[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 8, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2025-H2027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION ACT OF 2008
Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill
[[Page H2026]]
(H.R. 1198) to amend the Public Health Service Act regarding early
detection, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1198
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 ``Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. EARLY DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF HEARING
LOSS.
Section 399M of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
280g-1) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``INFANTS'' and
inserting ``NEWBORNS AND INFANTS'';
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``screening, evaluation and intervention programs and
systems'' and inserting ``screening, evaluation, diagnosis,
and intervention programs and systems, and to assist in the
recruitment, retention, education, and training of qualified
personnel and health care providers,'';
(B) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) To develop and monitor the efficacy of statewide
programs and systems for hearing screening of newborns and
infants; prompt evaluation and diagnosis of children referred
from screening programs; and appropriate educational,
audiological, and medical interventions for children
identified with hearing loss. Early intervention includes
referral to and delivery of information and services by
schools and agencies, including community, consumer, and
parent-based agencies and organizations and other programs
mandated by part C of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, which offer programs specifically designed to
meet the unique language and communication needs of deaf and
hard of hearing newborns, infants, toddlers, and children.
Programs and systems under this paragraph shall establish and
foster family-to-family support mechanisms that are critical
in the first months after a child is identified with hearing
loss.''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) To develop efficient models to ensure that newborns
and infants who are identified with a hearing loss through
screening receive follow-up by a qualified health care
provider. These models shall be evaluated for their
effectiveness, and State agencies shall be encouraged to
adopt models that effectively increase the rate of occurrence
of such follow-up.
``(4) To ensure an adequate supply of qualified personnel
to meet the screening, evaluation, diagnosis, and early
intervention needs of children.'';
(3) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``hearing loss
screening, evaluation, and intervention programs'' and
inserting ``hearing loss screening, evaluation, diagnosis,
and intervention programs''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by striking ``for purposes of this section, continue''
and insert the following: ``for purposes of this section--
``(A) continue'';
(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``;
and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) establish a postdoctoral fellowship program to foster
research and development in the area of early hearing
detection and intervention.'';
(4) in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (c), by
striking the term ``hearing screening, evaluation and
intervention programs'' each place such term appears and
inserting ``hearing screening, evaluation, diagnosis, and
intervention programs'';
(5) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``ensuring that families
of the child'' and all that follows and inserting ``ensuring
that families of the child are provided comprehensive,
consumer-oriented information about the full range of family
support, training, information services, and language and
communication options and are given the opportunity to
consider and obtain the full range of such appropriate
services, educational and program placements, and other
options for their child from highly qualified providers.'';
and
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking ``, after rescreening,'';
and
(6) in subsection (f)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``fiscal year 2002'' and
inserting ``fiscal years 2009 through 2014'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``fiscal year 2002'' and
inserting ``fiscal years 2009 through 2014''; and
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``fiscal year 2002'' and
inserting ``fiscal years 2009 through 2014''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Capps) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 1198, the Early Hearing Detection
and Intervention Act. I'm very proud to have introduced this bill with
Congressman Jim Walsh of New York, who has championed this issue for
many years.
This bill is near and dear to me as cochair of both the Hearing
Health Caucus and the Infant Health and Safety Caucus.
The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program is one of those
success stories that are often rare in Washington. Since its
authorization in 2000, we have seen a tremendous increase in the number
of newborns who are being screened for hearing loss, but our work is
not done. We need to ensure that every newborn is screened and that
every family that needs access to follow-up care is given that access.
I have been a school nurse for over 20 years, and in those years, I
can tell you firsthand what happens to a child who has undiagnosed
hearing loss and/or never received proper intervention. They may fall
behind in school and they may face other social difficulties. Early
identification and intervention are essential to a child's well-being,
and that's what we aim to achieve through the reauthorization of the
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act.
I would like to thank the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance, the
American Academy of Audiology, and the March of Dimes for their support
of this legislation. Let's continue to build upon the success of the
past 8 years and make sure that every child has access to diagnosis and
treatment of hearing loss.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I would like to join my colleague in supporting H.R. 1198, the Early
Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2008.
This legislation reauthorizes the Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention Program, which was first enacted in 2000 to help States
develop newborn hearing screening and early intervention programs. This
program has successfully improved newborn screening for hearing loss,
which allows many children to benefit from early detection. This
provides enhanced opportunities for language and communication skill
development.
Unfortunately, children experiencing hearing loss who are not
identified early can have delays in speech, language, and cognitive
development. Through grant programs, this legislation helps ensure
infants with hearing losses are identified and receive appropriate
follow-up care. The bill also establishes a post-doctoral fellowship
program to improve early hearing detection research.
This legislation moved through our committee in a bipartisan fashion,
and I would urge its adoption.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes
to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) who was the sponsor of the
original legislation which this bill seeks to reauthorize.
Mr. WALSH of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and
colleague, Mr. Deal from Georgia, for yielding time and his leadership
on health issues. I would also like to thank my colleague from
California, Lois Capps, who's done such a marvelous job of leading the
Hearing Caucus for the past several years.
I would like to recognize, also, my cochairs along with Congresswoman
Capps, Vern Ehlers, and Carolyn McCarthy, who also worked long and hard
on this issue, as well as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance, the
National Center of Hearing for Assessment and Management. Without their
hard work, this important legislation would not have been possible.
In the year 2000, Congress authorized the Children's Health Act
which, among several initiatives, provided the necessary authority for
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to begin addressing
the screening
[[Page H2027]]
and intervention needs of newborns and children with hearing loss.
Indeed, when this program began, there were pilot programs in the
country, probably back about 12 or 13 years ago, 3 percent of the
children born in the United States were tested. Today, it's well over
95 percent of the entire universe of newborns born in the United States
today are being tested.
As we all know, the first 3 years of life are the most important
period for language and speech development. It is essential that
hearing impaired infants and young children be identified and an
intervention begun in order to take full advantage of the developing
sensory systems. If unidentified, these children will lose out on the
crucial period of speech and language learning.
Auditory impairment can impact social, emotional, cognitive, and
academic development leading to personal, vocational, and economical
defects. Delayed identification in management of severe to profound
hearing loss can impede a child's ability to adopt to life in a hearing
or deaf community.
The early hearing, detection, and intervention programs include
screening, audiological evaluation, and early intervention to enhance
communication, thinking, and behavioral skills needed to achieve
academic and social success. The EHDI programs are serving a critical
need in a successful manner.
Today, I call upon Congress to continue the success that has been
experienced since the year 2000 and enact legislation to reauthorize
EHDI programs. H.R. 1198 builds upon the EHDI authorization from the
year 2000 to address areas of continuing challenge.
First, it would provide authority to address those children who are
falling through cracks and not receiving necessary care after a
screening that shows they have potential hearing loss.
Second, it is clear that family-to-family support is critical in the
first months after a child is identified with hearing loss. Excellent
family-to-family support programs developed by state EHDI programs and
other organizations are not yet wildly implemented. This legislation
would provide the agency authority to support and disseminate such
programs that are working for parents and their children.
Third, it is clear that more research and study is needed in the area
of hearing detection and intervention.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. I yield the gentleman an additional minute.
Mr. WALSH of New York. I thank the gentleman.
H.R. 1198 would enable NIH to establish a post-doctoral research
fellowship program to effectively recruit researchers to become
involved in early hearing detection and intervention.
Finally, H.R. 1198 provides the agency the authority to address the
shortage of trained health professionals and other personnel necessary
to make certain that every child who is screened with a hearing problem
gets access to appropriate interventions needed to succeed.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. Again, I
thank my cochairs on the caucus.
Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. I would urge the adoption of the resolution, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and as I do, I
would like to remind us all that since the authorization of the Early
Hearing Detection Intervention Act in 2000, we've seen a tremendous
increase in the numbers of newborns who are being screened for hearing
loss; and with this passage of this reauthorization, we can continue to
build upon the success of the past 8 years and make sure that every
child has access to diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Early
Hearing Detection and Intervention Act.
Sadly, thousands of infants are born with a hearing loss each year.
Fortunately, thanks to the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
(EHDI) program that was established in 2000, today approximately 93
percent of all newborns are screened. Many infants with hearing loss
and their families have benefited from early identification of hearing
loss. The EHDI program allows babies with hearing loss to develop
normally and lead productive lives by ensuring that they will be ready
to learn when they enter school.
However, many infants who are identified as having a hearing
disability due to the screening tests do not receive timely follow-up
care because of shortages in trained professionals needed for infant
hearing screening programs. We must do better in ensuring that infants
and their families have access to comprehensive hearing loss care. The
bill seeks to accomplish this by presiding comprehensive information
about family support, training, and information services to the family
of children identified with hearing loss and ensure that they are given
the opportunity to consider all the options of early intervention
services, educational and program placements.
This legislation will improve on the successful Early Hearing
Detection and Intervention program. I urge my colleagues to vote for
this much needed bill.
Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1198, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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