[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 82 (Thursday, June 12, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S5628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED

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                THE BIRTH DEFECTS PREVENTION ACT OF 1997

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                         BOND AMENDMENT NO. 371

  Mr. BOND proposed an amendment to the bill (S. 419) to provide 
surveillance, research, and services aimed at prevention of birth 
defects, and for other purposes; as follows:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Birth 
     Defects Prevention Act of 1997''.
       (b) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Birth defects are the leading cause of infant 
     mortality, directly responsible for one out of every five 
     infant deaths.
       (2) Thousands of the 150,000 infants born with a serious 
     birth defect annually face a lifetime of chronic disability 
     and illness.
       (3) Birth defects threaten the lives of infants of all 
     racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, some conditions pose 
     excess risks for certain populations. For example, compared 
     to all infants born in the United States, Hispanic-American 
     infants are more likely to be born with anencephaly spina 
     bifida and other neural tube defects and African-American 
     infants are more likely to be born with sickle-cell anemia.
       (4) Birth defects can be caused by exposure to 
     environmental hazards, adverse health conditions during 
     pregnancy, or genetic mutations. Prevention efforts are 
     slowed by lack of information about the number and causes of 
     birth defects. Outbreaks of birth defects may go undetected 
     because surveillance and research efforts are underdeveloped 
     and poorly coordinated.
       (5) Public awareness strategies, such as programs using 
     folic acid vitamin supplements to prevent spina bifida and 
     alcohol avoidance programs to prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, 
     are essential to prevent the heartache and costs associated 
     with birth defects.

     SEC. 2. PROGRAMS REGARDING BIRTH DEFECTS.

       Section 317C of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     247b-4) is amended to read as follows:


                   ``programs regarding birth defects

       ``Sec. 317C. (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through 
     the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, shall carry out programs--
       ``(1) to collect, analyze, and make available data on birth 
     defects (in a manner that facilitates compliance with 
     subsection (d)(2)), including data on the causes of such 
     defects and on the incidence and prevalence of such defects;
       ``(2) to operate at least 5 regional centers for the 
     conduct of applied epidemiological research on the prevention 
     of such defects; and
       ``(3) to provide information and education to the public on 
     the prevention of such defects.
       ``(b) Additional Provisions Regarding Collection of Data.--
       ``(1) In general.--In carrying out subsection (a)(1), the 
     Secretary--
       ``(A) shall collect and analyze data by gender and by 
     racial and ethnic group, including Hispanics, non-Hispanic 
     whites, Blacks, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and 
     Pacific Islanders;
       ``(B) shall collect data under subparagraph (A) from birth 
     certificates, death certificates, hospital records, and such 
     other sources as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; 
     and
       ``(C) shall encourage States to establish or improve 
     programs for the collection and analysis of epidemiological 
     data on birth defects, and to make the data available.
       ``(2) National clearinghouse.--In carrying out subsection 
     (a)(1), the Secretary shall establish and maintain a National 
     Information Clearinghouse on Birth Defects to collect and 
     disseminate to health professionals and the general public 
     information on birth defects, including the prevention of 
     such defects.
       ``(c) Grants and Contracts.--
       ``(1) In general.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
     Secretary may make grants to and enter into contracts with 
     public and nonprofit private entities.
       ``(2) Supplies and services in lieu of award funds.--
       ``(A) Upon the request of a recipient of an award of a 
     grant or contract under paragraph (1), the Secretary may, 
     subject to subparagraph (B), provide supplies, equipment, and 
     services for the purpose of aiding the recipient in carrying 
     out the purposes for which the award is made and, for such 
     purposes, may detail to the recipient any officer or employee 
     of the Department of Health and Human Services.
       ``(B) With respect to a request described in subparagraph 
     (A), the Secretary shall reduce the amount of payments under 
     the award involved by an amount equal to the costs of 
     detailing personnel and the fair market value of any 
     supplies, equipment, or services provided by the Secretary. 
     The Secretary shall, for the payment of expenses incurred in 
     complying with such request, expend the amounts withheld.
       ``(3) Application for award.--The Secretary may make an 
     award of a grant or contract under paragraph (1) only if an 
     application for the award is submitted to the Secretary and 
     the application is in such form, is made in such manner, and 
     contains such agreements, assurances, and information as the 
     Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out the 
     purposes for which the award is to be made.
       ``(d) Biennial Report.--Not later than February 1 of fiscal 
     year 1998 and of every second such year thereafter, the 
     Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Commerce of the 
     House of Representatives, and the Committee on Labor and 
     Human Resources of the Senate, a report that, with respect to 
     the preceding 2 fiscal years--
       ``(1) contains information regarding the incidence and 
     prevalence of birth defects and the extent to which birth 
     defects have contributed to the incidence and prevalence of 
     infant mortality;
       ``(2) contains information under paragraph (1) that is 
     specific to various racial and ethnic groups (including 
     Hispanics, non-Hispanic whites, Blacks, Native Americans, and 
     Asian Americans);
       ``(3) contains an assessment of the extent to which various 
     approaches of preventing birth defects have been effective;
       ``(4) describes the activities carried out under this 
     section; and
       ``(5) contains any recommendations of the Secretary 
     regarding this section.
       ``(e) Applicability of Privacy Laws.--The provisions of 
     this section shall be subject to the requirements of section 
     552a of title 5, United States Code. All Federal laws 
     relating to the privacy of information shall apply to the 
     data and information that is collected under this section.
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1998, $40,000,000 
     for fiscal year 1999, and such sums as may be necessary for 
     each of the fiscal years 2000 and 2001.''.

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