I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 3119

To establish a coordinated strategy of health promotion and disease prevention

activities through the Public Health Service.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 22, 1993

Mrs. LLOYD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To establish a coordinated strategy of health promotion and

disease prevention activities through the Public Health

Service.

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 ‘‘Women’s Health Infor5 mation Act of 1993’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds as follows:

8 (1) A report by the General Accounting Office

9 indicates that the Department and Health and

10 Human Services, which is responsible for providing
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1 health information to the public, lacks an overall

2 strategy for providing such information to women.

3 (2) Such Department has no overall strategy to

4 ensure that the most needed and useful health infor5 mation is distributed to the public.

6 (3) Health information activities of the Depart7 ment are left to the discretion of the agencies of the

8 Public Health Service, each of which largely plans

9 the production and dissemination of information

10 independently of the other agencies of the Service.

11 (4) Even when health information for the public

12 is produced and disseminated by the Department, it

13 is not always easily accessible to the public.

14 (5) With respect to health information, the

15 agencies of such Department cannot determine

16 whether the efforts of the agencies are appropriately

17 targeted to raise women’s awareness and increase

18 their knowledge about conditions that confront them.

19 SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH COMMU20 NICATIONS.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and

22 Human Services shall establish an Interagency Committee

23 on Health Communications (in this section referred to as

24 the ‘‘Committee’’).

25 (b) DUTIES.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall provide

2 advice to the Secretary of Health and Human Serv3 ices on developing, overseeing, and coordinating Fed4 eral promotion and education activities, including

5 such activities within the Public Health Service.

6 (2) WOMEN’S HEALTH.—In carrying out para7 graph (1), the Committee shall give priority to car8 rying activities regarding women’s health.

9 (c) CHAIR.—The Committee shall be chaired by the

10 Assistant Secretary for Health.

11 (d) COMPOSITION.—

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),

13 the Committee shall be composed of one representa14 tive from each agency with authority to speak for

15 the agency, in order to address activities and goal16 setting with regard to communications specific to

17 women’s health. Decisions shall be implemented ei18 ther individually or collectively as required.

19 (2) WOMEN’S HEALTH.—The Director of the

20 Office of Women’s Health at the Public Health

21 Service shall serve as a member of the Committee to

22 ensure that the efforts of the Committee and the

23 Public Health Service reflect pertinent recommenda24 tions and objectives to improve women’s health.

25 (e) MEETINGS.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall, as ap2 propriate, meet not fewer than 4 times a year in

3 order to promote collaboration, enhance cooperation,

4 and develop effective strategies in this effort.

5 (2) ANNUAL FORUM.—The Assistant Secretary

6 for Health shall convene a forum once a year to hear

7 testimony by interested public and private individ8 uals and organizations regarding priorities for areas

9 of women’s health, and shall respond to the testi10 mony and make recommendations regarding the tes11 timony.

12 (f) REPORT.—The Assistant Secretary of Health

13 shall issue a yearly report on the progress of the Commit14 tee’s efforts to establish a coordinated strategy of health

15 promotion and disease prevention activities at the Public

16 Health Service.

17 SEC. 4. DISSEMINATION EFFORTS OF WOMEN’S HEALTH IN18 FORMATION WITHIN PUBLIC HEALTH SERV19 ICE.

20 (a) CLEARINGHOUSE ON WOMEN’S HEALTH.—The

21 Assistant Secretary for Health shall establish the Clear22 inghouse on Women’s Health to compile, archive, and dis23 seminate information concerning women’s health and to

24 publish a yearly summary of such materials to be made

25 available upon request.
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1 (b) OTHER ACTIVITIES.—

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and

3 Human Services may make a grant, or enter into a

4 contract with one or more organizations representing

5 women—

6 (A) to make available information concern7 ing Federal programs, services, informational

8 resources, and benefits related to women’s

9 health;

10 (B) establish a toll-free hotline; and

11 (C) assess demand for publications and

12 costs on an annual basis, and develop publica13 tions as needed.

14 (2) FEES REGARDING TOLL-FREE HOTLINE.—

15 The Clearinghouse may, as necessary, charge an ap16 propriate fee for information provided by the toll17 free hotline. Exceptions shall be made for individuals

18 or organizations that are financially unable to pay

19 such fees.

20 (c) ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN.—The Secretary of

21 Health and Human Services shall conduct an outreach

22 and advertising campaign to women and health profes23 sionals regarding the existence of the clearinghouse and

24 the toll-free number.
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1 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the

2 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized

3 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for

4 each of the fiscal years 1994 through 1999.

5 SEC. 5. STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF HEALTH COMMU6 NICATIONS.

7 The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall

8 convene a study of the Agency for Health Care Policy and

9 Research to evaluate the overall effectiveness of health

10 communications, including the efficacy of existing policies

11 and techniques utilized by the Public Health Service to

12 develop and disseminate such information. The study shall

13 involve evaluation of effort, mode, use of toll-free numbers,

14 and assessment of organization and competency. The

15 study shall also include an analysis of efforts regarding

16 reaching underserved populations. The Agency for Health

17 Care Policy and Research shall make recommendations to

18 the Assistant Secretary for Health on the most effective

19 strategy for reaching the public and presenting health

20 communications.

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