[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7195-H7196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  BIRTH DEFECTS PREVENTION, RISK REDUCTION, AND AWARENESS ACT OF 2010

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5462) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, to establish and implement a birth defects 
prevention, risk reduction, and public awareness program, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5462

       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 ``Birth Defects Prevention, 
     Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. BIRTH DEFECTS PREVENTION, RISK REDUCTION, AND 
                   AWARENESS.

       (a) Program.--The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 
     et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 317T (42 
     U.S.C. 247b-22) the following new section:

     ``SEC. 317U. BIRTH DEFECTS PREVENTION, RISK REDUCTION, AND 
                   AWARENESS.

       ``(a) Grant Program.--The Secretary shall establish and 
     implement a birth defects prevention and public awareness 
     program to award grants to States or organizations for the 
     provision of pregnancy and breastfeeding information 
     services.
       ``(b) Preference.--In the case of States or organizations 
     that are otherwise equally qualified, the Secretary, in 
     awarding a grant under this section, shall give preference 
     to--
       ``(1) States that made pregnancy and breastfeeding 
     information services available on January 1, 2006; and
       ``(2) organizations that will provide pregnancy and 
     breastfeeding information services in such States.
       ``(c) Matching Funds.--The Secretary may only award a grant 
     under this section to a State or organization that agrees, 
     with respect to the costs to be incurred in carrying out the 
     grant activities, to make available (directly or through 
     donations from public or private entities) non-Federal funds 
     toward such costs in an amount equal to not less than 25 
     percent of the amount of the grant.
       ``(d) Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
     activities carried out using a grant under this section are 
     coordinated, to the maximum extent practicable, with other 
     birth defects prevention and environmental health activities 
     of the Federal Government, including activities carried out 
     by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the 
     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to 
     pediatric environmental health specialty units and children's 
     environmental health centers.
       ``(e) Evaluation.--In furtherance of the program 
     established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide 
     for an evaluation of pregnancy and breastfeeding information 
     services to identify efficient and effective models of--
       ``(1) providing information;
       ``(2) raising awareness and increasing knowledge about 
     birth defects prevention measures;
       ``(3) modifying risk behaviors; or
       ``(4) other outcome measures as determined appropriate by 
     the Secretary.
       ``(f) Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Information Services 
     Defined.--For purposes of this section, the term `pregnancy 
     and breastfeeding information services' includes only--
       ``(1) information services to provide accurate, evidence-
     based, clinical information regarding maternal exposures 
     during pregnancy or breastfeeding that may be associated with 
     birth defects or other health risks to an infant that is 
     breastfed, such as exposures to medications, chemicals, 
     infections, foodborne pathogens, illnesses, nutrition, or 
     lifestyle factors;
       ``(2) the provision of accurate, evidence-based information 
     weighing risks of exposures during breastfeeding against the 
     benefits of breastfeeding; and
       ``(3) the provision of information described in paragraph 
     (1) or (2) through counselors, Web sites, fact sheets, 
     telephonic or electronic communication, community outreach 
     efforts, or other appropriate means.
       ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this 
     section, there are authorized to be appropriated $4,500,000 
     for fiscal year 2012, $5,500,000 for fiscal year 2013, 
     $6,500,000 for fiscal year 2014, $7,500,000 for fiscal year 
     2015, and $8,500,000 for fiscal year 2016.''.

  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 in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page H7196]]

  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5462, the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction 
and Awareness Act, would establish a program to award grants for 
evidence-based clinical information to mothers and their health care 
professionals about exposures during pregnancy and breast feeding. I 
would like to thank my colleague from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) for her 
leadership on this issue and so many issues that affect mothers and 
children.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5462, the Birth Defects 
Prevention, Risk Reduction and Awareness Act of 2010, legislation that 
I authored with the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).
  This bill was developed over a period of several months with the 
guidance of the Centers for Disease Control. It does speak volumes that 
a bill can come this far in such a short period of time when we are 
willing to do our due diligence prior to introduction.
  I have dedicated my professional career to protecting mother and 
child, while providing them with the most accurate information possible 
and the health services that they need.
  People like to think that doctors have all the answers. Doctors like 
to think the CDC can provide all the information, but that isn't always 
the way it works. I can't tell you the number of times that women came 
into the hospital, usually late at night, because she was concerned 
about the health of her baby. Maybe it was because of something she had 
done, maybe she just had concerns. But this type of unnecessary 
utilization can be reduced by education, particularly among populations 
that may not have had the same level of health literacy as to how this 
could have happened.

                              {time}  2240

  H.R. 5462 will provide mothers with up-to-date, evidence-based 
information through services designed to do targeted research. We have 
such a service in Texas. I used them when I was in practice. Ideally, 
they should be serving at least 4 percent of our pregnant population 
but are only able to serve up to 3,000 persons today. Those cases are 
important, but I know we can do better.
  Many women with chronic diseases may discontinue or reduce 
medications when they become pregnant due to fears about the risk of 
birth defects. In fact, in many cases the medications cause a lower 
risk of birth defects than the failure to treat and appropriately 
manage the underlying disease during pregnancy.
  Pregnancy risk information services provide information and expert 
consultation to pregnant women and their health care providers 
regarding exposures to medications, chemicals, illicit drugs, alcohol, 
infections, and illness that may pose a risk of birth defects. These 
services also provide information on exposures during breast-feeding. 
The information provided reduces unnecessary concern about perceived 
and nonexistent risk and ensures that women stay on the path to a 
healthy pregnancy.
  Currently, Federal agencies are only able to provide awareness and 
information about pregnancy and breast-feeding issues. They do not 
provide pregnancy and breast-feeding exposure risk assessment, 
education, and counseling.
  This legislation will establish a grant program to revitalize the 
Nation's network of pregnancy risk information services. This will help 
save health care costs by avoiding unnecessary doctor visits and 
reducing the cost of treating uncontrolled chronic illness when 
pregnant women discontinue their medications unnecessarily. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I just wanted to point out that this legislation has the support of 
the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Academy 
of Pediatrics, the March of Dimes Foundation, amongst many others. I 
join these organizations in urging my support for this legislation.
  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 bill, H.R. 5462, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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