provided through the grant--
            ``(1) such information and skills will be--
                    ``(A) age-appropriate;
                    ``(B) evidence-based or evidence-informed;
                    ``(C) provided in accordance with section 399OO-
                5(b); and
                    ``(D) culturally sensitive and relevant to the 
                target populations; and
            ``(2) any information provided about contraceptives shall 
        include the health benefits and side effects of all 
        contraceptives and barrier methods.
    ``(e) Evaluation.--Of the total amount made available to carry out 
this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary, acting through the 
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other 
agencies as appropriate, shall allot up to 10 percent of such amount to 
carry out a rigorous, independent evaluation to determine the extent 
and the effectiveness of activities funded through this section during 
such fiscal year in changing attitudes and behavior of teenagers with 
respect to healthy relationships and childbearing.
    ``(f) Grants for Indian Tribes or Tribal Organizations.--Of the 
total amount made available to carry out this section for a fiscal 
year, the Secretary shall reserve 5 percent of such amount to award 
grants under this section to Indian tribes and tribal organizations in 
such manner, and subject to such requirements, as the Secretary, in 
consultation with Indian tribes and tribal organizations, determines 
appropriate.
    ``(g) Eligible Entity Defined.--
            ``(1) In general.--In this section, the term `eligible 
        entity' means a State, local, or tribal agency; a school or 
        postsecondary institution; an after-school program; a nonprofit 
        organization; or a community or faith-based organization.
            ``(2) Preventing exclusion of smaller community-based 
        organizations.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
        shall ensure that the amounts and requirements of grants 
        provided under this section do not preclude receipt of such 
        grants by community-based organizations with a demonstrated 
        history of effectively working with adolescents in racial or 
        ethnic minority or immigrant communities or engaged in 
        meaningful and significant partnership with such communities.

``SEC. 399OO-2. MULTIMEDIA CAMPAIGNS TO REDUCE TEENAGE PREGNANCIES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award competitive grants to 
public and private entities to carry out multimedia campaigns to 
provide public education and increase public awareness regarding 
teenage pregnancy and related social and emotional issues, such as 
violence prevention.
    ``(b) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to applicants proposing to carry out 
campaigns developed for racial or ethnic minority or immigrant 
communities.
    ``(c) Information To Be Provided.--As a condition of receipt of a 
grant under this section, an entity shall agree to use the grant to 
carry out multimedia campaigns described in subsection (a) that--
            ``(1) at a minimum, shall provide information on--
                    ``(A) the prevention of teenage pregnancy; and
                    ``(B) healthy relationship development; and
            ``(2) may provide information on the prevention of dating 
        violence.

``SEC. 399OO-3. RESEARCH ON REDUCING TEENAGE PREGNANCIES AND TEENAGE 
              DATING VIOLENCE AND IMPROVING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall make grants to 
public and private entities to conduct, support, or coordinate research 
on teenage pregnancy, dating violence, and healthy relationships among 
racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities that--
            ``(1) improves data collection on--
                    ``(A) sexual and reproductive health, including 
                teenage pregnancies and births, among all minority 
                communities and subpopulations in which such data are 
                not collected, including American Indian and Alaska 
                Native youth;
                    ``(B) sexual behavior, sexual or reproductive 
                coercion, and teenage contraceptive use patterns at the 
                State level, as appropriate; and
                    ``(C) teenage pregnancies among youth in and aging 
                out of foster care or juvenile justice systems and the 
                underlying factors that lead to teenage pregnancy among 
                youth in foster care or juvenile justice systems;
            ``(2) investigates--
                    ``(A) the variance in the rates of teenage 
                pregnancy by--
                            ``(i) racial and ethnic group (such as 
                        Hispanic, Asian, African-American, Pacific 
                        Islander, American Indian, and Alaskan Native); 
                        and
                            ``(ii) socioeconomic status, including as 
                        based on the income of the family and education 
                        attainment;
                    ``(B) factors affecting the risk for youth of 
                teenage pregnancy or dating abuse, including the 
                physical and social environment, level of 
                acculturation, access to health care, aspirations for 
                the future, and history of physical or sexual violence 
                or abuse;
                    ``(C) the role that violence and abuse play in 
                teenage sex, pregnancy, and childbearing;
                    ``(D) strategies to address the disproportionate 
                rates of teenage pregnancies and dating violence in 
                racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities;
                    ``(E) how effective interventions can be replicated 
                or adapted in other settings to serve racial or ethnic 
                minority or immigrant communities; and
                    ``(F) the effectiveness of media campaigns in 
                addressing healthy relationship development, dating 
                violence prevention, and teenage pregnancy; and
            ``(3) tests research-based strategies for addressing high 
        rates of unintended teenage pregnancy through programs that 
        emphasize healthy relationships and violence prevention.
    ``(b) Priority.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
give priority to research that incorporates--
            ``(1) interdisciplinary approaches;
            ``(2) a strong emphasis on community-based participatory 
        research; or
            ``(3) translational research.

``SEC. 399OO-4. HHS ADOLESCENT HEALTH WORK GROUP.

    ``(a) Purpose.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this part, the Secretary shall direct the interagency 
adolescent health workgroup within the Office of Adolescent Health of 
the Department of Health and Human Services to--
            ``(1) include in the work of the group strategies for 
        teenage dating violence prevention and healthy teenage 
        relationships with a particular focus among racial or ethnic 
        minority or immigrant communities; and
            ``(2) with respect to including such strategies, consult, 
        to the greatest extent possible, with the Federal Interagency 
        Workgroup on Teen Dating Violence formed under the leadership 
        of the National Institute of Justice of the Department of 
        Justice.
    ``(b) Report Requirement.--The Secretary, through the Office of 
Adolescent Health, shall periodically submit to Congress a report 
that--
            ``(1) includes a review of the evidence-based programs on 
        preventing teenage pregnancy, which are carried out and 
        identified by the Office; and
            ``(2) identifies the programs of the Department of Health 
        and Human Services that include teenage dating violence 
        prevention and the promotion of healthy teenage relationships 
        as part of a strategy to prevent teenage pregnancy.

``SEC. 399OO-5. GENERAL GRANT PROVISIONS.

    ``(a) Applications.--To seek a grant under this part, an entity 
shall submit an application to the Secretary in such form, in such 
manner, and containing such agreements, assurances, and information as 
the Secretary may require.
    ``(b) Additional Requirements.--A grant may be made under this part 
only if the applicant involved agrees that information, activities, and 
services provided under the grant--
            ``(1) will be evidence-based or evidence informed;
            ``(2) will be factually and medically accurate and 
        complete; and
            ``(3) if directed to a particular population group, will be 
        provided in an appropriate language and cultural context.
    ``(c) Training and Technical Assistance.--
            ``(1) In general.--Of the total amount made available to 
        carry out this part for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall use 
        10 percent to provide, directly or through a competitive grant 
        process, training and technical assistance to the grant 
        recipients under this part, including by disseminating research 
        and information regarding effective and promising practices, 
        providing consultation and resources on a broad array of 
        teenage and unintended pregnancy and violence prevention 
        strategies, and developing resources and materials.
            ``(2) Collaboration.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall collaborate with entities that have expertise 
        in the prevention of teenage pregnancy, healthy relationship 
        development, minority health and health disparities, and 
        violence prevention.

``SEC. 399OO-6. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Medically accurate and complete.--The term `medically 
        accurate and complete' means, with respect to information, 
        activities, or services, verified or supported by the weight of 
        research conducted in compliance with accepted scientific 
        methods and--
                    ``(A) published in peer-reviewed journals, where 
                applicable; or
                    ``(B) comprising information that leading 
                professional organizations and agencies with relevant 
                expertise in the field recognize as accurate, 
                objective, and complete.
            ``(2) Racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities.--
        The term `racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities' 
        means communities with a substantial number of residents who 
        are members of racial or ethnic minority groups or who are 
        immigrants.
            ``(3) Reproductive coercion.--The term `reproductive 
        coercion' means, with respect to a person, coercive behavior 
        that interferes with the ability of such person to control the 
        reproductive decisionmaking of such person, such as 
        intentionally exposing such person to sexually transmitted 
        infections; in the case such person is a female, attempting to 
        impregnate such person against her will; intentionally 
        interfering with the person's birth control; or threatening or 
        acting violent if the person does not comply with the 
        perpetrator's wishes regarding contraception or the decision 
        whether to terminate or continue a pregnancy.
            ``(4) Youth.--The term `youth' means individuals who are 11 
        to 19 years of age.

``SEC. 399OO-7. REPORTS.

    ``(a) Report on Use of Funds.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this part, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report on the use of funds provided pursuant to this part.
    ``(b) Report on Impact of Programs.--Not later than March 1, 2016, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the impact that the 
programs under this part had on reducing teenage pregnancies.

``SEC. 399OO-8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this part such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
years 2012 through 2016.
    ``(b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection 
(a)--
            ``(1) are authorized to remain available until expended; 
        and
            ``(2) are in addition to amounts otherwise made available 
        for such purposes.''.
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