II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1805 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a guide 

on evidence-based strategies for building and maintaining effective obesity 

prevention and control programs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 12, 2019 

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. JONES) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to develop a guide on evidence-based strategies for building and maintaining effective obesity prevention and control programs, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Better Tools for 

5 Healthy Living Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GUIDE ON EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES FOR 

2 STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OBESITY PRE3 VENTION PROGRAMS. 

4 (a) DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF AN EVI5 DENCE-BASED STRATEGIES GUIDE.—The Secretary of 

6 Health and Human Services (referred to in this section 

7 as the ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Director of the 

8 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not later than 

9 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, shall— 

10 (1) develop a guide on evidence-based strategies 

11 for State and local health departments, Indian 

12 Tribes, and Tribal organizations to use to build and 

13 maintain effective obesity prevention and control 

14 programs, which shall— 

15 (A) describe an integrated program struc16 ture for implementing interventions proven to 

17 be effective in preventing, controlling, and re18 ducing obesity; and 

19 (B) recommend— 

20 (i) optimal resources, including staff21 ing and infrastructure, for promoting nu22 trition and obesity prevention, control and 

23 reduction; and 

24 (ii) strategies for effective obesity pre25 vention programs for State and local 

26 health departments, Indian Tribes, and 


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1 Tribal organizations, including strategies 

2 related to— 

3 (I) the application of evidence4 based practices to prevent, control, 

5 and reduce obesity rates; 

6 (II) demonstrated knowledge of 

7 obesity prevention practices that re8 duce associated preventable diseases, 

9 health conditions, death, and health 

10 care costs; and 

11 (III) interdisciplinary coordina12 tion between relevant public health of13 ficials specializing in fields such as 

14 nutrition, physical activity, epidemi15 ology, communications, and policy im16 plementation; and 

17 (2) disseminate the guide and current research, 

18 evidence-based practices, tools, and educational ma19 terials related to obesity prevention, consistent with 

20 the guide, to State and local health departments, In21 dian Tribes, and Tribal organizations. 

22 (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary, acting 

23 through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 

24 and Prevention, shall provide technical assistance to State 

25 and local health departments, Indian Tribes, and Tribal 


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1 organizations to support such health departments in im2 plementing the guide developed under subsection (a)(1). 

3 (c) INDIAN TRIBES; TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS.—The 

4 terms ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ and ‘‘Tribal organization’’ have the 

5 meanings given the terms ‘‘Indian tribe’’ and ‘‘tribal orga6 nization’’, respectively, in section 4 of the Indian Self-De7 termination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 

8 5304). 

Æ 


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