[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9604-S9605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HEALTH PROFESSIONS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS ACT OF 1998

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                        FRIST AMENDMENT NO. 3484

  Mr. GORTON (for Mr. Frist) proposed an amendment to the bill (S. 
1754) A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to consolidate and 
reauthorize health professions and minority and disadvantaged health 
professions and disadvantaged health education programs, and for other 
purposes; as follows:

       Beginning on page 299, strike line 20 and all that follows 
     through line 2 on page 300.
       On page 300, line 3, strike ``(d)'' and insert ``(c)''.
       Beginning on page 305, strike line 21 and all that follows 
     through line 14 on page 306, and insert the following:

     ``SEC. 143. INSURANCE PROGRAM.

       ``Section 710(a)(2)(B) of''.
                                 ______
                                 

                       DASCHLE AMENDMENT NO. 3485

  Mr. GORTON (for Mr. Daschle) proposed an amendment to the bill, S. 
1754, supra; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ____. FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME PREVENTION AND SERVICES.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Fetal 
     Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect Prevention and 
     Services Act''.
       (b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading preventable cause 
     of mental retardation, and it is 100 percent preventable;
       (2) estimates on the number of children each year vary, but 
     according to some researchers, up to 12,000 infants are born 
     in the United States with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, suffering 
     irreversible physical and mental damage;
       (3) thousands more infants are born each year with Fetal 
     Alcohol Effect, also known as Alcohol Related Neurobehavioral 
     Disorder (ARND), a related and equally tragic syndrome;
       (4) children of women who use alcohol while pregnant have a 
     significantly higher infant mortality rate (13.3 per 1000) 
     than children of those women who do not use alcohol (8.6 per 
     1000);
       (5) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect are 
     national problems which can impact any child, family, or 
     community, but their threat to American Indians and Alaska 
     Natives is especially alarming;
       (6) in some American Indian communities, where alcohol 
     dependency rates reach 50 percent and above, the chances of a 
     newborn suffering Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol 
     Effect are up to 30 times greater than national averages;
       (7) in addition to the immeasurable toll on children and 
     their families, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol 
     Effect pose extraordinary financial costs to the Nation, 
     including the costs of health care, education, foster care, 
     job training, and general support services for affected 
     individuals;
       (8) the total cost to the economy of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 
     was approximately $2,500,000,000 in 1995, and over a 
     lifetime, health care costs for one Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 
     child are estimated to be at least $1,400,000;
       (9) researchers have determined that the possibility of 
     giving birth to a baby with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal 
     Alcohol Effect increases in proportion to the amount and 
     frequency of alcohol consumed by a pregnant woman, and that 
     stopping alcohol consumption at any point in the pregnancy 
     reduces the emotional, physical, and mental consequences of 
     alcohol exposure to the baby; and
       (10) though approximately 1 out of every 5 pregnant women 
     drink alcohol during their pregnancy, we know of no safe dose 
     of alcohol during pregnancy, or of any safe time to drink 
     during pregnancy, thus, it is in the best interest of the 
     Nation for the Federal Government to take an active role in 
     encouraging all women to abstain from alcohol consumption 
     during pregnancy.
       (c) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to 
     establish, within the Department of Health and Human 
     Services, a comprehensive program to help prevent Fetal 
     Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect nationwide and to 
     provide effective intervention programs and services for 
     children, adolescents and adults already affected by these 
     conditions. Such program shall--
       (1) coordinate, support, and conduct national, State, and 
     community-based public awareness, prevention, and education 
     programs on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
       (2) coordinate, support, and conduct prevention and 
     intervention studies as well as epidemiologic research 
     concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
       (3) coordinate, support and conduct research and 
     demonstration projects to develop effective developmental and 
     behavioral interventions and programs that foster effective 
     advocacy, educational and vocational training, appropriate 
     therapies, counseling, medical and mental health, and other 
     supportive services, as well as models that integrate or 
     coordinate such services, aimed at the unique challenges 
     facing individuals with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal 
     Alcohol Effect and their families; and
       (4) foster coordination among all Federal, State and local 
     agencies, and promote partnerships between research 
     institutions and communities that conduct or support Fetal 
     Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect research, programs, 
     surveillance, prevention, and interventions and otherwise 
     meet the general needs of populations already affected or at 
     risk of being impacted by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal 
     Alcohol Effect.
       (d) Establishment of Program.--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 O--FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME PREVENTION AND SERVICES PROGRAM

     ``SEC. 399G. ESTABLISHMENT OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME 
                   PREVENTION AND SERVICES PROGRAM.

       ``(a) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention, Intervention and 
     Services Delivery Program.--The Secretary shall establish a 
     comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect 
     prevention, intervention and services delivery program that 
     shall include--
       ``(1) an education and public awareness program to support, 
     conduct, and evaluate the effectiveness of--
       ``(A) educational programs targeting medical schools, 
     social and other supportive services, educators and 
     counselors and other service providers in all phases of 
     childhood development, and other relevant service providers, 
     concerning the prevention, identification, and provision of 
     services for children, adolescents and adults with Fetal 
     Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
       ``(B) strategies to educate school-age children, including 
     pregnant and high risk youth, concerning Fetal Alcohol 
     Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
       ``(C) public and community awareness programs concerning 
     Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect; and
       ``(D) strategies to coordinate information and services 
     across affected community agencies, including agencies 
     providing social services such as foster care, adoption, and 
     social work, medical and mental health services, and agencies 
     involved in education, vocational training and civil and 
     criminal justice;
       ``(2) a prevention and diagnosis program to support 
     clinical studies, demonstrations and other research as 
     appropriate to--
       ``(A) develop appropriate medical diagnostic methods for 
     identifying Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect; 
     and
       ``(B) develop effective prevention services and 
     interventions for pregnant, alcohol-dependent women; and
       ``(3) an applied research program concerning intervention 
     and prevention to support and conduct service demonstration 
     projects, clinical studies and other research models 
     providing advocacy, educational and vocational training, 
     counseling, medical and mental health, and other supportive 
     services, as well as models that integrate and coordinate 
     such services, that are aimed at the unique challenges facing 
     individuals with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol 
     Effect and their families.
       ``(b) Grants and Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may 
     award grants, cooperative agreements and contracts and 
     provide technical assistance to eligible entities 
     described in section 399H to carry out subsection (a).
       ``(c) Dissemination of Criteria.--In carrying out this 
     section, the Secretary shall develop a procedure for 
     disseminating the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol 
     Effect diagnostic criteria developed pursuant to section 705 
     of the ADAMHA Reorganization Act (42 U.S.C. 485n note) to 
     health care providers, educators, social workers, child 
     welfare workers, and other individuals.
       ``(d) National Task Force.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a task 
     force to be known as the National task force on Fetal Alcohol 
     Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect (referred to in this 
     subsection as the `task force') to foster coordination among 
     all governmental agencies, academic bodies and community 
     groups that conduct or support Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and 
     Fetal Alcohol Effect research, programs, and surveillance, 
     and otherwise meet the general needs of populations actually 
     or potentially impacted by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal 
     Alcohol Effect.
       ``(2) Membership.--The Task Force established pursuant to 
     paragraph (1) shall--
       ``(A) be chaired by an individual to be appointed by the 
     Secretary and staffed by the Administration; and
       ``(B) include the Chairperson of the Interagency 
     Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome of the 
     Department of Health and Human Services, individuals with 
     Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect, and 
     representatives from advocacy and research organization such 
     as the Research Society on Alcoholism, the FAS Family 
     Resource Institute, the National Organization of Fetal 
     Alcohol Syndrome, the Arc, the academic community, and 
     Federal, State and local government agencies and offices.
       ``(3) Functions.--The Task Force shall--

[[Page S9605]]

       ``(A) advise Federal, State and local programs and research 
     concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect, 
     including programs and research concerning education and 
     public awareness for relevant service providers, school-age 
     children, women at-risk, and the general public, medical 
     diagnosis, interventions for women at-risk of giving birth to 
     children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol 
     Effect, and beneficial services for individuals with Fetal 
     Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect and their families;
       ``(B) coordinate its efforts with the Interagency 
     Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome of the 
     Department of Health and Human Services; and
       ``(C) report on a biennial basis to the Secretary and 
     relevant committees of Congress on the current and planned 
     activities of the participating agencies.
       ``(4) Time for appointment.--The members of the Task Force 
     shall be appointed by the Secretary not later than 6 months 
     after the date of enactment of this part.

     ``SEC. 399H. ELIGIBILITY.

       ``To be eligible to receive a grant, or enter into a 
     cooperative agreement or contract under this part, an entity 
     shall--
       ``(1) be a State, Indian tribal government, local 
     government, scientific or academic institution, or nonprofit 
     organization; and
       ``(2) prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at 
     such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
     the Secretary may prescribe, including a description of the 
     activities that the entity intends to carry out using amounts 
     received under this part.

     ``SEC. 399I. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out this part, $27,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
     years 1999 through 2003.
       ``(b) Task Force.--From amounts appropriate for a fiscal 
     year under subsection (a), the Secretary may use not to 
     exceed $2,000,000 of such amounts for the operations of the 
     National Task Force under section 399G(d).

     ``SEC. 399J. SUNSET PROVISION.

       ``This part shall not apply on the date that is 7 years 
     after the date on which all members of the national task 
     force have been appointed under section 399G(d)(1).''.

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