I 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5284 

To establish an interagency task force to develop a national strategy to 

combat the increase in infertility in the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 3, 2006 

Mr. PALLONE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To establish an interagency task force to develop a national 

strategy to combat the increase in infertility in the 

United States. 

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

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 The Congress finds as follows: 

5 (1) The number of couples reporting infertility 

6 has increased from 6.1 million in 2002 to more than 

7 7.5 million currently. 

8 (2) Studies reveal that 80 to 90 percent of in9 fertility is acquired and could be prevented. 


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1 (3) Sexually transmitted diseases (‘‘STDs’’) are 

2 the most preventable causes of infertility and poten3 tially fatal tubal pregnancies. 

4 (4) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre5 vention estimates that 19 million new STD infec6 tions occur each year, with almost half of them 

7 among young people ages 15 to 24 and with an in8 creased incidence in minority populations. 

9 (5) New data reveals that environmental toxins, 

10 including lead and mercury, as well as tobacco and 

11 alcohol, are a direct threat to reproductive health. 

12 (6) The Nation’s expanding aging population 

13 requires that health care providers and government 

14 agencies be prepared to address the fertility com15 plications of aging. 

16 (7) In 10 percent of infertility cases, the causes 

17 cannot be explained. 

18 (8) Public awareness of the causes of infertility 

19 can reduce its incidence. 

20 (9) Many medical schools lack the resources to 

21 adequately train students in the causes, treatment, 

22 and patient counseling needed to reduce the inci23 dence of infertility. 


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1 SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY INFERTILITY PREVENTION TASK 

2 FORCE. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a task 

4 force to be known as the ‘‘Infertility Prevention Task 

5 Force’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 

6 (b) DUTIES.—The Task Force shall develop a strat7 egy for the Federal Government to facilitate activities to 

8 prevent infertility, including strategies for— 

9 (1) maximizing cooperation among departments 

10 and agencies of the Federal Government and the use 

11 of resources of the Federal Government in compiling 

12 data on the incidence of infertility and the incidence 

13 and impact of the various contributing factors; 

14 (2) coordinating and encouraging research in 

15 the public and private sector on the causes and 

16 treatment of infertility; 

17 (3) developing integrated Federal policies to 

18 promote public awareness of the causes of infertility 

19 that would include substantial participation by the 

20 private sector; 

21 (4) creating an infertility prevention curriculum 

22 to serve as a model for the Nation’s medical schools; 

23 and 

24 (5) establishing partnerships with industry, or25 ganized labor, academia, and State and local govern26 ments— 


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1 (A) to collect and disseminate information 

2 on infertility prevention; and 

3 (B) to coordinate appropriate agency re4 sources, including grants, loans, and scholar5 ships in the area of infertility prevention, in6 cluding research on the causes and treatment, 

7 increased public awareness and improved med8 ical education. 

9 (c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

10 (1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Task 

11 Force shall be composed of 10 members, as follows: 

12 (A) One member shall be the Assistant 

13 Secretary for Health. 

14 (B) One member shall be a representative 

15 of the National Institutes of Health and shall 

16 be designated by the Director of such agency. 

17 (C) One member shall be a representative 

18 of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven19 tion and shall be designated by the Director of 

20 such agency. 

21 (D) One member shall be a representative 

22 of the Agency for Healthcare Research and 

23 Quality and shall be designated by the Director 

24 of such agency. 


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1 (E) One member shall be a representative 

2 of the Environmental Protection Agency and 

3 shall be designated by the Administrator of 

4 such agency. 

5 (F) One member shall be a representative 

6 of the Association of American Medical Colleges 

7 and shall be appointed by the Secretary of 

8 Health and Human Services. 

9 (G) Four members shall be practicing or 

10 retired obstetrics-and-gynecology physicians 

11 specializing in fertility techniques and infertility 

12 prevention. Of such members— 

13 (i) one shall be appointed by the 

14 Speaker of the House of Representatives; 

15 (ii) one shall be appointed by the mi16 nority leader of the House; 

17 (iii) one shall be appointed by the ma18 jority leader of the Senate; and 

19 (iv) one shall be appointed by the mi20 nority leader of the Senate. 

21 (2) CHAIRPERSON.—The Assistant Secretary 

22 for Health shall serve as the chairperson of the Task 

23 Force. 

24 (3) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—Each of 

25 the members of the Task Force shall be designated 


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1 or appointed under subsection (c) for service on the 

2 Task Force not later than 90 days after the date of 

3 the enactment of this Act. 

4 (4) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Task Force 

5 shall be filled in the manner in which the original 

6 appointment was made. 

7 (5) PROHIBITION OF COMPENSATION.—Mem8 bers of the Task Force may not receive pay, allow9 ances, or benefits by reason of their service on the 

10 Task Force. 

11 (d) MEETINGS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall meet 

13 at the call of the Chairperson. 

14 (2) FREQUENCY.—The Task Force shall meet 

15 not less than four times each year. 

16 (3) QUORUM.—Six members of the Task Force 

17 shall constitute a quorum. 

18 (e) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than one year 

19 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 

20 thereafter for the succeeding four years, the Task Force 

21 shall submit to the Congress, and make available to the 

22 public, a report detailing the activities of the Task Force 

23 and containing the findings, strategies, recommendations, 

24 policies, and initiatives developed pursuant to the duties 

25 of the Task Force under subsection (b). 


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1 (f) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate 

2 on the date of the submission of the final report under 

3 subsection (e). 

Æ 


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