[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 113 (Wednesday, September 13, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9564-S9565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CHILDREN AND MEDIA RESEARCH ADVANCEMENT ACT

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 585, S. 1902.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1902) to amend the Public Health Service Act to 
     authorize funding for the establishment of a program on 
     children and the media within the Centers for Disease Control 
     and Prevention to study the role and impact of electronic 
     media in the development of children, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill 
which had been reported by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions with an amendment to strike out all after the enacting 
clause and insert in lieu thereof the part printed in italic.
       [``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--
       [``(1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
       [``(2) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
       [``(3) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       [``(4) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
       [``(5) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.''.]

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Children and Media Research 
     Advancement Act'' or the ``CAMRA Act''.

     SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

       It is the purpose of this Act to enable the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention to--

[[Page S9565]]

       (1) examine the role and positive and negative impact of 
     electronic media in children's and adolescents' cognitive, 
     social, emotional, physical, and behavioral development; and
       (2) provide for a report to Congress containing the 
     empirical evidence and other results produced by the research 
     funded through grants under this Act.

     SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA 
                   IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.

       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. RESEARCH ON THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC 
                   MEDIA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND 
                   ADOLESCENTS.

       ``(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations, the Secretary, acting through the Director of 
     the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred to 
     in this section as the `Director'), shall enter into a 
     contract with the National Academy of Science or another 
     appropriate entity to review, synthesize, and report on 
     research, and establish research priorities, regarding the 
     roles and impact of electronic media (including television, 
     motion pictures, DVD's, interactive video games, digital 
     music, the Internet, and cell phones) and exposures to such 
     media on youth in the following core areas of development:
       ``(1) Cognitive.--Cognitive areas such as language 
     development, attention span, problem solving skills (such as 
     the ability to conduct multiple tasks or `multitask'), visual 
     and spatial skills, reading, and other learning abilities.
       ``(2) Physical.--Physical areas such as physical 
     coordination, diet, exercise, sleeping and eating routines.
       ``(3) Socio-behavioral.--Socio-behavioral areas such as 
     family activities and peer relationships including indoor and 
     outdoor play time, interactions with parents, consumption 
     habits, social relationships, aggression, and positive social 
     behavior.
       ``(b) Research Program.--
       ``(1) In general.--Taking into account the report provided 
     for under subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through the 
     Director and in coordination with the Director of the 
     National Institutes of Health, shall, subject to the 
     availability of appropriations, award grants for research 
     concerning the role and impact of electronic media on the 
     cognitive, physical, and socio-behavioral development of 
     youth.
       ``(2) Requirements.--The research provided for under 
     paragraph (1) shall comply with the following requirements:
       ``(A) Such research shall focus on the impact of factors 
     such as media content (whether direct or indirect), format, 
     length of exposure, age of youth, venue, and nature of 
     parental involvement.
       ``(B) Such research shall not duplicate other Federal 
     research activities.
       ``(C) For purposes of such research, electronic media shall 
     include television, motion pictures, DVD's, interactive video 
     games, digital music, the Internet, and cell phones.
       ``(3) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
     under this subsection, an entity shall--
       ``(A) prepare and submit to the Director an application at 
     such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
     the Director shall require; and
       ``(B) agree to use amounts received under the grant to 
     carry out activities as described in this subsection.
       ``(c) Reports.--
       ``(1) Report to the director.--Not later than 15 months 
     after the date of the enactment of this section, the report 
     provided for under subsection (a) shall be submitted to the 
     Director and to the appropriate committees of Congress.
       ``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than December 31, 
     2012, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall 
     prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
     a report that--
       ``(A) synthesizes the results of--
       ``(i) research carried out under the grant program under 
     subsection (b); and
       ``(ii) other related research, including research conducted 
     by the private or public sector and other Federal entities; 
     and
       ``(B) outlines existing research gaps in light of the 
     information described in subparagraph (A).
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, such sums as 
     may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2007 through 
     2012.''.

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the committee-
reported substitute be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read the 
third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, 
and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 1902), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

                          ____________________