[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 8, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2034-H2036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SAFETY OF SENIORS ACT OF 2007

  Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 845) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to expand and intensify programs with respect to research and 
related activities concerning elder falls.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The text of the Senate bill is as follows:

                                 S. 845

       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 ``Safety of Seniors Act of 
     2007''.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.

       Part J of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 280b et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating section 393B (as added by section 1401 
     of Public Law 106-386) as section 393C and transferring such 
     section so that it appears after section 393B (as added by 
     section 1301 of Public Law 106-310); and
       (2) by inserting after section 393C (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (1)) the following:

     ``SEC. 393D. PREVENTION OF FALLS AMONG OLDER ADULTS.

       ``(a) Public Education.--The Secretary may--
       ``(1) oversee and support a national education campaign to 
     be carried out by a nonprofit organization with experience in 
     designing and implementing national injury prevention 
     programs, that is directed principally to older adults, their 
     families, and

[[Page H2035]]

     health care providers, and that focuses on reducing falls 
     among older adults and preventing repeat falls; and
       ``(2) award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to 
     qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of 
     qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or 
     demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, for the 
     purpose of organizing State-level coalitions of appropriate 
     State and local agencies, safety, health, senior citizen, and 
     other organizations to design and carry out local education 
     campaigns, focusing on reducing falls among older adults and 
     preventing repeat falls.
       ``(b) Research.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may--
       ``(A) conduct and support research to--
       ``(i) improve the identification of older adults who have a 
     high risk of falling;
       ``(ii) improve data collection and analysis to identify 
     fall risk and protective factors;
       ``(iii) design, implement, and evaluate the most effective 
     fall prevention interventions;
       ``(iv) improve strategies that are proven to be effective 
     in reducing falls by tailoring these strategies to specific 
     populations of older adults;
       ``(v) conduct research in order to maximize the 
     dissemination of proven, effective fall prevention 
     interventions;
       ``(vi) intensify proven interventions to prevent falls 
     among older adults;
       ``(vii) improve the diagnosis, treatment, and 
     rehabilitation of elderly fall victims and older adults at 
     high risk for falls; and
       ``(viii) assess the risk of falls occurring in various 
     settings;
       ``(B) conduct research concerning barriers to the adoption 
     of proven interventions with respect to the prevention of 
     falls among older adults;
       ``(C) conduct research to develop, implement, and evaluate 
     the most effective approaches to reducing falls among high-
     risk older adults living in communities and long-term care 
     and assisted living facilities; and
       ``(D) evaluate the effectiveness of community programs 
     designed to prevent falls among older adults.
       ``(2) Educational support.--The Secretary, either directly 
     or through awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative 
     agreements to qualified organizations, institutions, or 
     consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, 
     specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall 
     prevention, may provide professional education for physicians 
     and allied health professionals, and aging service providers 
     in fall prevention, evaluation, and management.
       ``(c) Demonstration Projects.--The Secretary may carry out 
     the following:
       ``(1) Oversee and support demonstration and research 
     projects to be carried out by qualified organizations, 
     institutions, or consortia of qualified organizations and 
     institutions, specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in 
     falls or fall prevention, in the following areas:
       ``(A) A multistate demonstration project assessing the 
     utility of targeted fall risk screening and referral 
     programs.
       ``(B) Programs designed for community-dwelling older adults 
     that utilize multicomponent fall intervention approaches, 
     including physical activity, medication assessment and 
     reduction when possible, vision enhancement, and home 
     modification strategies.
       ``(C) Programs that are targeted to new fall victims who 
     are at a high risk for second falls and which are designed to 
     maximize independence and quality of life for older adults, 
     particularly those older adults with functional limitations.
       ``(D) Private sector and public-private partnerships to 
     develop technologies to prevent falls among older adults and 
     prevent or reduce injuries if falls occur.
       ``(2)(A) Award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements 
     to qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of 
     qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or 
     demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, to 
     design, implement, and evaluate fall prevention programs 
     using proven intervention strategies in residential and 
     institutional settings.
       ``(B) Award 1 or more grants, contracts, or cooperative 
     agreements to 1 or more qualified organizations, 
     institutions, or consortia of qualified organizations and 
     institutions, specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in 
     falls or fall prevention, in order to carry out a multistate 
     demonstration project to implement and evaluate fall 
     prevention programs using proven intervention strategies 
     designed for single and multifamily residential settings with 
     high concentrations of older adults, including--
       ``(i) identifying high-risk populations;
       ``(ii) evaluating residential facilities;
       ``(iii) conducting screening to identify high-risk 
     individuals;
       ``(iv) providing fall assessment and risk reduction 
     interventions and counseling;
       ``(v) coordinating services with health care and social 
     service providers; and
       ``(vi) coordinating post-fall treatment and rehabilitation.
       ``(3) Award 1 or more grants, contracts, or cooperative 
     agreements to qualified organizations, institutions, or 
     consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, 
     specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall 
     prevention, to conduct evaluations of the effectiveness of 
     the demonstration projects described in this subsection.
       ``(d) Priority.--In awarding grants, contracts, or 
     cooperative agreements under this section, the Secretary may 
     give priority to entities that explore the use of cost-
     sharing with respect to activities funded under the grant, 
     contract, or agreement to ensure the institutional commitment 
     of the recipients of such assistance to the projects funded 
     under the grant, contract, or agreement. Such non-Federal 
     cost sharing contributions may be provided directly or 
     through donations from public or private entities and may be 
     in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, 
     equipment, or services.
       ``(e) Study of Effects of Falls on Health Care Costs.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may conduct a review of 
     the effects of falls on health care costs, the potential for 
     reducing falls, and the most effective strategies for 
     reducing health care costs associated with falls.
       ``(2) Report.--If the Secretary conducts the review under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, not later than 36 months 
     after the date of enactment of the Safety of Seniors Act of 
     2007, submit to Congress a report describing the findings of 
     the Secretary in conducting such review.''.

  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 Senate 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.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of Senate bill 845, the 
Safety of Seniors Act.
  Falls represent a serious health risk for millions of older 
Americans. In the United States, one of every three persons age 65 or 
older falls each year. Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths and 
the most common cause of injuries and hospital admissions for trauma in 
older adults.
  Senate bill 845 seeks to address the growing problem of falling and 
fall-related injuries among older adults. This legislation would direct 
the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee and support 
national and local education campaigns focused on reducing falls and 
preventing repeated falls among older adults. It is important to note 
that the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a markup of the 
House companion legislation H.R. 3701, the Keeping Seniors Safe From 
Falls Act, which was introduced by Health Subcommittee Chairman Frank 
Pallone. The committee amended H.R. 3701 to ensure that it was 
identical to Senate bill 845, which has already passed the Senate by 
unanimous consent. So I want to commend my good friend Frank Pallone 
for his hard work and commitment on this important piece of 
legislation.
  I urge my colleagues to support Senate bill 845.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, my wife and I had the opportunity to take care of my 
mother and her parents in their later years for a period of about 8\1/
2\ years prior to their passage some 1\1/2\ years ago. We were always 
aware of the danger that was posed by falls, and certainly falls are 
one of the main causes of injuries and hospital admissions for senior 
adults.
  S. 845, the Safety of Seniors Act of 2008, tries to address this 
danger by focusing attention on preventing falls among senior citizens 
and conducting research to evaluate the cause of falls among our older 
adults. The legislation provides the Secretary with discretion to 
implement a national education campaign, and, also, it gives him 
authority to evaluate the effectiveness of community programs designed 
to prevent falls. It also gives the Secretary the ability to create 
demonstration projects focused on evaluating and preventing falls in 
senior citizens.
  I urge the adoption of this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
support the passage of Senate bill 845, which seeks to address the 
growing problem of falls and fall-related injuries among older adults.

[[Page H2036]]

   Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, many of us have elder parents, 
relatives, neighbors or colleagues who have experienced an unnecessary 
fall. Recently, Nancy Reagan and Senator Robert Byrd have both suffered 
from falls that have caused them to be hospitalized.
   Falls among elderly Americans in fact are so commonplace that one in 
three Americans over the age of 65 each year experiences a debilitating 
fall. As a result, it is the leading cause of injury-related deaths for 
older Americans.
   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, estimates that 
fall-related medical expenses cost Americans more than $20 billion 
annually. Projections are that those expenses will climb to more than 
$40 billion over the next 15 years, posing additional burdens on 
already strapped Medicare and Medicaid funding.
   Effective demonstration tests and comprehensive public information 
and education campaigns can help reduce and mitigate these avoidable 
and frequently disabling injuries.
   To that end, I introduced H.R. 3701, the ``Keeping Seniors Safe from 
Falls Act of 2007'' with my good friend Representative Ralph Hall, 
which is the House companion to S. 845, the bill we are debating today. 
If enacted, this legislation would launch a comprehensive preventive 
care program and educational campaign to reduce the number and severity 
of falls to the elderly.
   In closing I want to acknowledge all the hard work that went into 
this bill, including the work of my colleagues both here in the House 
and the Senate, as well as the Falls Free Coalition working group, 
which has been advocating for this legislation for sometime.
   Madam Speaker, falls among the elderly are clearly an issue that 
affect and potentially imperil us all. This legislation offers a 
national approach to reducing these tragic events I urge my colleagues 
on both sides of the aisle to support this important 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 Senate bill, S. 845.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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