[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 166 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H8372-H8374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION ACT OF 2010
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 3199) to amend the Public Health Service Act regarding early
detection, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 3199
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 2010''.
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
[[Page H8373]]
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) Other activities may include developing 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, and State agencies shall be
encouraged to adopt models that effectively increase the rate
of occurrence of such follow-up.'';
(3) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by striking ``hearing loss
screening, evaluation, and intervention programs'' and
inserting ``hearing loss screening, evaluation, diagnosis,
and intervention programs'';
(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 2011 through 2015'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``fiscal year 2002'' and
inserting ``fiscal years 2011 through 2015''; and
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``fiscal year 2002'' and
inserting ``fiscal years 2011 through 2015''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Madam 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. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in strong support of S. 3199, the Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention Act. Last year, the House passed the companion measure to
this bill, and we are pleased to pass it again with minor
modifications.
Every year, more than 12,000 babies are born with hearing loss. Often
their condition goes undetected for years, and many of these children
end up experiencing delays in speech, language, and cognitive
development. However, if the hearing loss is detected early, many of
these delays can be mitigated or even prevented, and for that reason,
early detection is critical to improving outcomes for these children.
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The bill, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act, would
improve services for screening, diagnosing, and treating hearing loss
in children by reauthorizing the Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention Program, which was first enacted in 2000. The program
provides grants and cooperative agreements for statewide newborn and
infant hearing services. These programs focus on screening evaluation,
diagnosis, and early intervention.
I want to particularly thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from
California, Representative Capps, who is the vice chair of the Health
Subcommittee, for her hard work on this issue and so many issues. She
is a nurse by profession. I am sure you have noticed that many of the
health care bills that have come out of the last 4 years during the
Democratic majority have been from Mrs. Capps, and she is always, in
particular, looking out for children and senior citizens. I urge my
colleagues to support this legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TERRY. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, S. 3199, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
Act of 2010, has worthy elements. Certainly we support the efforts of
early recognition of hearing loss. As Mr. Pallone said, and Mrs. Capps
will reiterate, it is not standard practice, or was not standard
practice, to perform early detection for hearing loss on newborns.
Usually parents, after about a year, would recognize something isn't
right, that maybe speech was delayed, and that's when testing would
occur. We have found that early testing has benefits. However, our side
of the aisle must recommend a ``no'' vote at this time due to the
authorizing of appropriations with the language of ``such sums as
necessary.'' This type of open-ended authorization abdicates our duty
to budget for programs responsibly.
The bill would reauthorize the newborns and infants hearing loss
program. It would enable the Secretary of Health and Human Services to
assist in recruitment, retention, education, and training of qualified
personnel and health care providers. Unfortunately, in reauthorizing
this program, the bill contains no limits on authorization of spending
for the program. As my colleagues know, authorizing ``such sums as
necessary'' in legislation has contributed to the fiscal crisis our
country now faces. Our country had a budget deficit of $1.3 trillion in
fiscal year 2010, and some are projecting that our country's budget
deficit will reach $1.5 trillion this fiscal year. We cannot continue
this fiscal irresponsibility by voting for open-ended authorization
amounts. We need to include specific authorization amounts in
legislation so we can set priorities, if we are to ever get our fiscal
House in order.
Madam Speaker, I recommend a ``no'' vote on this legislation so we
can work in a bipartisan manner to include specific reauthorization
amounts.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I just wanted to address the gentleman's point with regard to the
underlying bill containing the language ``such sums.'' I mean, the bill
doesn't change anything from the current law. The 2002 Early Hearing
Detection and Intervention Act, which we are reauthorizing, had that
language in it, and we are simply updating the authorization here. It
is not changing the language. And the same is true for the bill that
passed the House last year. There was a House version, sponsored by
Mrs. Capps, and that didn't make any change either. So I just want to
remind my colleagues that, you know, again, we passed this bill in
March 2009 and then again on the floor I guess later that month, and
there wasn't any issue raised by the Republicans at that time. So I
just think to raise it now really makes no sense, and we should simply
move to pass this. It is very commonsense legislation. It simply
reauthorizes the current law.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TERRY. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, the gentleman is correct in the sense that it is a
reauthorization. It strikes the language of 2002 while leaving the
language of ``such sums as may be necessary'' for the fiscal year going
forward now, but we still have that open-ended language.
And after hearing from the people for the last couple of years, we
have an additional emphasis on making sure that we are tighter in the
writing of these bills, unlike what was occurring in the year 2002 when
this was passed or in 2009 when it passed from committee. That is our
only objection here, the authorization of open-ended, ``such sums as
may be necessary.''
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. I now yield 3 minutes to the sponsor of the legislation,
the
[[Page H8374]]
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).
Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague and our chairman for yielding time.
Madam Speaker, I am rising today in strong support of Senate bill
3199, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act. And I am very
proud to have introduced the House version of this bill with our
colleague Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri. The House did pass
this legislation by voice vote in March of 2009, and the Senate
version, introduced by Senators Snowe and Harkin, was modified by the
Senate HELP Committee and passed by unanimous consent earlier this
week. Senate bill 3199 is noncontroversial and would make needed
improvements to the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program,
as recommended by experts.
Each year, more than 12,000 infants are born with a hearing loss. If
left undetected, this condition impedes speech, language, and cognitive
development. And I might add, with concerns for the cost, the cost to
taxpayers of not recognizing these needs and intervening, the cost in
special education, in modified vocational goals for individuals who
will be a burden to taxpayers the rest of their lives is unbelievably
high.
Since the authorization of the Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention Program in early 2000, we have seen a tremendous increase
in the number of newborns who are being screened for hearing loss. Back
in 2000, only 44 percent of newborns were being screened for hearing
loss. Now we are screening newborns at a rate of over 93 percent. But
you know, our work isn't done yet. According to CDC, almost half of
newborns who fail initial hearing screenings do not receive appropriate
followup care. And in my work as a school nurse for over 20 years, I
had much interaction with students who were lagging behind their
classmates due to undiagnosed and/or untreated hearing loss. We can
prevent more children from suffering in the classroom and suffering
throughout their lives through a better investment in followup and
intervention as a part of the successful hearing screening program for
newborns and infants.
This legislation would accomplish these goals through reauthorizing
the programs administered by HRSA, CDC, and the NIH, providing grants
to conduct newborn hearing screening, provide followup intervention to
promote surveillance and research. So I am strongly urging my
colleagues to join me in voting in favor of Senate bill 3199, to
continue building on the great success of these programs.
Mr. TERRY. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes now to
the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. I thank the chair very much, and I thank
him for his great work.
The poet Robert Browning once wrote, ``Grow old with me. The best is
yet to be.'' Unfortunately, the golden years can be the worst years for
Americans afflicted with Alzheimer's and their families. We have worked
with the Senate to put together a bipartisan bill that has just passed
here in the United States House of Representatives that I have worked
on over the last 2 years that will put together an Alzheimer's plan, a
battle plan for our country. And why is it important? I will tell you
very simply: 4 million Americans have Alzheimer's today. There are
going to be 12 million to 15 million baby boomers with Alzheimer's.
They will have a spouse who also has the disease or some other family
member. Somebody in the family has to take care of that person. So by
the time all the baby boomers have retired, there will be about 25
million to 30 million Americans whose lives will revolve around
Alzheimer's.
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We have to find a cure for it. We have to find a way of giving more
help to these heroes, these families.
My father was a milkman. My mother was a valedictorian. My mother got
Alzheimer's. My father kept her in the living room. For 13 years, we
kept her in our living room. My father always said that it was an honor
that my mother had married him, the milkman. He also said that if the
strength of your brain determined who got Alzheimer's, he said that he
would have it and my mother would be taking care of him.
But this is an equal opportunity disease. It's an epidemic. If we do
not find the cure, if we do not find the cure, the budget problems for
our country will be so explosive that it will be impossible to ever
balance the Federal budget.
We are now spending a fortune on it, and unless we cure it, we will
never be able to deal with the catastrophic consequences personally,
for those families, and for our country, in general.
I thank the gentleman for allowing me this personal privilege,
because I was pulled away as the bill was being considered.
Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts
for his efforts in fighting Alzheimer's and working for those families.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I just wanted to mention that the three bills today are just a small
representation of many bipartisan public health bills that the majority
and minority worked on together in the Health Subcommittee over the
past 2 years. And I wanted to thank the ranking member of the Health
Subcommittee, Mr. Shimkus, for his hard work and cooperation in these
efforts. In the summer and fall alone, the House passed 25 bipartisan
health bills that came from our Health Subcommittee.
And I also want to thank the staff that worked on these public health
bills this past Congress. From the majority is Ruth Katz, Steve Cha,
Sarah Despres, Emily, who's here with me, Emily Gibbons, Tiffany
Guarascio, Anne Morris, Camille Sealy, Naomi Seiler, Tim Westmoreland,
and Karen Nelson, of course. And from the minority, Ryan Long, Clay
Alspach, Peter Kielty, and Chris Sarley.
Madam Speaker, I ask for passage of the 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, S. 3199.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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