[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 17 (Wednesday, February 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1550-S1554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DeWINE (for himself, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Warner, Mr. 
        Corzine, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Lautenberg, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. 
        Jeffords, and Mr. Salazar):
  S. 408. A bill to provide for programs and activities with respect to 
the prevention of underage drinking; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my good friend 
and colleague Senator Dodd, to reintroduce the Sober Truth on 
Preventing Underage Drinking Act--also known as the STOP Underage 
Drinking Act. I thank Senator Dodd for his commitment to this issue, as 
well as our colleagues on the House side--Representatives Roybal-
Allard, Wolf, Osborne, DeLauro, and Wamp for working so diligently with 
us to draft this bill. It is a good bill--a carefully crafted, bi-
partisan, bi-cameral piece of legislation.
  I also want to thank the additional Senate co-sponsors of this 
legislation--Senators Hagel, Warner, Lieberman, Lautenberg, Landrieu, 
Corzine, Jeffords, and Salazar. I thank them for their support. They 
know that underage drinking is a serious, and often deadly, problem for 
our Nation's children and youth and that we have to do something about 
it.
  In September 2003, I chaired a HELP Subcommittee hearing about 
underage drinking. As we discussed at that hearing, it is well known 
that underage drinking is a significant problem for youth in this 
country. We've known that for a very long time.
  We know that underage drinking often contributes to the four leading 
causes of deaths among 15 to 20 year olds--that 69 percent of youths 
who died in alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the year 2000 
involved young drinking drivers and that in 1999, nearly 40 percent of 
people under the age of 21 who were victims of drownings, burns, and 
falls tested positive for alcohol. We also know that alcohol has been 
reported to be involved in 36 percent of homicides, 12 percent of male 
suicides, and 8 percent of female suicides involving people under 21.
  How did we get here. These statistics are frightening. Too many 
American kids are drinking regularly, and they are drinking in 
quantities that can be of great, long-term harm. As a nation, we 
clearly haven't done enough to address this problem. We haven't done 
enough to acknowledge how prevalent and widespread teenage drinking is 
in this country. We haven't done enough to let parents know that they, 
too, are a part of this problem and can be a part of the solution.
  We talk about drugs and the dangers of drug use, as we should, but 
the reality is that we, as a society, have become complacent about the 
problem of underage drinking. This has to change. The culture has to 
change.
  One way to begin changing this culture is with the STOP Underage 
Drinking Act. Our legislation has four major areas of policy 
development:
  First, there is a federal coordination and reporting provision. This 
title would create an Interagency Coordinating Committee to coordinate 
the efforts and expertise of various federal agencies to combat 
underage drinking. It would be chaired by the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services and would include other agencies and departments, such 
as the Department of Education, the Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention, and the Federal Trade Commission. This title 
also would mandate an annual report to Congress from the Interagency 
Committee on their efforts to combat underage drinking, as well as an 
annual report card on State efforts to combat the problem. Two million 
dollars annually would be appropriated under this section.
  Second, the bill contains an authorization for an adult-oriented 
national media campaign against underage drinking. This title would 
provide $1 million in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 to authorize a 
national media campaign for which the Ad Council has received start up 
funding. The campaign is expected to launch in August of this year.
  Third, the bill would support new intervention programs to prevent 
underage drinking. This section of the bill would provide $5 million 
for enhancement grants to the Drug Free Communities program to be 
directed at the problem of underage drinking. This title also would 
create a program which would provide competitive grants to states, non-
profit entities, and institutions of higher education to create state-
wide coalitions to prevent underage drinking. These grants will work to 
change the culture of underage drinking at our Nation's institutions of 
higher education and their surrounding communities. This program would 
be funded at $5 million annually, as well.
  Finally, our bill contains a section devoted to research. This title 
would provide $6 million for increased federal research and data 
collection on underage drinking, including reporting on the types and 
brands of alcohol that kids use and the short-term and long-term 
impacts of underage drinking upon adolescent brain development.
  Again, I thank Senator Dodd for working with me on this issue here in 
the Senate, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues 
in the House and Senate to pass this very important bill.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 408

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Sober 
     Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act'', or the ``STOP 
     Underage Drinking Act''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.

                       TITLE I--SENSE OF CONGRESS

Sec. 101. Sense of Congress.

    TITLE II--INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE; ANNUAL REPORT CARD

Sec. 201. Establishment of interagency coordinating committee to 
              prevent underage drinking.
Sec. 202. Annual report card.
Sec. 203. Authorization of appropriations.

                   TITLE III--NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

Sec. 301. National media campaign to prevent underage drinking.

                        TITLE IV--INTERVENTIONS

Sec. 401. Community-based coalition enhancement grants to prevent 
              underage drinking.
Sec. 402. Grants directed at reducing higher-education alcohol abuse.

                      TITLE V--ADDITIONAL RESEARCH

Sec. 501. Additional research on underage drinking.
Sec. 502. Authorization of appropriations.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds as follows:
       (1) Drinking alcohol under the age of 21 is illegal in each 
     of the 50 States and the District of Columbia. Enforcement of 
     current laws and regulations in States and communities, such 
     as minimum age drinking laws, zero tolerance laws, and laws 
     and regulations which restrict availability of alcohol, must 
     supplement other efforts to reduce underage drinking.
       (2) Data collected annually by the Department of Health and 
     Human Services shows that alcohol is the most heavily used 
     drug by children in the United States, and that--
       (A) more youths consume alcoholic beverages than use 
     tobacco products or illegal drugs;
       (B) by the end of the eighth grade, 45.6 percent of 
     children have engaged in alcohol use,

[[Page S1551]]

     and by the end of high school, 76.6 percent have done so; and
       (C) the annual societal cost of underage drinking is 
     estimated at $53 to $58 billion.
       (3) Data collected by the Department of Health and Human 
     Services and the Department of Transportation indicate that 
     alcohol use by youth has many negative consequences, such as 
     immediate risk from acute impairment; traffic fatalities; 
     violence; suicide; and unprotected sex.
       (4) Research confirms that the harm caused by underage 
     drinking lasts beyond the underage years. Compared to persons 
     who wait until age 21 or older to start drinking, those who 
     start to drink before age 14 are, as adults, four times more 
     likely to become alcohol dependent; seven times more likely 
     to be in a motor vehicle crash because of drinking; and more 
     likely to suffer mental and physical damage from alcohol 
     abuse.
       (5) Alcohol abuse creates long-term risk developmentally 
     and is associated with negative physical impacts on the 
     brain.
       (6) Research indicates that adults greatly underestimate 
     the extent of alcohol use by youths, its negative 
     consequences, and its use by their own children. The IOM 
     report concluded that underage drinking cannot be 
     successfully addressed by focusing on youth alone. 
     Ultimately, adults are responsible for young people obtaining 
     alcohol by selling, providing, or otherwise making it 
     available to them. Parents are the most important channel of 
     influence on their children's underage drinking, according to 
     the IOM report, which also recommends a national adult-
     oriented media campaign.
       (7) Research shows that public service health messages, in 
     combination with community-based efforts, can reduce health-
     damaging behavior. The Department of Health and Human 
     Services and the Ad Council have undertaken a public health 
     campaign targeted at parents to combat underage alcohol 
     consumption. The Ad Council estimates that, for a typical 
     public health campaign, it receives an average of $28 million 
     per year in free media through its 28,000 media outlets 
     nationwide.
       (8) A significant percentage of the total alcohol 
     consumption in the United States each year is by underage 
     youth. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
     Administration reports that the percentage is over 11 
     percent.
       (9) Youth are exposed to a significant amount of alcohol 
     advertising through a variety of media. Some studies indicate 
     that youth awareness of alcohol advertising correlates to 
     their drinking behavior and beliefs.
       (10) According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and 
     Youth, in 2002, the alcoholic beverage industry spent 
     $927,900,000 on product advertising on television, and 
     $24,700,000 on television advertising designed to promote the 
     responsible use of alcohol. For every one television ad 
     discouraging underage alcohol use, there were 215 product 
     ads.
       (11) Alcohol use occurs in 76 percent of movies rated G or 
     PG and 97 percent of movies rated PG-13. The Federal Trade 
     Commission has recommended restricting paid alcohol beverage 
     promotional placements to films rated R or NC-17.
       (12) Youth spend 9 to 11 hours per week listening to music, 
     and 17 percent of all lyrics contain alcohol references; 30 
     percent of those songs include brand-name mentions.
       (13) Studies show that adolescents watch 20 to 27 hours of 
     television each week, and 71 percent of prime-time television 
     episodes depict alcohol use and 77 percent contain some 
     reference to alcohol.
       (14) College and university presidents have cited alcohol 
     abuse as the number one health problem on college and 
     university campuses.
       (15) According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse 
     and Alcoholism, two of five college students are binge 
     drinkers; 1,400 college students die each year from alcohol-
     related injuries, a majority of which involve motor vehicle 
     crashes; more than 70,000 students are victims of alcohol-
     related sexual assault; and 500,000 students are injured 
     under the influence of alcohol each year.
       (16) According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and 
     Youth, in 2002, alcohol producers spent a total of $58 
     million to place 6,251 commercials in college sports 
     programs, and spent $27.7 million advertising during the NCAA 
     men's basketball tournament, which had as many alcohol ads 
     (939) as the Super Bowl, World Series, College Bowl Games and 
     the National Football League's Monday Night Football 
     broadcasts combined (925).
       (17) The IOM report recommended that colleges and 
     universities ban alcohol advertising and promotion on campus 
     in order to demonstrate their commitment to discouraging 
     alcohol use among underage students.
       (18) According to the Government Accountability Office 
     (``GAO''), the Federal Government spends $1.8 billion 
     annually to combat youth drug use and $71 million to prevent 
     underage alcohol use.
       (19) The GAO concluded that there is a lack of reporting 
     about how these funds are specifically expended, inadequate 
     collaboration among the agencies, and no central coordinating 
     group or office to oversee how the funds are expended or to 
     determine the effectiveness of these efforts.
       (20) There are at least three major, annual, government 
     funded national surveys in the United States that include 
     underage drinking data: the National Household Survey on Drug 
     Use and Health, Monitoring the Future, and the Youth Risk 
     Behavior Survey. These surveys do not use common indicators 
     to allow for direct comparison of youth alcohol consumption 
     patterns. Analyses of recent years' data do, however, show 
     similar results.
       (21) Research shows that school-based and community-based 
     interventions can reduce underage drinking and associated 
     problems, and that positive outcomes can be achieved by 
     combining environmental and institutional change with theory-
     based health education--a comprehensive, community-based 
     approach.
       (22) Studies show that a minority of youth who need 
     treatment for their alcohol problems receive such services. 
     Further, insufficient information exists to properly assist 
     clinicians and other providers in their youth treatment 
     efforts.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       For purposes of this Act:
       (1) The term ``binge drinking'' means a pattern of drinking 
     alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 
     gm percent or above. For the typical adult, this pattern 
     corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or 
     more drinks (female), in about 2 hours.
       (2) The term ``heavy drinking'' means five or more drinks 
     on the same occasion in the past 30 days.
       (3) The term ``frequent heavy drinking'' means five or more 
     drinks on at least five occasions in the last 30 days.
       (4) The term ``alcoholic beverage industry'' means the 
     brewers, vintners, distillers, importers, distributors, and 
     retail outlets that sell and serve beer, wine, and distilled 
     spirits.
       (5) The term ``school-based prevention'' means programs, 
     which are institutionalized, and run by staff members or 
     school-designated persons or organizations in every grade of 
     school, kindergarten through 12th grade.
       (6) The term ``youth'' means persons under the age of 21.
       (7) The term ``IOM report'' means the report released in 
     September 2003 by the National Research Council, Institute of 
     Medicine, and entitled ``Reducing Underage Drinking: A 
     Collective Responsibility''.

                       TITLE I--SENSE OF CONGRESS

     SEC. 101. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of the Congress that:
       (1) A multi-faceted effort is needed to more successfully 
     address the problem of underage drinking in the United 
     States. A coordinated approach to prevention, intervention, 
     treatment, and research is key to making progress. This Act 
     recognizes the need for a focused national effort, and 
     addresses particulars of the Federal portion of that effort.
       (2) States and communities, including colleges and 
     universities, are encouraged to adopt comprehensive 
     prevention approaches, including--
       (A) evidence-based screening, programs and curricula;
       (B) brief intervention strategies;
       (C) consistent policy enforcement; and
       (D) environmental changes that limit underage access to 
     alcohol.
       (3) Public health and consumer groups have played an 
     important role in drawing the Nation's attention to the 
     health crisis of underage drinking. Working at the Federal, 
     State, and community levels, and motivated by grass-roots 
     support, they have initiated effective prevention programs 
     that have made significant progress in the battle against 
     underage drinking.
       (4) The alcohol beverage industry has developed and paid 
     for national education and awareness messages on illegal 
     underage drinking directed to parents as well as consumers 
     generally. According to the industry, it has also supported 
     the training of more than 1.6 million retail employees, 
     community-based prevention programs, point of sale education, 
     and enforcement programs. All of these efforts are aimed at 
     further reducing illegal underage drinking and preventing 
     sales of alcohol to persons under the age of 21. All sectors 
     of the alcohol beverage industry have also voluntarily 
     committed to placing advertisements in broadcast and 
     magazines where at least 70 percent of the audiences are 
     expected to be 21 years of age or older. The industry should 
     continue to monitor and tailor its advertising practices to 
     further limit underage exposure, including the use of 
     independent third party review. The industry should continue 
     and expand evidence-based efforts to prevent underage 
     drinking.
       (5) Public health and consumer groups, in collaboration 
     with the alcohol beverage industry, should explore 
     opportunities to reduce underage drinking.
       (6) The entertainment industries have a powerful impact on 
     youth, and they should use rating systems and marketing codes 
     to reduce the likelihood that underage audiences will be 
     exposed to movies, recordings, or television programs with 
     unsuitable alcohol content, even if adults are expected to 
     predominate in the viewing or listening audiences.
       (7) Objective scientific evidence and data should be 
     generated and made available to the general public and policy 
     makers at the local, state, and national levels to help them 
     make informed decisions, implement judicious policies, and 
     monitor progress in preventing childhood/adolescent alcohol 
     use.
       (8) The National Collegiate Athletic Association, its 
     member colleges and universities, and athletic conferences 
     should affirm a commitment to a policy of discouraging 
     alcohol use among underage students and

[[Page S1552]]

     other young fans by ending all alcohol advertising during 
     radio and television broadcasts of collegiate sporting 
     events.

    TITLE II--INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE; ANNUAL REPORT CARD

     SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE 
                   TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, in collaboration with the Federal officials 
     specified in subsection (b), shall establish an interagency 
     coordinating committee focusing on underage drinking 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Committee'').
       (b) Other Agencies.--The officials referred to in 
     subsection (a) are the Secretary of Education, the Attorney 
     General, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of 
     the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Surgeon General, 
     the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, the Director of the National Institute on Alcohol 
     Abuse and Alcoholism, the Administrator of the Substance 
     Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Director 
     of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Assistant 
     Secretary for Children and Families, the Director of the 
     Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Administrator of 
     the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 
     Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and 
     Delinquency Prevention, the Chairman of the Federal Trade 
     Commission, and such other Federal officials as the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services determines to be appropriate.
       (c) Chair.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     shall serve as the chair of the Committee.
       (d) Duties.--The Committee shall guide policy and program 
     development across the Federal Government with respect to 
     underage drinking.
       (e) Consultations.--The Committee shall actively seek the 
     input of and shall consult with all appropriate and 
     interested parties, including public health research and 
     interest groups, foundations, and alcohol beverage industry 
     trade associations and companies.
       (f) Annual Report.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, on behalf of the Committee, shall annually submit 
     to the Congress a report that summarizes--
       (A) all programs and policies of Federal agencies designed 
     to prevent underage drinking;
       (B) the extent of progress in reducing underage drinking 
     nationally;
       (C) data that the Secretary shall collect with respect to 
     the information specified in paragraph (2); and
       (D) such other information regarding underage drinking as 
     the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
       (2) Certain information.--The report under paragraph (1) 
     shall include information on the following:
       (A) Patterns and consequences of underage drinking.
       (B) Measures of the availability of alcohol to underage 
     populations and the exposure of this population to messages 
     regarding alcohol in advertising and the entertainment media.
       (C) Surveillance data, including information on the onset 
     and prevalence of underage drinking.
       (D) Any additional findings resulting from research 
     conducted or supported under section 501.
       (E) Evidence-based best practices to both prevent underage 
     drinking and provide treatment services to those youth who 
     need them.

     SEC. 202. ANNUAL REPORT CARD.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall, 
     with input and collaboration from other appropriate Federal 
     agencies, States, Indian tribes, territories, and public 
     health, consumer, and alcohol beverage industry groups, 
     annually issue a ``report card'' to accurately rate the 
     performance of each state in enacting, enforcing, and 
     creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce 
     underage drinking. The report card shall include ratings on 
     outcome measures for categories related to the prevalence of 
     underage drinking in each State.
       (b) Outcome Measures.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop, in 
     consultation with the Committee established in section 201, a 
     set of outcome measures to be used in preparing the report 
     card.
       (2) Categories.--In developing the outcome measures, the 
     Secretary shall develop measures for categories related to 
     the following:
       (A) The degree of strictness of the minimum drinking age 
     laws and dram shop liability statutes in each State.
       (B) The number of compliance checks within alcohol retail 
     outlets conducted measured against the number of total 
     alcohol retail outlets in each State, and the results of such 
     checks.
       (C) Whether or not the State mandates or otherwise provides 
     training on the proper selling and serving of alcohol for all 
     sellers and servers of alcohol as a condition of employment.
       (D) Whether or not the State has policies and regulations 
     with regard to Internet sales and home delivery of alcoholic 
     beverages.
       (E) The number of adults in the State targeted by State 
     programs to deter adults from purchasing alcohol for minors.
       (F) The number of youths, parents, and caregivers who are 
     targeted by State programs designed to deter underage 
     drinking.
       (G) Whether or not the State has enacted graduated drivers 
     licenses and the extent of those provisions.
       (H) The amount that the State invests, per youth capita, on 
     the prevention of underage drinking, further broken down by 
     the amount spent on--
       (i) compliance check programs in retail outlets, including 
     providing technology to prevent and detect the use of false 
     identification by minors to make alcohol purchases;
       (ii) checkpoints;
       (iii) community-based, school-based, and higher-education-
     based programs to prevent underage drinking;
       (iv) underage drinking prevention programs that target 
     youth within the juvenile justice and child welfare systems; 
     and
       (v) other State efforts or programs as deemed appropriate.

     SEC. 203. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     title $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and such sums as may 
     be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2010.

                   TITLE III--NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

     SEC. 301. NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT UNDERAGE 
                   DRINKING.

       (a) Scope of the Campaign.--The Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services shall continue to fund and oversee the 
     production, broadcasting, and evaluation of the Ad Council's 
     national adult-oriented media public service campaign.
       (b) Report.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     shall provide a report to the Congress annually detailing the 
     production, broadcasting, and evaluation of the campaign 
     referred to in subsection (a), and to detail in the report 
     the effectiveness of the campaign in reducing underage 
     drinking, the need for and likely effectiveness of an 
     expanded adult-oriented media campaign, and the feasibility 
     and the likely effectiveness of a national youth-focused 
     media campaign to combat underage drinking.
       (c) Consultation Requirement.--In carrying out the media 
     campaign, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
     direct the Ad Council to consult with interested parties 
     including both the alcohol beverage industry and public 
     health and consumer groups. The progress of this consultative 
     process is to be covered in the report under subsection (b).
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, $1,000,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2006 and 2007, and such sums as may 
     be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year.

                        TITLE IV--INTERVENTIONS

     SEC. 401. COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ENHANCEMENT GRANTS TO 
                   PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING.

       (a) Authorization of Program.--The Director of the Office 
     of National Drug Control Policy shall award ``enhancement 
     grants'' to eligible entities to design, test, evaluate and 
     disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of 
     community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage 
     drinking.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are, in 
     conjunction with the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 (21 
     U.S.C. 1521 et seq.), to--
       (1) reduce alcohol use among youth in communities 
     throughout the United States;
       (2) strengthen collaboration among communities, the Federal 
     Government, and State, local, and tribal governments;
       (3) enhance intergovernmental cooperation and coordination 
     on the issue of alcohol use among youth;
       (4) serve as a catalyst for increased citizen participation 
     and greater collaboration among all sectors and organizations 
     of a community that first demonstrates a long-term commitment 
     to reducing alcohol use among youth;
       (5) disseminate to communities timely information regarding 
     state-of-the-art practices and initiatives that have proven 
     to be effective in reducing alcohol use among youth; and
       (6) enhance, not supplant, local community initiatives for 
     reducing alcohol use among youth.
       (c) Application.--An eligible entity desiring an 
     enhancement grant under this section shall submit an 
     application to the Director at such time, and in such manner, 
     and accompanied by such information as the Director may 
     require. Each application shall include--
       (1) a complete description of the entity's current underage 
     alcohol use prevention initiatives and how the grant will 
     appropriately enhance the focus on underage drinking issues; 
     or
       (2) a complete description of the entity's current 
     initiatives, and how it will use this grant to enhance those 
     initiatives by adding a focus on underage drinking 
     prevention.
       (d) Uses of Funds.--Each eligible entity that receives a 
     grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry 
     out the activities described in such entity's application 
     submitted pursuant to subsection (c). Grants under this 
     section shall not exceed $50,000 per year, and may be awarded 
     for each year the entity is funded as per subsection (f).
       (e) Supplement Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided under 
     this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, 
     Federal and non-Federal funds available for carrying out the 
     activities described in this section.

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       (f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the term 
     ``eligible entity'' means an organization that is currently 
     eligible to receive grant funds under the Drug-Free 
     Communities Act of 1997 (21 U.S.C. 1521 et seq.).
       (g) Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 6 percent of a 
     grant under this section may be expended for administrative 
     expenses.
       (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for 
     fiscal year 2006, and such sums as may be necessary for each 
     of the fiscal years 2007 through 2010.

     SEC. 402. GRANTS DIRECTED AT REDUCING HIGHER-EDUCATION 
                   ALCOHOL ABUSE.

       (a) Authorization of Program.--The Secretary shall award 
     grants to eligible entities to enable the entities to reduce 
     the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among 
     students at institutions of higher education.
       (b) Applications.--An eligible entity that desires to 
     receive a grant under this Act shall submit an application to 
     the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
     by such information as the Secretary may require. Each 
     application shall include--
       (1) a description of how the eligible entity will work to 
     enhance an existing, or where none exists to build a, 
     statewide coalition;
       (2) a description of how the eligible entity will target 
     underage students in the State;
       (3) a description of how the eligible entity intends to 
     ensure that the statewide coalition is actually implementing 
     the purpose of this Act and moving toward indicators 
     described in section (d);
       (4) a list of the members of the statewide coalition or 
     interested parties involved in the work of the eligible 
     entity;
       (5) a description of how the eligible entity intends to 
     work with State agencies on substance abuse prevention and 
     education;
       (6) the anticipated impact of funds provided under this Act 
     in reducing the rates of underage alcohol use;
       (7) outreach strategies, including ways in which the 
     eligible entity proposes to--
       (A) reach out to students;
       (B) promote the purpose of this Act;
       (C) address the range of needs of the students and the 
     surrounding communities; and
       (D) address community norms for underage students regarding 
     alcohol use; and
       (8) such additional information as required by the 
     Secretary.
       (c) Uses of Funds.--Each eligible entity that receives a 
     grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry 
     out the activities described in such entity's application 
     submitted pursuant to subsection (b).
       (d) Accountability.--On the date on which the Secretary 
     first publishes a notice in the Federal Register soliciting 
     applications for grants under this section, the Secretary 
     shall include in the notice achievement indicators for the 
     program authorized under this section. The achievement 
     indicators shall be designed--
       (1) to measure the impact that the statewide coalitions 
     assisted under this Act are having on the institutions of 
     higher education and the surrounding communities, including 
     changes in the number of alcohol incidents of any kind 
     (including violations, physical assaults, sexual assaults, 
     reports of intimidation, disruptions of school functions, 
     disruptions of student studies, mental health referrals, 
     illnesses, or deaths);
       (2) to measure the quality and accessibility of the 
     programs or information offered by the statewide coalitions; 
     and
       (3) to provide such other measures of program impact as the 
     Secretary determines appropriate.
       (e) Supplement Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided under 
     this Act shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, 
     Federal and non-Federal funds available for carrying out the 
     activities described in this section.
       (f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
       (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
     State, institution of higher education, or nonprofit entity.
       (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 Education.
       (4) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, 
     the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto 
     Rico.
       (5) Statewide coalition.--The term ``statewide coalition'' 
     means a coalition that--
       (A) includes--
       (i) institutions of higher education within a State; and
       (ii) a nonprofit group, a community underage drinking 
     prevention coalition, or another substance abuse prevention 
     group within a State; and
       (B) works toward lowering the alcohol abuse rate by 
     targeting underage students at institutions of higher 
     education throughout the State and in the surrounding 
     communities.
       (6) Surrounding community.--The term ``surrounding 
     community'' means the community--
       (A) that surrounds an institution of higher education 
     participating in a statewide coalition;
       (B) where the students from the institution of higher 
     education take part in the community; and
       (C) where students from the institution of higher education 
     live in off-campus housing.
       (g) Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 5 percent of a 
     grant under this section may be expended for administrative 
     expenses.
       (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for 
     fiscal year 2006, and such sums as may be necessary for each 
     of the fiscal years 2007 through 2010.

                      TITLE V--ADDITIONAL RESEARCH

     SEC. 501. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON UNDERAGE DRINKING.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     shall collect data on, and conduct or support research on, 
     underage drinking with respect to the following:
       (1) The short and long-range impact of alcohol use and 
     abuse upon adolescent brain development and other organ 
     systems.
       (2) Comprehensive community-based programs or strategies 
     and statewide systems to prevent underage drinking, across 
     the underage years from early childhood to young adulthood, 
     including programs funded and implemented by government 
     entities, public health interest groups and foundations, and 
     alcohol beverage companies and trade associations.
       (3) Improved knowledge of the scope of the underage 
     drinking problem and progress in preventing and treating 
     underage drinking.
       (4) Annually obtain more precise information than is 
     currently collected on the type and quantity of alcoholic 
     beverages consumed by underage drinkers, as well as 
     information on brand preferences of these drinkers and their 
     exposure to alcohol advertising.
       (b) Certain Matters.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services shall carry out activities toward the following 
     objectives with respect to underage drinking:
       (1) Testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 
     in the United States for alcohol involvement, including 
     suicides, homicides, and unintentional injuries such as 
     falls, drownings, burns, poisonings, and motor vehicle crash 
     deaths.
       (2) Obtaining new epidemiological data within the National 
     Epidemiological Study on Alcoholism and Related Conditions 
     and other national or targeted surveys that identify alcohol 
     use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early 
     adolescence, including second-hand effects of adolescent 
     alcohol use such as date rapes, violence, risky sexual 
     behavior, and prenatal alcohol exposure.
       (3) Developing or identifying successful clinical 
     treatments for youth with alcohol problems.

     SEC. 502. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
     section 501 $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and such sums as 
     may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 
     2010.

  MR. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague, Senator Mike 
DeWine, to reintroduce legislation designed to prevent our nation's 
children and youth from succumbing to the dangers associated with 
underage alcohol use. The legislation that we introduce today, the 
STOP, Sober Truth On Preventing, Underage Drinking Act, will greatly 
strengthen our Nation's ability to combat the too often deadly 
consequences associated with underage drinking.
  An initial examination, of the problems presented by underage 
drinking is truly alarming. Alcohol is the most commonly used drug 
among America's youth. More young people drink alcohol than smoke 
tobacco or use marijuana combined. In 2002, 20 percent of eighth 
graders had drunk alcohol in the previous 30 days. Forty-nine percent 
of high school seniors are drinkers, and 29 percent report having had 
five or more drinks in a row, or binged in the past two weeks.
  Tragically, we know that this year underage drinking will directly 
lead to more than 3,500 deaths, more than two million injuries, 1,200 
babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome and more than 50,000 youths 
treated for alcohol dependence. We also know that the social costs 
associated with underage drinking total close to $53 billion annually, 
including $19 billion from automobile accidents and $29 billion from 
associated violent crime.
  And while no one can argue with the tragic loss of life and 
significant financial costs associated with underage drinking, too few 
of us think of the equally devastating loss of potential that occurs 
when our children begin to drink. Research indicates that children who 
begin drinking do so at only 12 years of age. We also know that 
children that begin drinking at such an early age develop a 
predisposition for alcohol dependence later in life. Such early 
experimentation can have devastating consequences and derail a child's 
potential just as she or he is starting out on the path to adulthood. 
The consumption of alcohol by our children can literally rob them of 
their future.
  The truly alarming and devastating effects of underage alcohol use 
are

[[Page S1554]]

what initially led Senator DeWine and I to begin work to address this 
important issue. Since that time we have worked extensively with 
Representatives Roybal-Allard, Wolf, DeLauro, Osbourne and Wamp to 
craft the broad legislative initiative that we introduce today.
  The STOP Underage Drinking Act creates the framework for a 
multifaceted, comprehensive national campaign to prevent underage 
drinking. Specifically, the legislation includes four major areas of 
policy development. First, the STOP Underage Drinking Act authorizes $2 
million to establish an Interagency Coordinating Committee to 
coordinate all federal agency efforts and expertise designed to prevent 
underage drinking. Chaired by the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, this committee will be required to report to the 
Congress on an annual basis the extent to which federal efforts are 
addressing the urgent need to curb underage drinking.

  I am particularly pleased that one of the many items in this annual 
report to Congress will provide for the public health monitoring of the 
amount of alcohol advertising reaching our children. I have become 
increasingly concerned about the degree to which alcohol advertisements 
appear to target our Nation's children. It is my hope that the 
monitoring called for by this legislation will expose any unethical 
advertising practices that reach children. We must do all that we can 
to ensure that our children are not exposed to harmful and deceptive 
alcohol promotions.
  In addition to the federal coordination of federal underage drinking 
prevention efforts, the STOP Underage Drinking Act additionally 
authorizes $1 million to fund an adult-oriented National Media Campaign 
against Underage Drinking. Research indicates that most children who 
drink obtain the alcohol from their parents or from other adults. The 
National Media Campaign against underage drinking will specifically 
seek to educate those who provide our children with alcohol about the 
dangers inherent in underage alcohol use. This media campaign will 
build upon the valuable underage drinking prevention efforts already 
underway by the Ad Council, whose campaigns average an estimated $28 
million in donated media from media outlets nationwide.
  The legislation additionally authorizes $10 million to provide 
states, not-for-profit groups and institutions of higher education the 
ability to create statewide coalitions to prevent underage drinking and 
alcohol abuse by college and university students. This section will 
also provide alcohol-specific enhancement grants through the Drug Free 
Communities program.
  Lastly, the STOP Underage Drinking Act authorizes $6 million to 
expand research to assess the health effects of underage drinking on 
adolescent development, including its effect on the brain. This effort 
will additionally increase federal data collection on underage 
drinking, including reporting on the types and brands of alcohol that 
kids consume.
  I want to convey my belief that this legislation truly offers a 
historical, first step toward addressing the national tragedy 
represented by underage drinking. I pledge to work strenuously toward 
passing the STOP Underage Drinking Act and building on its strong 
foundation and I ask for the support of my colleagues for this 
critically important initiative.
                                 ______