I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4795

To direct the President to establish a national program to provide for coordination between Federal, State and local agencies, voluntary organizations,

and private enterprise in order to encourage the public to eat a healthy

diet.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 19, 1994

Mr. TOWNS introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the

Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor

A BILL

To direct the President to establish a national program to

provide for coordination between Federal, State and local

agencies, voluntary organizations, and private enterprise

in order to encourage the public to eat a healthy diet.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Act to Improve the

5 American Diet’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds as follows:
2

•HR 4795 IH

1 (1) The Surgeon General of the Public Health

2 Service has stated that dietary patterns with exces3 sive intake of foods high in fat (especially saturated

4 fat), calories, cholesterol and sodium, contribute to

5 the high rates of chronic diseases among Americans.

6 Reversing such dietary patterns should decrease the

7 incidence of these chronic diseases.

8 (2) Currently, diet plays a major role in the de9 velopment of 4 of the top 7 diseases that are killers

10 in the United States: heart disease, cancer, stroke,

11 and diabetes.

12 (3) According to the Department of Health and

13 Human Services, America’s poor diet and sedentary

14 lifestyle contribute to 300,000 to 580,000 deaths

15 each year.

16 (4) To make significant strides toward improv17 ing the health of Americans, greater attention must

18 be made to nutrition education. The President could

19 provide leadership by giving a higher profile to the

20 importance of a healthy diet.

21 (5) Good nutrition is one of the most important

22 factors in determining long-term health.

23 (6) Improvements in the diet of Americans can

24 reduce the health care cost of treating dietary-relat-
3

•HR 4795 IH

1 ed diseases and produce a savings of up to

2 $200,000,000,000.

3 (7) The Department of Health and Human

4 Services and the Preventive Services Task Force

5 have recommended that health care programs for in6 dividuals of all ages should include dietary counsel7 ling.

8 (8) Efforts must be made to identify and to re9 move the barriers to optimal health and nutritional

10 status in high-risk groups, including minority and

11 low-income population groups (using methods that

12 take into consideration their diverse cultural, ethnic

13 and economic backgrounds); and special attention

14 should also be made to pregnant and lactating

15 women, to children, and to the elderly, who have

16 special nutritional needs.

17 SEC. 3. COORDINATION BETWEEN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,

18 STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, VOL19 UNTARY ORGANIZATIONS, AND PRIVATE EN20 TERPRISE REGARDING THE NATIONAL PRO21 GRAM FOR A HEALTHY DIET.

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall establish a

23 national program for diet and health in accordance with

24 the purpose described in subsection (b).
4

•HR 4795 IH

1 (b) PURPOSE OF PROGRAM.—The purpose of the Na2 tional Program is to help coordinate, support, and assist

3 nutrition education activities and programs by State and

4 local governments and by private entities, including edu5 cational institutions, voluntary organizations, civic groups,

6 professional associations, business organizations, and

7 other private entities.

8 (c) COORDINATION REGARDING INTERGOVERN9 MENTAL RELATIONSHIPS AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EN10 TITIES.—

11 (1) COORDINATION IN FEDERAL ACTIVITIES.—

12 The National Program shall assess the extent to

13 which the purpose described in subsection (b) is

14 being carried out by the various departments and

15 agencies of the Federal Government, and shall carry

16 out the activities of the Program in coordination

17 with the departments and agencies involved.

18 (2) INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS.—

19 The National Program shall assess the nutrition

20 education activities and programs being carried out

21 by State and local governments and by private enti22 ties, and shall help coordinate, support, and assist

23 the activities and programs.
5

•HR 4795 IH

1 (d) CERTAIN PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—The activities

2 of the National Program shall include (but are not limited

3 to) the following:

4 (1) Promoting the health of Americans by fa5 cilitating and collaborating with Federal, State,

6 local, and private strategies to encourage the Amer7 ican people to eat a healthy diet.

8 (2) Initiating programs to inform the general

9 public of the importance of a healthy diet and its

10 link to good health and disease prevention.

11 (3) Enlisting the active support and assistance

12 of individual citizens, civic groups, private enter13 prise, voluntary organizations and others in efforts

14 to promote and improve the health of all Americans

15 through healthy eating habits.

16 (4) Inviting appropriate Federal health agencies

17 to participate in the National Program.

18 (5) Seeking to improve the diets of children,

19 youth, adults, minorities, senior citizens, and low-in20 come individuals by encouraging the development of

21 community-wellness programs and health education

22 programs.

23 (6) Working with State and local government to

24 develop and implement nutrition education pro25 grams.
6

•HR 4795 IH

1 (7) Assisting health educational agencies at all

2 levels in developing high quality, innovative health

3 programs which emphasize the importance of diet to

4 good health.

5 (8) Developing cooperative programs with medi6 cal, dental, social workers and other similar profes7 sional schools and educational associations to en8 courage the implementation of sound nutrition prac9 tices in medical services and education.

10 (9) Assisting business, industry, government,

11 and labor organizations, and other workplace organi12 zations or groups, in developing and implementing

13 sound nutrition programs to elevate employee health

14 and reduce the financial and human costs resulting

15 from a poor diet.

16 (10) Increasing awareness among the American

17 people about the importance of producing healthy

18 food and of the availability of healthy food in the su19 permarkets, food establishments, and food programs,

20 and to encourage food providers to provide and serve

21 healthy meals and products.

22 (e) AUTHORITY REGARDING NON-FEDERAL CON23 TRIBUTIONS.—In carrying out activities under the Na24 tional Program in a community (or other geographic

25 area), the National Program may require that, as a condi-
7

•HR 4795 IH

1 tion of carrying out the Federal activities, non-Federal

2 contributions be provided toward the costs of the activi3 ties.

4 (f) REQUIREMENT REGARDING PARTICIPATION OF

5 PRIVATE ENTITIES.—A private entity may be permitted

6 to sponsor or otherwise participate in a particular activity

7 of the National Program only if the entity does not pro8 mote, directly or indirectly, any health-related behavior

9 that is inconsistent with the purpose of such activity.

10 SEC. 4. PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ON DIET AND HEALTH.

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall provide for

12 the establishment and operation of a council to be known

13 as the President’s Council on Diet and Health.

14 (b) DUTIES.—The Council shall provide advice to the

15 President regarding the National Program, including ad16 vice on the extent of progress being made toward achieving

17 the goals of the Program, and shall recommend, as nec18 essary, actions to accelerate progress. The Council shall

19 assist in carrying out the Program, as necessary, and pro20 vide advice and guidance to State and local public health

21 officials, and to private entities (including educational, vol22 untary, and civic groups), on how to promote diet and

23 health.

24 (c) COMPOSITION.—
8

•HR 4795 IH

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall be com2 posed of—

3 (A) such Federal officials or employees as

4 the President may designate to serve as mem5 bers of the Council; and

6 (B) 20 members appointed to the Council

7 by the President from among individuals who

8 are not officers or employees of the Federal

9 Government and who possess appropriate exper10 tise or experience regarding nutrition and

11 health.

12 (2) CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—Of the members

13 of the Council appointed under paragraph (1)(B)—

14 (A) not fewer than 3 shall be individuals

15 representing a national organization concerned

16 with nutrition and health; and

17 (B) not fewer than 7 shall be individuals

18 who possess professional credentials dem19 onstrating particular expertise regarding food,

20 nutrition, or health, of which 3 individuals shall

21 be knowledgeable on nutrition and health

22 among low-income populations or among one or

23 more racial or ethnic minority groups.

24 (d) CHAIR.—The President shall designate an indi25 vidual or individuals who are not officers or employees of
9

•HR 4795 IH

1 the Federal Government to serve as the chair or chairs

2 of the Council. A Chair shall serve at the pleasure of the

3 President. The President shall seek to ensure that the

4 Chair of the Council is an individual who is well-known

5 by the public and who will be an appropriate advocate

6 among the public with respect to obtaining the goals of

7 the National Program.

8 (e) TERMS.—Each of the members of the Council ap9 pointed under paragraph (1)(B) shall be appointed for a

10 term of 4 years, except that up to half of the initial ap11 pointments, when the Council is first created, may be for

12 2 years, and may upon the expiration of a term be

13 reappointed by the President. A member of the Council

14 may continue to serve after the expiration of his or her

15 term until a successor is appointed. The President may

16 at any time terminate the membership on the Council of

17 any individual for cause.

18 (f) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the membership of the

19 Council does not affect the power of the remaining mem20 bers to execute the duties of the Council.

21 (g) MEETINGS.—The Council shall meet not less than

22 once each fiscal year.

23 (h) COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT OF EX24 PENSES.—Members of the Council may not receive com25 pensation for service on the Council. The members may,
10

•HR 4795 IH

1 in accordance with chapter 57 of title 5, United States

2 Code, be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other nec3 essary expenses incurred in carrying out the duties of the

4 Council.

5 (i) STAFF; ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall furnish

7 the Council with such staff, quarters, supplies, facili8 ties, and other administrative support as may be

9 necessary to carry out the duties of the Council and

10 assist in carrying out the National Program.

11 (2) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—To carry out the

12 National Program, the President shall appoint an

13 executive director for the Council, who shall serve

14 until a new one is appointed.

15 (j) SEAL OF PROGRAM.—The President shall provide

16 for the development and use of a seal for the National

17 Program.

18 (k) TERMINATION.—For purposes of section

19 14(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the

20 Council shall continue in existence until otherwise pro21 vided by law after the date of the enactment of this Act.

22 SEC. 5. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

23 (a) REQUESTS FOR FEDERAL INFORMATION AND AS24 SISTANCE.—The National Program and the Council may

25 upon request receive from Federal agencies such informa-
11

•HR 4795 IH

1 tion and other assistance as may otherwise be permitted

2 by law, subject to the availability of funds to comply with

3 the request.

4 (b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this Act:

5 (1) The term ‘‘Council’’ means the council es6 tablished under section 4(a).

7 (2) The term ‘‘National Program’’ means the

8 program established under section 3(a).

9 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

10 In addition to any other authorizations of appropria11 tions that are available for the purpose of carrying out

12 this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated to the

13 National Program and the Council for such purpose

14 $300,000 for fiscal year 1995, $500,000 for fiscal year

15 1996, and $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1997 and each subse16 quent fiscal year.

Æ