[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 104 (Tuesday, August 1, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8550-S8552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PREMATURITY RESEARCH EXPANSION AND EDUCATION FOR MOTHERS WHO DELIVER 
                           INFANTS EARLY ACT

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 541, S. 707.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.

[[Page S8551]]

  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 707) to reduce preterm labor and delivery and 
     the risk of pregnancy-related deaths and complications due to 
     pregnancy, and to reduce infant mortality caused by 
     prematurity.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill 
which had been reported from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause 
and insert in lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Prematurity Research 
     Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early 
     Act'' or the ``PREEMIE Act''.

     SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

       It the purpose of this Act to--
       (1) reduce rates of preterm labor and delivery;
       (2) work toward an evidence-based standard of care for 
     pregnant women at risk of preterm labor or other serious 
     complications, and for infants born preterm and at a low 
     birthweight; and
       (3) reduce infant mortality and disabilities caused by 
     prematurity.

     SEC. 3. RESEARCH RELATING TO PRETERM LABOR AND DELIVERY AND 
                   THE CARE, TREATMENT, AND OUTCOMES OF PRETERM 
                   AND LOW BIRTHWEIGHT INFANTS.

       (a) General Expansion of NIH Research.--Part B of title IV 
     of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284 et seq.) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 409J. EXPANSION AND COORDINATION OF RESEARCH RELATING 
                   TO PRETERM LABOR AND DELIVERY AND INFANT 
                   MORTALITY.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of NIH, shall expand, intensify, and coordinate the 
     activities of the National Institutes of Health with respect 
     to research on the causes of preterm labor and delivery, 
     infant mortality, and improving the care and treatment of 
     preterm and low birthweight infants.
       ``(b) Authorization of Research Networks.--There shall be 
     established within the National Institutes of Health a multi-
     center clinical program (that shall be initially established 
     utilizing existing networks) designed to--
       ``(1) investigate problems in clinical obstetrics, 
     particularly those related to prevention of low birth weight, 
     prematurity, and medical problems of pregnancy;
       ``(2) improve the care and outcomes of neonates, especially 
     very-low-birth weight infants; and
       ``(3) enhance the understanding of DNA and proteins as they 
     relate to the underlying processes that lead to preterm birth 
     to aid in formulating more effective interventions to prevent 
     preterm birth.''.
       (b) General Expansion of CDC Research.--Section 301 of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall expand, 
     intensify, and coordinate the activities of the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention with respect to preterm labor 
     and delivery and infant mortality.''.
       (c) Studies on Relationship Between Prematurity and Birth 
     Defects.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention, shall, subject to the 
     availability of appropriations, conduct ongoing 
     epidemiological studies on the relationship between 
     prematurity, birth defects, and developmental disabilities.
       (2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
     reports concerning the progress and any results of studies 
     conducted under paragraph (1).
       (d) Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention, shall establish systems for 
     the collection of maternal-infant clinical and biomedical 
     information, including electronic health records, electronic 
     databases, and biobanks, to link with the Pregnancy Risk 
     Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and other 
     epidemiological studies of prematurity in order to track 
     pregnancy outcomes and prevent preterm birth.
       (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out paragraph (1), $3,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
       (e) Evaluation of Existing Tools and Measures.--The 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services shall review existing 
     tools and measures to ensure that such tools and measures 
     include information related to some of the known risk factors 
     of low birth weight and preterm birth.
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, except for 
     subsection (d), $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 
     through 2011.

     SEC. 4. PUBLIC AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDER EDUCATION AND SUPPORT 
                   SERVICES.

       Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating the second section 399O (relating to 
     grants to foster public health responses to domestic 
     violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking) as 
     section 399P; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 399Q. PUBLIC AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDER EDUCATION AND 
                   SUPPORT SERVICES.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, directly or through the 
     awarding of grants to public or private nonprofit entities, 
     may conduct demonstration projects to improve the provision 
     of information on prematurity to health professionals and 
     other health care providers and the public and to improve the 
     treatment and outcomes for babies born preterm.
       ``(b) Activities.--Activities to be carried out under the 
     demonstration project under subsection (a) may include the 
     establishment of programs--
       ``(1) to test and evaluate various strategies to provide 
     information and education to health professionals, other 
     health care providers, and the public concerning--
       ``(A) the signs of preterm labor, updated as new research 
     results become available;
       ``(B) the screening for and the treating of infections;
       ``(C) counseling on optimal weight and good nutrition, 
     including folic acid;
       ``(D) smoking cessation education and counseling;
       ``(E) stress management; and
       ``(F) appropriate prenatal care;
       ``(2) to improve the treatment and outcomes for babies born 
     premature, including the use of evidence-based standards of 
     care by health care professionals for pregnant women at risk 
     of preterm labor or other serious complications and for 
     infants born preterm and at a low birthweight; and
       ``(3) to respond to the informational needs of families 
     during the stay of an infant in a neonatal intensive care 
     unit, during the transition of the infant to the home, and in 
     the event of a newborn death.
       ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, $5,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.''.

     SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL ON PREMATURITY AND 
                   LOW BIRTHWEIGHT.

       (a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to 
     stimulate multidisciplinary research, scientific exchange, 
     and collaboration among the agencies of the Department of 
     Health and Human Services and to assist the Department in 
     targeting efforts to achieve the greatest advances toward the 
     goal of reducing prematurity and low birthweight.
       (b) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services shall establish an Interagency Coordinating Council 
     on Prematurity and Low Birthweight (referred to in this 
     section as the Council) to carry out the purpose of this 
     section.
       (c) Composition.--The Council shall be composed of members 
     to be appointed by the Secretary, including representatives 
     of the agencies of the Department of Health and Human 
     Services.
       (d) Activities.--The Council shall--
       (1) annually report to the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services and Congress on current Departmental activities 
     relating to prematurity and low birthweight;
       (2) carry out other activities determined appropriate by 
     the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and
       (3) oversee the coordination of the implementation of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 6. SURGEON GENERAL'S CONFERENCE ON PRETERM BIRTH.

       (a) Convening of Conference.--Not later than 1 year after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 
     and Human Services, acting through the Surgeon General, shall 
     convene a conference on preterm birth.
       (b) Purposes of Conference.--The purpose of the conference 
     convened under subsection (a) shall be to--
       (1) increase awareness of preterm birth as a serious, 
     common, and costly public health problem in the United 
     States;
       (2) review the findings and reports issued by the 
     Interagency Coordinating Council, key stakeholders, and any 
     other relevant entity; and
       (3) establish an agenda, and report such agenda to 
     Congress, for activities in both the public and private 
     sectors that will speed the identification of, and treatments 
     for, the causes of preterm labor and delivery.
       (c) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, $1,000,000.

  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported 
amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and 
passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any 
statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 707), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be added as 
a cosponsor to this bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FRIST. I congratulate my distinguished colleague from Tennessee, 
who is occupying the Chair, for that very important bill.

[[Page S8552]]



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