[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 28 (Monday, March 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2303-S2309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. CAMPBELL:
S. 2172. A bill to make technical amendments to the provisions of the
Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act relating to
contract support costs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Indian Affairs.
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the
Tribal Contract Support Cost Technical Amendments of 2004, a much-
needed bill that strengthens the highly successful policy of tribal
contracting and compacting under the Indian Self Determination and
Education Assistance Act of 1975, Public Law 93-638.
Beginning in 1970, with President Nixon's now-famous Special Message
to Congress on Indian Affairs and the 1975 enactment of the Indian Self
Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975, Public Law 93-638,
Congress has systematically devolved to Indian tribes the authority and
responsibility to manage Federal programs and reassume control over
their own affairs.
For good reason, tribal contracting and compacting has been embraced
and expanded by Congress and the Executive by repeatedly amending the
1975 Act in 1984, 1988, 1994 and 2000.
Contracting and compacting has resulted in a reduction in the Federal
bureaucracy and an improvement in the quality of services delivered to
tribal members. Instead of Federal micro-management, the tribes can
tailor programs to unique local conditions and better serve their
members.
Unfortunately, the ability of Indian tribes to continue to contract
programs and services is severely hampered by the chronic under-funding
of contract support costs.
Without such funding, tribes are forced to cut back on services to
pay for their administrative costs.
The bill I am introducing today will require the Indian Health
Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide the funds for
contract support costs which those agencies negotiated and contracted
to pay to their tribal contractors.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
S. 2172
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 ``Tribal Contract Support Cost
Technical Amendments of 2004''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT DETAILING CALCULATION AND PAYMENT OF
CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS.
The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
is amended by inserting after section 106 (25 U.S.C. 450j-1)
the following:
``SEC. 106A. CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS.
``(a) Other Federal Agencies.--
``(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided by law, an
Indian tribe or tribal organization administering a contract
or compact under this Act shall be entitled to recover its
full indirect costs associated with any other Federal funding
received by the Indian tribe or tribal organization in
accordance with an indirect cost rate agreement between the
Indian tribe or tribal organization and the appropriate
Federal agency.
``(2) No entitlement.--The right of recovery under
paragraph (1) does not confer on an Indian tribe or tribal
organization an entitlement to be paid additional amounts
associated with other Federal funding described in that
paragraph.
``(b) Allowable Uses of Funds.--
``(1) Definition of secretary.--In this subsection, the
term `Secretary' means the Secretary or head of any Federal
agency providing funds to an Indian tribe or tribal
organization.
``(2) Use of funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law (including a regulation), an Indian tribe or tribal
organization that is administering a contract or compact
under this Act and that employs an indirect cost pool that
includes funds paid under this Act and other Federal funds
shall be entitled to use or expend all Federal funds in the
indirect cost pool of the Indian tribe or tribal organization
without the approval of the Secretary in the same manner as
is permitted under section 106(j).''.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS CLARIFYING CONTRACT SUPPORT COST
ENTITLEMENT.
(a) Amount of Contracts.--Section 105(c)(1) of the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
450j(c)(1)) is amended by striking the second sentence.
(b) Reductions and Increases.--Section 106(b) of the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
450j-1(b)) is amended in the matter following paragraph (5)--
(1) by striking ``the provision of funds under this Act is
subject to the availability of appropriations and''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following: ``In any case in
which contract support costs are not provided for, there are
authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to
pay those costs.''.
(c) Contract Model.--Subsection (c) of section 108 of the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 450l(c)) is amended in section 1(b)(4) of the model
contract set forth in that subsection by striking ``Subject
to the availability of appropriations, the'' and inserting
``The''.
(d) Applicability to Agreements With the Secretary of the
Interior.--Section 408 of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 458hh) is amended by
inserting before the period at the end the following:
``(including such sums as are necessary to pay contract
support costs, when not otherwise provided for)''.
(e) Applicability to Agreements With the Secretary of
Health and Human Services.--Section 519 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 458aaa-
18) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ``the provision of funds
under this title shall be subject to the availability of
appropriations'' and inserting ``the provision of funds under
this title (excluding contract support costs) shall be
subject to the availability of appropriations''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Necessary Contract Support Costs.--In any case in
which contract support costs are not provided for, there are
authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to
pay those costs.''.
SEC. 4. EFFECT ON OTHER LAW.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), this
Act and the amendments made by this Act supersede any
conflicting provisions of law (including any conflicting
regulations) in effect on the day before the date of
enactment of this Act.
(b) Exception.-- Nothing in this Act shall be construed to
alter in any manner the ruling of the United States Court of
Appeals for
[[Page S2304]]
the Federal Circuit rendered on July 2, 2003, in Thompson v.
Cherokee Nation, 334 F.3d. 1075 (July 3, 2003).
______
By Mr. CAMPBELL:
S. 2173. A bill to further the purposes of the Sand Creek Massacre
National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000; to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I take great pride in introducing
the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Trust Act of 2004, a
bill to establish the Sand Creek National Historic Site in Kiowa
County, CO.
The bill I am introducing today follows the Sand Creek National
Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000, Public Law 106-465, which
recognized the tragic events of November 28, 1868 and made it clear
that America has the strength and resolve to face its past and learn
the painful lessons that come with intolerance.
Much has been written about the horrors visited upon the plains
Indians in the territories of the Western United States in the latter
half of the 19th century. However, what has been lost for more than a
century is a comprehensive understanding of the events of that day in a
grove of cottonwood trees along Sand Creek.
This bill I am introducing today builds upon the Act of 2000 and
authorizes the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma to take the land
on which these tragic events took place into trust for traditional,
cultural, and historical purposes only.
The indisputable facts are these: 700 members of the Colorado
Militia, commanded by Colonel John Chivington struck at dawn that
November day, attacking an encampment of Cheyenne and Arapho Indians
settled under the U.S. flag and a white flag which the Indian Chiefs
Black Kettle and White Antelope were told by the U.S. would protect
them from military attack.
By day's end, almost 150 Indians, many of them women, children and
the elderly, lay dead. Chivington's men reportedly desecrated the
bodies of the dead after the massacre, and newspaper reports from
Denver at the time told of the troops displaying Indian body parts in a
gruesome display as they rode through the streets of Colorado's largest
city following the attack.
The 2000 legislation authorized the National Park Service to enter
into negotiations with willing sellers only in an attempt to secure
property inside a boundary which encompasses approximately 12,470 acres
as identified by the National Park Service for a lasting memorial to
events of that fateful day.
The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site has come into being
because all of those involved have exhibited an extraordinary ability
to put aside their differences, look with equal measure at the
scientific evidence and the oral traditions of the Tribes, and come up
with a plan that equally honors the memory of those killed and the
rights of the private property owners who have been faithful and
responsible stewards of this site.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
S. 2173
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 ``Sand Creek Massacre National
Historic Site Trust Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY.
To further the purposes of the Sand Creek Massacre National
Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 461 note;
Public Law 106-465), this Act authorizes the United States to
take certain land in Kiowa County, Colorado, owned by the
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, into trust.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(2) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Cheyenne and
Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, a federally recognized Indian
tribe.
(3) Trust property.--The term ``trust property'' means the
property described in section 4(b).
SEC. 4. TRANSFER OF LAND HELD IN TRUST FOR THE CHEYENNE AND
ARAPAHO TRIBES OF OKLAHOMA.
(a) Land Held in Trust for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes
of Oklahoma.--
(1) Conveyance.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Tribe shall convey title to the
trust property to the United States.
(2) Trust.--All right, title, and interest of the United
States in and to the trust property, including all
improvement on the trust property and appurtenances to the
trust property and rights to all minerals, are declared to be
held by the United States in trust for the Tribe.
(b) Land Description.--The trust property is the property
formerly known as the ``Dawson Ranch'', consisting of
approximately 1,465 total acres presently under the
jurisdiction of the Tribe, situated within Kiowa County,
Colorado, and more particularly described as follows:
(1) The portion of sec. 24, T. 17 S., R. 46 W., Colorado
Principal Meridian, that is the Eastern half of the NW
quarter, the SW quarter of the NE quarter, the NW quarter of
the SE quarter, Colorado Principal Meridian.
(2) All of sec. 25, T. 17 S., R. 46 W., Colorado Principal
Meridian.
(3) All of sec. 30, T. 17 S., R. 45 W., Colorado Principal
Meridian.
SEC. 5. SURVEY OF BOUNDARY LINE; PUBLICATION OF DESCRIPTION.
(a) Survey of Boundary Line.--To accurately establish the
boundary of the trust property, the Secretary shall, not
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
cause a survey to be conducted by the Office of Cadastral
Survey of the Bureau of Land Management of the boundary lines
described in section 4(b).
(b) Publication of Land Description.--
(1) In general.--On completion of the survey under
subsection (a), and acceptance of the survey by the
representatives of the Tribe, the Secretary shall cause the
full metes and bounds description of the lines, with a full
and accurate description of the trust property, to be
published in the Federal Register.
(2) Effect.--The descriptions shall, on publication,
constitute the official descriptions of the trust property.
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION OF TRUST PROPERTY.
(a) In General.--The trust property is declared to be part
of the Indian reservation of the Tribe.
(b) Administration.--The trust property shall be
administered in perpetuity by the Secretary in accordance
with the law generally applicable to property held in trust
by the United States for the benefit of Indian tribes and in
accordance with the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic
Site Establishment Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 461 note; Public
Law 106-465).
SEC. 7. RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL USES.
(a) In General.--The trust property shall be used only for
historic, religious, or cultural uses that are compatible
with the use of the land as a national historic site.
(b) Duty of the Secretary.--The Secretary shall take such
action as is necessary to ensure that the trust property is
used only in accordance with this section.
______
By Mr. BUNNING (for himself and Ms. Mikulski):
S. 2174. A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to
include podiatrists as physicians for purposes of covering physicians
services under the medicaid program; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a very
important piece of legislation with Senator Mikulski from Maryland. Our
bill will ensure that Medicaid beneficiaries in all States have access
to the services of top-quality podiatric physicians.
Podiatrists play a vital roll in keeping feet and ankles healthy.
This is critical to keeping people mobile and productive, which is a
key to good long-term health.
Proper foot care is particularly important for individuals with
diabetes, which is a severe problem in my State. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 18.2 million people--
or 6.3 percent of the population--have diabetes in this country, and it
is the sixth leading cause of death. If not managed properly, diabetes
can cause several severe health problems, including blindness, kidney
disease and heart disease. Too often, diabetes can lead to foot
complications, including foot ulcers and even amputations.
In fact, the CDC estimate that ``more than 60 percent of
nontraumatic lower-limb amputations occur among people with diabetes,''
which equals about 82,000 amputations a year.
These numbers are startling.
Podiatrists, however, can play a vital role in recognizing and
correcting foot problems among diabetics to help avoid amputations and
other complications.
Our bill is fairly simple. It amends the Medicaid's definition of
``physicians'' to include podiatric physicians. This will ensure that
Medicaid beneficiaries have access to foot care from those most
qualified to provide it.
Under Medicaid, podiatry is considered an optional benefit. However,
just because it is optional, doesn't mean that the need for these
services is
[[Page S2305]]
eliminated or that the services aren't performed by other providers.
Instead, Medicaid beneficiaries will have to receive foot care from
other providers who may not be as well trained as a podiatrist in
treating lower extremities.
According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, 43 States
currently recognize and reimburse podiatrists under their Medicaid
problems. Also, podiatrists are considered physicians under the
Medicare program, which allows seniors and disabled individuals to
receive appropriate care.
I urge my colleagues to give careful consideration to this important
bill and to support it. It will help many Medicaid beneficiaries across
the country have the guaranteed access to podiatrists that they need.
Finally, I want to thank the Senator from Maryland for helping me
introduce this legislation today. I hope that by working together we
can see this important change made.
Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to join Senator Bunning to
introduce this important bill to make sure that Medicaid patients have
access to care provided by podiatrists.
This bill ensures that Medicaid patients across the country can get
services provided by podiatrists. This is a simple, common sense bill.
This legislation includes podiatric physicians in Medicaid's definition
of physician. This means that the services of podiatrists will be
covered by Medicaid, just like they are in Medicare. Podiatrists are
considered physicians under Medicare. They should be under Medicaid.
Medicaid covers necessary foot and ankle care services. Medicaid should
allow podiatrists who are trained specifically in foot and ankle care
to provide these services and be reimbursed for them.
Currently, the services of podiatrists are considered optional under
Medicaid. The Medicaid programs in 43 States, including Maryland,
recognize and reimburse podiatrists for providing foot and ankle care
to their beneficiaries. During times of tight budgets, States may cut
back on these optional services. Last year Connecticut, Michigan, Utah
and Texas discontinued podiatric services. Even though podiatrist
services are considered optional, Medicaid patients need foot and ankle
care regardless. If podiatrists do not provide the care, patients will
see providers who may not be as well trained in the care of the lower
extremities as podiatrists. I want the over 560,000 Medicaid patients
in Maryland to have access to the services provided by over 400
podiatrists in Maryland.
Podiatrists receive special training on the foot, ankle and lower
leg. They play an important role in the recognition of systemic
diseases like diabetes, and in the recognition and treatment of
peripheral neuropathy, a frequent cause of diabetic foot wounds that
can often lead to preventable lower extremity amputations. Over 18
million people in this country have diabetes, but an estimated more
than 5 million of these people are not aware that they have the
disease.
Ensuring Medicaid patient access to podiatrists could save Medicaid
funds in the long term. According to the American Podiatric Medical
Association, 75 percent of Americans will experience some type of foot
health problem during their lives. Foot disease is the most common
complication of diabetes leading to hospitalization. About 82,000
people have diabetes-related leg, foot or toe amputations each year.
Foot care programs with regular examinations and patient education
could prevent up to 85 percent of these amputations. Podiatrists are
important providers of this care.
This bill will make sure that Medicaid patients across the country
have access to care provided by podiatrists. It has the support the
American Podiatric Medical Association. I urge my colleagues to
cosponsor this important legislation.
______
By Mr. DODD (for himself, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Reid):
S. 2175. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to support the
planning, implementation, and evaluation of organized activities
involving statewide youth suicide early intervention and prevention
strategies, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on an important issue
that holds great meaning to me--the issue of youth suicide in our
country.
Youth suicide is both a public and mental health tragedy--an acute
crisis that knows no geographic, racial, ethnic, cultural, or
socioeconomic boundaries. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), over 3,000 young people take their lives each
year, making suicide the third overall cause of death between the ages
of 10 and 24. Young people under the age of 25 accounted for 15 percent
of all suicides completed in 2000. In fact, more children and young
adults died from their own hand than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS,
birth defects, stroke and chronic lung disease combined.
Equally alarming are the numbers of young people who consider taking
or attempt to take their lives. Recent CDC figures estimate that almost
three million high school students, or twenty percent of young adults
between the ages of 15 and 19, consider suicide every year. And over
two million children and young adults actually attempt suicide. I find
these figures to be staggering and simply unacceptable.
And, sadly, we rarely find these facts disseminated widely amongst
public audiences. We rarely read them in newspapers or hear them on
television. We know that youth suicide is intricately linked to mental
health issues like depression and substance abuse. Yet, we also know
all too well that both youth suicide and children's mental health
continue to carry an unfortunate stigma--a stigma that all too often
keeps these crucial issues unspoken and discourages children and young
adults from seeking the help they so desperately need.
We have a societal obligation to break through the stigma attached to
youth suicide and children's mental health. We have an obligation to
reach out to our young people--to help them understand that whatever
difficulties or illnesses they might be experiencing are only temporary
and treatable in a comfortable setting. And, most importantly, we have
an obligation to instill in our young people a sense of value, self-
worth, and resilience. All too often, children and young adults
considering suicide lose sight of themselves, their talents, and their
potential in life. All too often they lose sight of the love their
families, friends, and communities have for them.
I am pleased that our Nation has already taken several positive steps
toward better understanding the tragedy of youth suicide and its
emotional and behavioral risk factors. Several recent reports like the
President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, the National
Strategy for Suicide Prevention, and the Surgeon General's Call to
Action To Prevent Suicide have made youth suicide a top national public
and mental health priority. Today, hundreds of community-based programs
across the country offer a variety of early intervention and prevention
services to thousands of children and young adults--services that
include comprehensive screening, assessment, and individualized
counseling. Nearly thirty states, including my home State of
Connecticut, have developed or already implemented statewide youth
suicide early intervention and prevention strategies that coordinate
appropriate services in schools, juvenile justice systems, foster care
systems, mental health programs, substance abuse programs, and other
youth-oriented settings. Furthermore, the Federal Government has
stepped up its role in both supporting these community-based activities
and conducting relevant research and data collection. Several mental
and public health agencies have shown a growing interest in youth
suicide, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, the Health Resources Services Administration, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute
of Mental Health.
However, despite these important gains, we still face significant
challenges. Today, a large number of states and localities are finding
themselves with unprecedented budget deficits--making the establishment
of new services and the retention of existing services increasingly
more difficult. Statewide strategies are often underfunded or
understaffed to be properly effective. And while a number of Federal
agencies have supported youth suicide
[[Page S2306]]
activities, there has been no comprehensive inter-agency strategy
implemented to share data, disseminate research, or evaluate the
efficacy of youth suicide early intervention and prevention programs.
Today, I am introducing bipartisan legislation with my colleagues
Senator DeWine and Senator Smith. The Youth Suicide Early Intervention
and Prevention Act of 2004 will further support the good work being
done on the community level, the State level, and the Federal level
with regards to youth suicide. This legislation will support, through
new grant initiatives, the further development and expansion of
statewide youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies
and the community-based services they seek to coordinate. It will
encourage greater Federal support in the planning, implementation, and
evaluation of these strategies and services. And it will create a new
inter-agency collaboration that will focus on research, policy
development, and the dissemination of data specifically pertaining to
youth suicide.
Finding concrete, comprehensive and effective remedies to the
epidemic of youth suicide cannot be done by lawmakers on Capitol Hill
alone. Those remedies must also come from individuals--doctors,
psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, nurses, teachers, advocates,
survivors, and affected families--who are dedicated to this issue or
spend each day with children and young adults that suffer from
illnesses related to suicide. I feel that we have made an important
first step with this legislation today. However, I also know that our
work is not done. I hope that, as a society, we can continue working
collectively to both better understand the tragedy of youth suicide and
develop innovative and effective public and mental health initiatives
that reach every child and young adult in this country--compassionate
initiatives that give them encouragement, hope, and above all, life.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
S. 2175
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 ``Youth Suicide Early
Intervention and Prevention Expansion Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) More children and young adults die from suicide each
year than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects,
stroke, and chronic lung disease combined.
(2) Over 4,000 children and young adults tragically take
their lives every year, making suicide the third overall
cause of death between the ages of 10 and 24. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suicide is the
third overall cause of death among college-age students.
(3) According to the National Center for Injury Prevention
and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, children and young adults accounted for 15
percent of all suicides completed in 2000.
(4) From 1952 to 1995, the rate of suicide in children and
young adults has tripled.
(5) From 1980 to 1997, the rate of suicide among young
adults ages 15 to 19 increased 11 percent.
(6) From 1980 to 1997, the rate of suicide among children
ages 10 to 14 increased 109 percent.
(7) According to the National Center of Health Statistics,
suicide rates among Native Americans range from 1.5 to 3
times the national average for other groups, with young
people ages 15 to 34 making up 64 percent of all suicides.
(8) Congress has recognized that youth suicide is a public
health tragedy linked to underlying mental health problems
and that youth suicide early intervention and prevention
activities are national priorities.
(9) Youth suicide early intervention and prevention have
been listed as urgent public health priorities by the
President's New Freedom Commission in Mental Health (2002),
the Institute of Medicine's Reducing Suicide: A National
Imperative (2002), the National Strategy for Suicide
Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action (2001), and the
Surgeon General's Call to Action To Prevent Suicide (1999).
(10) Many States have already developed comprehensive youth
suicide early intervention and prevention strategies that
seek to provide effective early intervention and prevention
services.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES ACT.
Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 399O. SUICIDE PREVENTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.
``(a) Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention
Strategies.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants or
cooperative agreements to eligible entities to--
``(A) develop and implement statewide youth suicide early
intervention and prevention strategies in schools,
educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance
abuse programs, mental health programs, foster care systems,
and other child and youth support organizations;
``(B) collect and analyze data on statewide youth suicide
early intervention and prevention services that can be used
to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for
research, technical assistance, and policy development; and
``(C) assist States, through statewide youth suicide early
intervention and prevention strategies, in achieving their
targets for youth suicide reductions under title V of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.).
``(2) Eligible Entity Defined.--In this subsection, the
term `eligible entity' means a State, political subdivision
of a State, Federally-recognized Indian tribe, tribal
organization, public organization, or private nonprofit
organization actively involved in youth suicide early
intervention and prevention activities and in the development
and continuation of statewide youth suicide early
intervention and prevention strategies.
``(3) Preference.--The Secretary shall give preference to
eligible entities that--
``(A) provide early intervention services to youth in, and
that are integrated with, school systems, educational
institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse
programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, and
other child and youth support organizations;
``(B) demonstrate collaboration among early intervention
and prevention services or certify that entities will engage
in future collaboration;
``(C) employ or include in their applications a commitment
to engage in an evaluative process the best evidence-based or
promising youth suicide early intervention and prevention
practices and strategies adapted to the local community;
``(D) provide for the timely assessment of youth who are at
risk for emotional disorders which may lead to suicide
attempts;
``(E) provide timely referrals for appropriate community-
based mental health care and treatment of youth in all child-
serving settings and agencies who are at risk for suicide;
``(F) provide immediate support and information resources
to families of youth who are at risk for emotional behavioral
disorders which may lead to suicide attempts;
``(G) offer equal access to services and care to youth with
diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds;
``(H) offer appropriate postvention services, care, and
information to families, friends, schools, educational
institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse
programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, and
other child and youth support organizations of youth who
recently completed suicide;
``(I) offer continuous and up-to-date information and
awareness campaigns that target parents, family members,
child care professionals, community care providers, and the
general public and highlight the risk factors associated with
youth suicide and the life-saving help and care available
from early intervention and prevention services;
``(J) ensure that information and awareness campaigns on
youth suicide risk factors, and early intervention and
prevention services, use effective communication mechanisms
that are targeted to and reach youth, families, schools,
educational institutions, and youth organizations;
``(K) provide a timely response system to ensure that
child-serving professionals and providers are properly
trained in youth suicide early intervention and prevention
strategies and that child-serving professionals and providers
involved in early intervention and prevention services are
properly trained in effectively identifying youth who are at
risk for suicide;
``(L) provide continuous training activities for child care
professionals and community care providers on the latest best
evidence-based youth suicide early intervention and
prevention services practices and strategies; and
``(M) work with interested families and advocacy
organizations to conduct annual self-evaluations of outcomes
and activities on the State level, according to standards
established by the Secretary.
``(b) Technical Assistance, Data Management, and
Research.--
``(1) Technical assistance and data management.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall award technical
assistance grants and cooperative agreements to State
agencies to conduct assessments independently or in
collaboration with educational institutions related to the
development of statewide youth suicide early intervention and
prevention strategies.
``(B) Authorized activities.--Grants awarded under
subparagraph (A) shall be used to establish programs for the
development of standardized procedures for data management,
such as--
``(i) ensuring the quality surveillance of youth suicide
early intervention and prevention strategies;
[[Page S2307]]
``(ii) providing technical assistance on data collection
and management;
``(iii) studying the costs and effectiveness of statewide
youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies in
order to answer relevant issues of importance to State and
national policymakers;
``(iv) further identifying and understanding causes of and
associated risk factors for youth suicide;
``(v) ensuring the quality surveillance of suicidal
behaviors and nonfatal suicidal attempts;
``(vi) studying the effectiveness of statewide youth
suicide early intervention and prevention strategies on the
overall wellness and health promotion strategies related to
suicide attempts; and
``(vii) promoting the sharing of data regarding youth
suicide with Federal agencies involved with youth suicide
early intervention and prevention, and statewide youth
suicide early intervention and prevention strategies for the
purpose of identifying previously unknown mental health
causes and associated risk-factors for suicide in youth.
``(2) Research.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a program of
research and development on the efficacy of new and existing
youth suicide early intervention techniques and technology,
including clinical studies and evaluations of early
intervention methods, and related research aimed at reducing
youth suicide and offering support for emotional and
behavioral disorders which may lead to suicide attempts.
``(B) Disseminating research.--The Secretary shall promote
the sharing of research and development data developed
pursuant to subparagraph (A) with the Federal agencies
involved in youth suicide early intervention and prevention,
and entities involved in statewide youth suicide early
intervention and prevention strategies for the purpose of
applying and integrating new techniques and technology into
existing statewide youth suicide early intervention and
strategies systems.
``(c) Coordination and Collaboration.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall collaborate and consult with--
``(A) other Federal agencies and State and local agencies,
including agencies responsible for early intervention and
prevention services under title XIX of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), the State Children's Health
Insurance Program under title XXI of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.), programs funded by grants under
title V of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.),
and programs under part C of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), and the
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Federal Steering
Group;
``(B) local and national organizations that serve youth at
risk for suicide and their families;
``(C) relevant national medical and other health and
education specialty organizations;
``(D) youth who are at risk for suicide, who have survived
suicide attempts, or who are currently receiving care from
early intervention services;
``(E) families and friends of youth who are at risk for
suicide, who have survived suicide attempts, who are
currently receiving care from early intervention and
prevention services, or who have completed suicide;
``(F) qualified professionals who possess the specialized
knowledge, skills, experience, and relevant attributes needed
to serve youth at risk for suicide and their families; and
``(G) third-party payers, managed care organizations, and
related commercial industries.
``(2) Policy development.--The Secretary shall coordinate
and collaborate on policy development at the Federal and
State levels and with the private sector, including consumer,
medical, suicide prevention advocacy groups, and other health
and education professional-based organizations, with respect
to statewide youth suicide early intervention and prevention
strategies.
``(e) Rule of Construction; Religious Accommodation.--
Nothing in this section shall be construed to preempt any
State law, including any State law that does not require the
suicide early intervention for youth whose parents or legal
guardians object to such early intervention based on the
parents' or legal guardians' religious beliefs.
``(f) Evaluation.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct an
evaluation to analyze the effectiveness and efficacy of the
activities conducted with grants under this section.
``(2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning the
results of the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1).
``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Best evidence-based.--The term `best evidence-based'
with respect to programs, means programs that have undergone
scientific evaluation and have proven to be effective.
``(2) Early intervention.--The term `early intervention'
means a strategy or approach that is intended to prevent an
outcome or to alter the course of an existing condition.
``(3) Educational institution.--The term `educational
institution' means a high school, vocational school, or an
institution of higher education.
``(4) Prevention.--The term `prevention' means a strategy
or approach that reduces the likelihood or risk of onset, or
delays the onset, of adverse health problems or reduces the
harm resulting from conditions or behaviors.
``(5) School.--The term `school' means a nonprofit
institutional day or residential school that provides an
elementary, middle, or secondary education, as determined
under applicable State law, except that such term does not
include any education beyond the 12th grade.
``(6) Youth.--The term `youth' means individuals who are
between 6 and 24 years of age.
``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) Statewide youth suicide early intervention and
prevention strategies.--For the purpose of carrying out
subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated
$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, $25,000,000 for fiscal year
2005, $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and such sums as may
be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year.
``(2) Technical assistance, data management, and
research.--For the purpose of carrying out subsection (b),
there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal
year 2003, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, $5,000,000 for
fiscal year 2005, and such sums as may be necessary for each
subsequent fiscal year.''.
Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, today I join my good friends and
colleagues Senator Chris Dodd and Senator Gordon Smith in introducing
the Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Expansion Act of
2004. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services, I recently held a hearing on youth suicide. At that
hearing, it became painfully clear that we need thorough and actionable
plans to deal with this tragic issue.
Statistics tell us that approximately every 2 hours a person under
the age of 25 commits suicide. We also know that from 1952 to 1995, the
rate of suicide in children and young adults has tripled and that
between 1980 and 1997, alone, the rate of suicide in 15 to 19 year olds
increased by 11 percent. According to the National Institute of Mental
Health, suicide was the 11th leading cause overall for death in the
United States in 2001. However, it was the 3rd leading cause of death
for youth ages 15 to 24. We also know that more boys are killing
themselves than girls at a ratio of 5 to 1 in the 15 to 19 year old age
group and at a ratio of 7 to 1 in the 20 to 24 year old age group.
However, while boys are dying at a higher rate, girls in these age
groups are attempting at a much higher rate. Estimates suggest that
there may be from 8 to 25 attempts made for every suicide death.
These alarming numbers emphasize the need for early intervention and
prevention efforts. Too often, the signs may be subtle or hidden until
it is too late. While research has created improved medications and
methods for helping those with mental health problems to recover, there
is still much work to be done in the identifying those who need help.
A great deal of study has focused on identifying and categorizing the
risk factors related to suicide. In children and youth, these risk
factors include depression, alcohol or drug use, physical or sexual
abuse, and disruptive behavior. Of people who die from and who attempt
suicide, many suffer from co-occurring mental health and substance
abuse disorders. Children with these risk factors, as well as children
who are know to be in situations at risk for acquiring them, should be
included in comprehensive state plans. Children and youth specifically
addressed in State plans should include those who attend school,
including colleges and universities, those already receiving substance
abuse or mental health services, those involved in the juvenile justice
system, and foster children.
As a result of the need for increased attention to the problem of
suicide and access to help, I am pleased to join Senators Dodd and
Smith in introducing the Youth Suicide Early Intervention and
Prevention Expansion Act of 2004. With the establishment of a $25
million grant initiative, this bill would encourage the development of
statewide youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies
that coordinate agencies and non-profits in providing mental health
services to and screening of youth in a variety of settings. The
settings would include schools, substance abuse and mental health
service programs, the juvenile justice system, and foster care
programs. The bill would also provide $5
[[Page S2308]]
million for relevant technical assistance and research.
Candidly, State plans for suicide intervention and prevention need to
be created and expanded to help stop these heartbreaking losses. We
commend the States that already have created such plans and encourage
all states to take this important step. I thank Senators Dodd and Smith
for their leadership on this issue, as well as others like Senator Jack
Reed, who is dedicated to helping increase and improve much-needed
mental health services for our Nation's youth.
______
By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself and Mr. Alexander):
S. 2176. A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a
program of research and development to advance high-end computing; to
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce, along with
Senator Alexander, the High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004.
High-end computing, also known as high performance computing or
supercomputing, is a critical component to the scientific advances,
defense capabilities, and commercial competitiveness of the United
States in the 21st century. Several recent developments in high-end
computing have stimulated a re-examination of current U.S. policies and
approaches. These developments include: 1. the deployment of Japan's
Earth System Simulator, which now occupies the number one position on
the Top 500 list of the world's fastest computers; 2. concerns about
the difficulty in achieving substantial fractions of peak hardware
computational performance on high-end systems; and 3. the ongoing
complexity of developing, debugging, and optimizing applications for
high-end systems. In addition, there is growing recognition that a new
set of scientific and engineering discoveries could be catalyzed by
access to very-large-scale computer systems--those in the 100-teraflop
to petaflop range. Lastly, the National Academies of Sciences and
Engineering, the Office of Science and Technology Policy's High End
Computing Revitalization Task Force, and the national security
community have each released interim or final comprehensive reports
expressing serious concern over the current U.S. position in high-end
computing research. Without government support, market forces are
unlikely to drive sufficient innovation in high-end computing, because
the private sector would not capture the full value of its innovations
on a short enough time scale.
In supercomputing, innovation is important in architecture, in
software, and in application strategies and solution methods. The
coupling of these aspects is equally important. Major architecture
challenges stem from the uneven performance scaling of different
components. In particular, as the gap between processor speeds, memory
bandwidth, and memory and network latency increases, new ideas are
needed to increase bandwith and mitigate latency. Additionally, as new
mechanisms are introduced to address those issues, there is a need for
ways to supply a stable software interface that facilitates exploiting
hardware performance improvements while the changes in mechanism. A new
large-scale computer system exceeding the capability of Japan's Earth
Simulator would provide an excellent test-bed for promising new
advancements in these areas as well as provide science, industry, and
defense with an extraordinarily powerful new tool for advancing the
interests of the United States.
The need for software innovation is motivated by its role as an
intermediary between the application, the problem being addressed, and
the architectural platform. Innovation is needed in the ways that
system software manages the use of hardware resources, such as network
communication. New approaches are needed for ways in which the
applications programmer can express parallelism at a level high enough
to reflect the application solution and without platform-specific
details. Novel tools are needed to help application-level software
designers development their solutions at a more abstract and problem-
specific level. Software technology is also needed to lessen future
dependence on legacy codes. Enough must be invested in the creation of
advanced tool and environment support for new language approaches so
that users can more readily adopt new software technology.
Importantly, advances in algorithms can sometimes improve performance
much more than architectural and other software advances do. A center
for high-end computing software would aid immensely in spurring
innovation in this underdeveloped research area, an aid in coordinating
the federal government's efforts with industry, academia, and between
its national laboratories.
The department of Energy (DOE) and its Office of Science research
programs are uniquely qualified to lead research in these fields. They
have played an important role in the development of high-end computing,
networking, and information technology. These capabilities have been
readily accessible to the U.S. scientific community for a diverse set
of grand challenge scientific computational problems. Contributions by
the DOE include pioneering the concept of remote, interactive access to
supercomputers (developing the first interactive operating system for
supercomputers, establishing the first national supercomputer center);
developing the mathematical foundations for high performance computing
with numerical linear algebra libraries used worldwide; leading the
transition to massively parallel supercomputing by developing software
to allow processors to communicate with each other; and contributing to
the development of the Internet with software that dramatically speeds
up the transmission of messages.
Many challenges are associated with modeling complex physical,
chemical, and biological phenomena, especially on massively parallel
computers with peak speeds in hundreds of teraflops. These challenges
include the management and analysis of petabyte-scale data sets. A
program to address these challenges will require multi-disciplinary
collaborations between theoretical and computational scientists,
computer scientists, and applied mathematicians at universities,
national laboratories, and industry. Such a program will enhance the
ability of the DOE to meet its mission goals and advance the state of
the art for the U.S. economic and industrial base in the fields of
energy, genetics, pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology, chemical processing,
electronics, geology, and transportation. This bill will be a major
step toward addressing today's greatest needs and, to creating the
high-wage jobs of the future.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
S. 2176
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 ``High-End Computing
Revitalization Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) high-end computing is a critical component of the
scientific advances, defense capabilities, and commercial
competitiveness of the United States in the 21st century;
(2) with the deployment of the Earth System Simulator in
Japan, the United States no longer has a clear lead in high-
end computing worldwide;
(3)(A) promising new architectures should be developed that
increase memory and network bandwidth, minimize latency, and
coordinate the architectures' various components to maximize
application performance; and
(B) it is recognized that different architectures may be
better suited to different applications;
(4)(A) software that improves efficiency on and
accessibility to high-end systems should be developed; and
(B) this development effort should include research in
optimal algorithms, programming environments, tools,
languages, and operating systems for high-end computing, in
collaboration with architecture development efforts;
(5) without government support, market forces are unlikely
to drive sufficient innovation in high-end computing, because
the private sector would not capture the full value of its
innovations on a short enough time frame; and
(6) having played an important role in the development of
high-end computing, networking, and information technology,
the Department of Energy, and the research programs of the
Office of Science of the Department, are particularly
qualified to lead research in those fields.
[[Page S2309]]
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) High-end computing system.--
(A) In general.--The term ``high-end computing system''
means a computing system with performance that substantially
exceeds commonly available systems.
(B) Inclusions.--The term ``high-end computing system''
includes a system described in subparagraph (A) that is based
on a variety of architectures, including vector,
reconfigurable logic, streaming, processor-in-memory, and
multithreading architectures.
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy, acting through the Director of the Office of
Science of the Department of Energy.
(4) Ultrascale scientific computing capability.--The term
``ultrascale scientific computing capability'' means a
computing capability supporting open scientific research in
the United States that is at least 100 times such computing
capability in existence on the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. HIGH-END COMPUTING SYSTEMS PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--In addition to any other authority
provided by law, the Secretary shall carry out a program of
research and development (involving software and hardware) to
advance high-end computing systems.
(b) Duties.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary
shall--
(1) support both individual investigators and
multidisciplinary teams of investigators;
(2) conduct research in multiple architectures, including
vector, reconfigurable logic, streaming, processor-in-memory,
and multithreading architectures;
(3) conduct research in software development on optimal
algorithms, programming environments, tools, languages, and
operating systems for high-end computing systems, in
collaboration with architecture development efforts;
(4) in accordance with subsection (c), develop, plan,
construct, acquire, or operate equipment or facilities for
the use of investigators conducting research and development
on an ultrascale scientific computing capability;
(5) support technology transfer to the private sector and
others in accordance with applicable law; and
(6) ensure that the program is coordinated with relevant
activities in industry and other Federal agencies, including
the National Nuclear Security Administration, the National
Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency, and the National Security Agency.
(c) Ultrascale Scientific Computing Capability.--
(1) In general.--As part of the program carried out under
this Act, the Secretary shall develop, plan, construct,
acquire, or operate a coordinated set of facilities for
investigators to develop an ultrascale scientific computing
capability for--
(A) scientific research and development using high-end
computing systems; and
(B) developing potential advancements in high-end computing
system architecture and software.
(2) Administration.--In carrying out this subsection, the
Secretary shall--
(A) support multiple high-end computing system
architectures; and
(B) conduct research on the basis of proposals (including
proposals that are submitted by industry, institutions of
higher education, national laboratories, or any Federal
agency) for research on problems that would particularly
benefit from large computing power, even as the reliability
of new hardware and software components are being evaluated.
(d) High-End Software Development Center.--
(1) In general.--As part of the program carried out under
this Act, the Secretary shall develop, plan, construct,
acquire, or operate at least 1 High-End Software Development
Center.
(2) Duties.--A Center shall concentrate efforts to develop,
test, maintain, and support optimal algorithms, programming
environments, tools, languages, and operating systems for
high-end computing systems.
(3) Staff.--A Center shall include--
(A) a regular research staff, to create a centralized
knowledge-base for high-end software development; and
(B) a rotating staff of researchers from other institutions
and industry to assist in the coordination of research
efforts and promote technology transfer to the private
sector.
(4) Use of expertise.--The Secretary shall use the
expertise of a Center to assess research and development in
high-end computing system architecture.
(5) Location.--The location of a Center shall be determined
by a competitive proposal process administered by the
Secretary.
(e) Peer Review.--Each grant, contract, cooperative
agreement, and financial assistance awarded under this
section shall be made only after independent peer review.
(f) Classified Research or Facilities.--No funds under this
section may be used to directly support classified research
or facilities.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--In addition to amounts made available for
high-end computing systems under other provisions of law,
there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to
carry out this Act--
(1) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(2) $155,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
(3) $160,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
(4) $165,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
(5) $170,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.
(b) Ultrascale Scientific Computing Capability.--Of the
funds made available under subsection (a), $100,000,000 is
authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year to carry
out section 4(c).
(c) High-End Software Development Center.--Of the funds
made available under subsection (a), $10,000,000 is
authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year to carry
out section 4(d).
____________________