[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1437 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1437

 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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 28, 2011

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 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.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (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 between the ages of 15 and 19 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 teen 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 3 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. PROGRAMS TO REDUCE TEENAGE PREGNANCIES.

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

            ``PART W--PROGRAMS TO REDUCE TEENAGE PREGNANCIES

``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 teen 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 programs 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.--Funds received under this section shall be 
used to provide information and skills as described in subsection (a)--
            ``(1) through classroom-based settings, such as school 
        health education, humanities, language arts, or family and 
        consumer science education;
            ``(2) through after-school programs;
            ``(3) through community-based programs;
            ``(4) through workforce development programs;
            ``(5) through health care settings; or
            ``(6) in collaboration with systems that serve large 
        numbers of at-risk youth, such as juvenile justice or foster 
        care systems.
    ``(d) Program 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 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 in 
changing attitudes and behavior of teens 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 the targeted 
        community.

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

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award competitive grants to 
public or 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, 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 TEEN 
              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 teen pregnancy, dating violence, and healthy relationships among 
racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities that--
            ``(1) improve 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; and
            ``(2) investigate--
                    ``(A) the variance in the rates of teenage 
                pregnancy by--
                            ``(i) racial and ethnic group, including 
                        Hispanic, Asian, African-American, Pacific 
                        Islander, American Indian, and Alaskan Native;
                            ``(ii) socioeconomic status, taking into 
                        account income of the family and education 
                        attainment;
                    ``(B) factors affecting young people's risk of 
                teenage pregnancy or dating abuse, including the 
                physical and social environment, level of 
                acculturation, access to healthcare, 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 
                addressing healthy relationship development, dating 
                violence prevention, and teenage pregnancy; or
            ``(3) test 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. ADOLESCENT HEALTH WORK GROUP.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Communities of Color Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Act 
of 2011, the Secretary shall direct the Interagency Adolescent Health 
Work Group within the Office of Adolescent Health of the Department of 
Health and Human Services to include teen dating violence prevention 
and healthy teen relationship strategies in the work of such group, 
with a particular focus among racial or ethnic minority or immigrant 
communities, in consultation with the Interagency Working Group on Teen 
Dating Violence chaired by the Department of Justice.
    ``(b) Report Requirement.--The Secretary shall periodically submit 
to Congress a report containing--
            ``(1) a review of the evidence-based programs identified by 
        the Adolescent Health Work Group; and
            ``(2) a description of such programs that include teen 
        dating violence and healthy teen relationships as part of the 
        strategy to prevent teen pregnancy.

``SEC. 399OO-5. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.

    ``(a) Applications.--An entity seeking a grant under this part 
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such agreements, assurances, and information as 
the Secretary may require.
    ``(b) Additional Requirements.--The Secretary may award a grant 
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) in the case of a grant program 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--
                    ``(A) verified or supported by the weight of 
                research conducted in compliance with accepted 
                scientific methods; and
                    ``(B)(i) published in peer-reviewed journals, where 
                applicable; or
                    ``(ii) 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 the person to control the 
        reproductive decisionmaking, 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 violently 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 the Use of Funds.--Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of the Communities of Color Teenage Pregnancy 
Prevention Act of 2011, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
on the use of funds provided under this part.
    ``(b) Report on the 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 pregnancy.

``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 under 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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