[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1354 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1354

  To authorize grants to promote media literacy and youth empowerment 
programs, to authorize research on the role and impact of depictions of 
  girls and women in the media, to provide for the establishment of a 
  National Task Force on Girls and Women in the Media, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 13, 2011

  Mrs. Hagan introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize grants to promote media literacy and youth empowerment 
programs, to authorize research on the role and impact of depictions of 
  girls and women in the media, to provide for the establishment of a 
  National Task Force on Girls and Women in the Media, 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.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Healthy Media for 
Youth Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Grants to promote media literacy and youth empowerment 
                            programs.
Sec. 4. Research on the role and impact of girls and women in the media 
                            on the development of youth.
Sec. 5. National Task Force on Girls and Women in the Media.
Sec. 6. Limitation.
Sec. 7. Definitions.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to the 2010 study by the Kaiser Family 
        Foundation entitled ``Generation M\2\ Media in Lives of 8- to 
        18-Year-Olds'', most 8- to 18-year-olds spend about 10 hours a 
        day using recreational media.
            (2) Sixty percent of teenage girls compare their bodies to 
        fashion models and almost 90 percent of girls say the media 
        places a lot of pressure on teenage girls to be thin, according 
        to the 2010 Girl Scout Research Institute report entitled 
        ``Beauty Redefined''.
            (3) Only 34 percent of girls report being very satisfied 
        with their bodies, according to the 2006 study by the Girl 
        Scout Research Institute entitled ``The New Normal? What Girls 
        Say About Healthy Living''. Body dissatisfaction can lead to 
        unhealthy eating and dieting habits. Fifty-five percent of 
        girls admit that they diet to lose weight, 37 percent know 
        someone who has been diagnosed with an eating disorder, and 31 
        percent admit to starving themselves or refusing to eat as a 
        strategy to lose weight.
            (4) Fifty-four percent of young girls in grades 3 through 5 
        worry about their appearance, and 37 percent of such girls 
        worry specifically about their weight, according to the 2006 
        Girls Inc. report entitled ``The Supergirl Dilemma: Girls 
        Grapple with the Mounting Pressure of Expectations''.
            (5) A 2007 report of the American Psychological 
        Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls reported 
        that 3 of the most common mental health problems among girls, 
        eating disorders, depression or depressed mood, and low self-
        esteem, are linked to sexualization of girls and women in 
        media.
            (6) Sexualized messages and images of girls and women can 
        also negatively impact boys. According to the 2007 report of 
        the American Psychological Association's Task Force on the 
        Sexualization of Girls, frequent exposure to sexualized media 
        images of girls and women can create unrealistic and unhealthy 
        expectations of girls' and women's physical appearance for 
        boys, and may impair their ability to develop healthy 
        relationships with girls and women.
            (7) Girls and women of color are disproportionately absent 
        from mainstream media. The Girl Scout Research Institute 
        report, ``Beauty Redefined'', states that only 32 percent of 
        African-American girls think the fashion industry does a good 
        job of representing people of all races and ethnicities.
            (8) Women and girls continue to be underrepresented in 
        leadership roles in children's media. The Geena Davis Institute 
        on Gender in the Media reports that less than 1 in 3 speaking 
        characters in children's movies are female, and that the 
        majority of female characters in children's movies are praised 
        for their appearance or physical beauty rather than their 
        personality, intelligence, or other talents.
            (9) Congress supports efforts to ensure that youth improve 
        their media literacy skills, and to promote positive messages 
        about girls and women that highlight healthy and diverse body 
        images, positive and active female role models, and equal and 
        healthy relationships between female and male characters.

SEC. 3. GRANTS TO PROMOTE MEDIA LITERACY AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT 
              PROGRAMS.

    (a) Media Literacy.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants to 
        nonprofit organizations to provide for the establishment, 
        operation, coordination, and evaluation of programs to increase 
        the media literacy of girls and boys, including by--
                    (A) educating youth on how to apply critical 
                thinking skills when consuming media images and 
                messages;
                    (B) encouraging youth to consume healthy, balanced, 
                and positive media depictions of girls and women; and
                    (C) raising awareness about the perpetuation and 
                damaging effects of unhealthy images of girls and 
                women, gender stereotypes, and the sexualization of 
                girls and women.
            (2) Activities.--Programs funded under this subsection may 
        include--
                    (A) programs designed to encourage youth to develop 
                analytical skills that promote autonomy and critical 
                understanding of how girls and women are depicted in 
                the media;
                    (B) age-appropriate education about how the 
                sexualization of girls and women, stereotypical gender 
                roles, and unhealthy images of girls and women can 
                affect the body image of youth, the choice of role 
                models by youth, and relationships of youth among their 
                peers;
                    (C) programs designed to provide youth the skills 
                to take responsibility for their use of media;
                    (D) education on career opportunities within the 
                media;
                    (E) programs designed to teach youth how to create 
                and use media to contribute to social change, 
                especially in their communities;
                    (F) education for parents, educators, and other 
                adults on how depictions of girls and women in the 
                media impact youth; or
                    (G) support for public or private partnerships that 
                encourage businesses, advertisers, the entertainment 
                industry, and other media content providers to promote 
                media content that--
                            (i) encourages healthy body images;
                            (ii) depicts positive and active female 
                        role models; and
                            (iii) portrays equal and healthy 
                        relationships between female and male 
                        characters.
            (3) Report.--The Secretary shall require each grant 
        recipient under this subsection to submit to the Secretary a 
        report for each grant period that--
                    (A) describes how grant funds were used; and
                    (B) evaluates the effectiveness of the program 
                funded through the grant.
    (b) Youth Empowerment.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants to 
        nonprofit organizations to provide for the establishment, 
        operation, coordination, and evaluation of programs to support 
        the empowerment of girls or boys in a variety of ways, 
        including by encouraging youth empowerment through 
        extracurricular activities and programs that--
                    (A) develop self-esteem, skills, and talents; and
                    (B) celebrate characteristics unrelated to physical 
                appearance, such as leadership and self-esteem.
            (2) Activities.--Programs funded under this subsection may 
        include programs designed to--
                    (A) build confidence, self-efficacy, and leadership 
                skills of youth in single gender environments;
                    (B) develop values and skills of youth such as 
                respect, critical thinking, problem solving, and 
                collaborative team work; or
                    (C) facilitate opportunities for youth to interact 
                with adult role models, such as mentors and volunteers, 
                in their communities.
            (3) Report.--The Secretary shall require each grant 
        recipient under this subsection to submit to the Secretary a 
        report for each grant period that--
                    (A) describes how grant funds were used; and
                    (B) evaluates the effectiveness of the program 
                funded through the grant.
    (c) Matching Funds.--The Secretary may make a grant to a nonprofit 
organization under subsection (a) or (b) only if the organization 
agrees to make available non-Federal contributions toward the costs of 
the program for which such organization revieves a grant in an amount 
that is not less than $1 for every $5 of Federal funds awarded under 
this section. Such contribution may be in cash or in-kind, fairly 
evaluated, including equipment, training, curricula, or a preexisting 
evaluation framework.
    (d) Award Amounts.--No grant awarded under this section shall be 
greater than $1,000,000 or less than $100,000.
    (e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to nonprofit organizations or projects that are--
            (1) focused on underserved communities and groups, 
        including racial and ethnic minorities, representatives from 
        different socioeconomic groups, and youth at risk for eating 
        disorders;
            (2) gender-specific;
            (3) culturally competent;
            (4) developed in collaboration with subject matter experts, 
        community leaders, or youth serving organizations; and
            (5) have demonstrated expertise in providing training and 
        evaluation of quality media literacy activities or youth 
        empowerment programs.
    (f) Certain Requirements.--A grant may be made under subsection (a) 
or (b) only if the applicant involved agrees to the following:
            (1) Not more than 20 percent of the grant funds will be 
        used for administration, accounting, reporting, and program 
        oversight functions.
            (2) The grant will be used to supplement and not supplant 
        funds from other sources for increasing the media literacy of, 
        and empowering, youth.
            (3) The applicant will abide by any limitations deemed 
        appropriate by the Secretary on any charges to individuals 
        receiving services pursuant to the grant. As deemed appropriate 
        by the Secretary, such limitations on charges may vary based on 
        the financial circumstances of the individual receiving 
        services.
    (g) Grant Period; Application for Assistance During Subsequent 
Grant Years.--
            (1) Grant period.--A grant awarded under this section shall 
        be for a period of 3 years.
            (2) Application for assistance during subsequent grant 
        years.--After the first fiscal year for which an entity 
        receives a grant, the entity shall apply to receive grant funds 
        for a subsequent fiscal year during the grant period by 
        submitting an application to the Secretary at the beginning of 
        each such fiscal year. An application submitted under this 
        paragraph shall include such information as the Secretary may 
        require, including, at a minimum, a description of the progress 
        of the entity.
    (h) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and 
submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress a report on the 
grants awarded under subsections (a) and (b), including--
            (1) a description of how the grant funds were used; and
            (2) an evaluation of the effectiveness of such grants.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH ON THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF GIRLS AND WOMEN IN THE MEDIA 
              ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in coordination with the 
Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the 
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human 
Development, shall review, synthesize, conduct, or support research on 
the role and impact depictions of girls and women in the media have on 
youth in the following areas:
            (1) The psychological, physical, sexual, and interpersonal 
        development of youth in the following areas:
                    (A) Cognitive areas such as mental health, self-
                esteem, learning abilities, and problem solving skills.
                    (B) Physical areas such as diet, nutrition, 
                exercise, body image, substance abuse, and sleeping and 
                eating routines.
                    (C) Social behavioral areas such as relationships 
                with peers, interactions with parents and family 
                members, aggression, high-risk behaviors, sexual 
                behavior and development, and positive social 
                behaviors.
                    (D) Academic performance.
                    (E) The perceptions and attitudes of youth about 
                the abilities, equity, appearances, and leadership 
                potential of girls and boys.
            (2) How the effects of depictions in the media of girls and 
        women vary from such depictions of boys and men, and by race, 
        ethnicity, and age group.
            (3) How the sexualization and objectification of girls and 
        women in media affects the healthy development of girls and 
        boys.
            (4) How food marketing and obesity campaigns affect the 
        body image, nutrition, and exercise of girls and of boys, 
        especially among youth with eating-disorders.
            (5) Additional areas as designated by the Secretary.
    (b) No Duplication.--The Secretary shall ensure that research 
activities under this section do not duplicate other Federal research 
activities.
    (c) Reports.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress a 
report that--
            (1) synthesizes the results of--
                    (A) research under this section; and
                    (B) other related research by the private or public 
                sector, including the Federal Government;
            (2) disaggregates such results by gender, race, age, and 
        socioeconomic background;
            (3) includes a compendium of key existing research on the 
        role and impact of depictions of girls and women in the media;
            (4) outlines gaps in research on the role and impact of 
        depictions of girl and women in the media and identifies areas 
        where future research is needed; and
            (5) identifies how factors such as the format of media, 
        length of exposure to media, age of youth, and nature of 
        parental involvement impact such results.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON GIRLS AND WOMEN IN THE MEDIA.

    (a) Purposes.--The Federal Communications Commission shall convene 
a task force, to be known as the National Task Force on Girls and Women 
in the Media, to develop voluntary steps and goals for promoting 
healthy and positive depictions of girls and women in the media for the 
benefit of all youth.
    (b) Membership.--The Task Force shall include representatives of 
the media industry, nonprofit and youth-serving organizations, academia 
and research entities, psychologists and other child health 
professionals, Federal agencies, and any other public or private entity 
designated by the Federal Communications Commission.
    (c) Responsibilities.--The Task Force shall identify--
            (1) trends with respect to how the media regulated by the 
        Federal Communications Commission portrays girls and women;
            (2) how such trends impact the healthy growth and 
        development of youth; and
            (3) voluntary measures and goals that the public and 
        private sectors can develop to promote healthy and positive 
        media depictions of girls and women for the benefit of all 
        youth.
    (d) Initial Meeting.--The Federal Communications Commission shall 
ensure that the Task Force holds its first meeting not later than 90 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the first 
meeting of the Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission shall 
submit a report to Congress that contains--
            (1) the findings of the Task Force under subsection (c); 
        and
            (2) recommendations for areas of improvement regarding 
        depictions of girls and women in the media.

SEC. 6. LIMITATION.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Secretary may 
not use amounts made available under this Act to conduct or support 
activities or programs that are duplicative of activities or programs 
otherwise carried out through the Department of Health and Human 
Services or the Department of Education.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) The term ``media'' includes television programs, motion 
        pictures, video games, music and music videos, the Internet, 
        social media, digital video recorders, cell phones, magazines, 
        newspapers, books, advertisements, and other emerging 
        technologies designed for communication, entertainment, 
        education, or information.
            (2) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services.
            (3) The term ``sexualization'' means a circumstance when--
                    (A) a person's value comes only from his or her 
                sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other 
                characteristics;
                    (B) a person is held to a standard that equates 
                physical attractiveness (narrowly defined) and personal 
                value with appearing, acting, and being sexy;
                    (C) a person is sexually objectified, or made into 
                a thing for others' sexual use, rather than seen as a 
                person with the capacity for independent action and 
                decisionmaking; or
                    (D) sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon a 
                person.
            (4) The term ``Task Force'' means the National Task Force 
        on Girls and Women in the Media convened under section 5.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    For the purpose of carrying out sections 3 and 4, there are 
authorized to be appropriated, in addition to any other amounts 
available for such purpose--
            (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2012, of which--
                    (A) $2,000,000 shall be allocated to the program 
                under section 3(a);
                    (B) $2,000,000 shall be allocated to the program 
                under section 3(b); and
                    (C) $1,000,000 shall be allocated to the program 
                under section 4; and
            (2) $2,000,000 for each fiscal years 2013 through 2016, of 
        which--
                    (A) $500,000 shall be allocated to the program 
                under section 3(a);
                    (B) $500,000 shall be allocated to the program 
                under section 3(b); and
                    (C) $1,000,000 shall be allocated to the program 
                under section 4.
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