[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H8670-H8671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HEALTHY START REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 1760) to amend the Public Health Service Act with 
respect to the Healthy Start Initiative.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The text of the Senate bill is as follows:

                                S. 1760

       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 ``Healthy Start 
     Reauthorization Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO HEALTHY START INITIATIVE.

       (a) Considerations in Making Grants.--Section 330H(b) of 
     the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-8(b)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``(b) Requirements'' and all that follows 
     through ``In making grants under subsection (a)'' and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(b) Considerations in Making Grants.--
       ``(1) Requirements.--In making grants under subsection 
     (a)''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following paragraphs:

[[Page H8671]]

       ``(2) Other considerations.--In making grants under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into consideration 
     the following:
       ``(A) Factors that contribute to infant mortality, such as 
     low birthweight.
       ``(B) The extent to which applicants for such grants 
     facilitate--
       ``(i) a community-based approach to the delivery of 
     services; and
       ``(ii) a comprehensive approach to women's health care to 
     improve perinatal outcomes.
       ``(3) Special projects.--Nothing in paragraph (2) shall be 
     construed to prevent the Secretary from awarding grants under 
     subsection (a) for special projects that are intended to 
     address significant disparities in perinatal health 
     indicators in communities along the United States-Mexico 
     border or in Alaska or Hawaii.''.
       (b) Other Grants.--Section 330H of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-8) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (3); and
       (2) by striking subsections (e) and (f).
       (c) Funding.--Section 330H of the Public Health Service 
     Act, as amended by subsection (b) of this section, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following subsection:
       ``(e) Funding.--
       ``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated--
       ``(A) $120,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
       ``(B) for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013, the 
     amount authorized for the preceding fiscal year increased by 
     the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for all 
     urban consumers for such year.
       ``(2) Allocation.--
       ``(A) Program administration.--Of the amounts appropriated 
     under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may 
     reserve up to 5 percent for coordination, dissemination, 
     technical assistance, and data activities that are determined 
     by the Secretary to be appropriate for carrying out the 
     program under this section.
       ``(B) Evaluation.--Of the amounts appropriated under 
     paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve up 
     to 1 percent for evaluations of projects carried out under 
     subsection (a). Each such evaluation shall include a 
     determination of whether such projects have been effective in 
     reducing the disparity in health status between the general 
     population and individuals who are members of racial or 
     ethnic minority groups.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise this evening in support of S. 1760, the Healthy Start 
Reauthorization Act of 2007. The Healthy Start Program was developed in 
1991 in order to combat alarming rates of infant mortality and racial 
disparities in maternal and infant health. It has grown from a small 
demonstration project with 15 grantees to an impressive 97 grantees in 
2005. Healthy Start has since expanded its targeted population to 
include women and infants through 2 years postpartum.
  S. 1760 promotes grant applications that facilitate a community-based 
approach to the delivery of services and a comprehensive approach to 
women's health care to improve perinatal outcomes. S. 1760 also ensures 
the Secretary is not prohibited from addressing disparities in 
perinatal health indicators in communities along the U.S.-Mexico border 
and in Alaska and Hawaii.
  This legislation reauthorizes appropriations through 2013 for the 
Healthy Start Initiative. The Healthy Start Program has made great 
strides in combating infant mortality and in improving maternal and 
infant health. With increased resources, the Healthy Start Program will 
be able to continue its important role in improving maternal and infant 
health outcomes and in reducing health disparities.
  I want to particularly thank Representative Towns and Representative 
Upton for all of their hard work on this legislation. Messrs. Towns and 
Upton introduced the House companion to S. 1760, and both have been 
huge advocates for the Healthy Start Program and for its 
reauthorization.
  S. 1760 passed the Senate by unanimous consent on April 30, 2008. I 
urge its passage.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of S. 1760, the Healthy Start Reauthorization Act 
of 2007. I want to commend Congressman Towns and Congressman Upton of 
Michigan on this bill. This bill reauthorizes the Healthy Start 
Program.
  In the United States, each year, approximately 6 million women become 
pregnant. Most women have a safe pregnancy and deliver a healthy 
infant, but that's not the experience for all. Healthy Start provides 
services tailored to the needs of high-risk pregnancies--to high-risk 
pregnant women, infants and their mothers in geographically, racially, 
ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities with exceptionally 
high rates of infant mortality--in an effort to reduce the factors that 
contribute to that high infant mortality rate, particularly among 
minority groups.
  It is an important program which deserves reauthorization. That's why 
I'm happy to support it this evening. I urge Members to support this 
legislation.
  I will reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I 
would urge passage of the Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I would just also make the observation that 
September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month, so it's appropriate that 
we're passing the bill at this time.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1760.
  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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