II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1204 

To enhance Federal efforts focused on public awareness and education about 

the risks and dangers associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 25, 2007 

Mr. DODD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To enhance Federal efforts focused on public awareness and 

education about the risks and dangers associated with 

Shaken Baby Syndrome. 

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 ‘‘Shaken Baby Syn5 drome Prevention Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Shaken Baby Syndrome is a term used to 

9 describe the constellation of symptoms, trauma, and 

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1 ing, or abusive impact to the head, of an infant, tod2 dler or other young child. 

3 (2) Shaken Baby Syndrome is a form of child 

4 abuse affecting between 1,200 and 1,600 children 

5 every year. 

6 (3) Children who are age 1 or younger ac7 counted for 41.9 percent of all child abuse and ne8 glect fatalities in 2005, and children who are age 4 

9 or younger accounted for 76.6 percent of all child 

10 abuse and neglect facilities in 2005. 

11 (4) The most recent National Child Abuse and 

12 Neglect Data System figures reveal that almost 

13 900,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect 

14 in the United States in 2005. That abuse and ne15 glect caused unspeakable pain and suffering to the 

16 Nation’s most vulnerable citizens. 

17 (5) It is estimated that between one-quarter 

18 and one-third of Shaken Baby Syndrome victims die 

19 as a result of their injuries, while one-third suffer 

20 permanent, severe disabilities including paralysis, 

21 seizures, loss of hearing or vision, cognitive impair22 ments, and other disabilities, often resulting in a 

23 lifetime of extraordinary medical, educational, and 

24 care expenses. 


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1 (6) Shaken Baby Syndrome is preventable. Pre2 vention programs have demonstrated that educating 

3 new parents and other caregivers about the danger 

4 of shaking young children, healthy strategies for 

5 coping with infant crying, infant soothing skills, and 

6 how to protect children from injury can bring about 

7 a significant reduction in the number of cases of 

8 Shaken Baby Syndrome. 

9 (7) Efforts to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome 

10 are supported by child welfare and advocacy groups 

11 across the United States, including many groups 

12 formed by parents and relatives of children who have 

13 been killed or injured by the syndrome. 

14 (8) Education programs have been shown to 

15 raise awareness about Shaken Baby Syndrome and 

16 provide critically important information about the 

17 syndrome to caregivers, day care workers, child pro18 tection employees, law enforcement personnel, health 

19 care providers, and legal representatives. 

20 (9) Education programs can give parents 

21 healthy strategies for dealing with a crying infant 

22 and change the knowledge and behavior of parents 

23 of young children. 

24 SEC. 3. PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN. 

25 (a) IN GENERAL.— 


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1 (1) DEVELOPMENT.—The Secretary of Health 

2 and Human Services (referred to in this Act as the 

3 ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Director of the Na4 tional Center for Injury Prevention and Control of 

5 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 

6 Director of the National Institute of Child Health 

7 and Human Development, the Director of the Ma8 ternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Re9 sources and Services Administration, and the Direc10 tor of the Office of Child Abuse and Neglect in the 

11 Administration for Children and Families, shall de12 velop an effective national Shaken Baby Syndrome 

13 public health campaign. 

14 (2) INFORMATION.—The public health cam15 paign shall inform the general public, and new par16 ents, child care providers and other caregivers of 

17 young children, health care providers, and social 

18 workers, among others, about brain injuries and 

19 other harmful effects that may result from shaking, 

20 or abusive impact to the head, of infants and chil21 dren under age 5, and healthy strategies to cope 

22 with a crying infant and related frustrations, in 

23 order to help protect children from injury. 

24 (3) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the public 

25 health campaign, the Secretary shall also coordinate 


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1 activities with providers of other support services to 

2 parents and other caregivers of young children. 

3 (b) ACTIVITIES.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the public 

5 health campaign, the Secretary shall carry out the 

6 activities described in paragraphs (2) through (4). 

7 (2) NATIONAL ACTION PLAN AND STRATE8 GIES.—The Secretary shall— 

9 (A) develop a National Action Plan and ef10 fective strategies to increase awareness of op11 portunities to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome 

12 through activities that comprehensively and sys13 tematically provide information and instruction 

14 about healthy strategies for parents and other 

15 caregivers concerning how to cope with a crying 

16 infant and related frustrations; and 

17 (B) coordinate the Plan and effective strat18 egies with evidence-based strategies and efforts 

19 that support families with infants and other 

20 young children, such as home visiting programs 

21 and respite child care efforts, which have a role 

22 to play in prevention of the syndrome. 

23 (3) COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION, AND TRAIN24 ING.—The Secretary shall carry out communication, 

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1 drome prevention, including efforts to communicate 

2 with the general public by— 

3 (A) disseminating effective prevention 

4 practices and techniques to parents and care5 givers through maternity hospitals, child care 

6 centers, organizations providing prenatal and 

7 postnatal care, organizations providing pro8 grams for fathers, and organizations providing 

9 parenting education and support services; 

10 (B)(i) producing evidence-based edu11 cational and informational materials in print, 

12 audio, video, electronic, and other media, giving 

13 special attention to educating young men and 

14 English language learners through the mate15 rials; and 

16 (ii) coordinating activities carried out 

17 under clause (i) with national and Federal 

18 awareness activities, such as the activities ac19 companying Shaken Baby Awareness Week, to 

20 the extent possible; 

21 (C) carrying out Shaken Baby Syndrome 

22 training, which shall aim— 

23 (i) to ensure that primary care pro24 viders, home visitors, parent educators, 

25 child care providers, foster parents and 


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1 others involved in the care of young chil2 dren, and nurses, physicians, and other 

3 health care providers, are aware of ways to 

4 prevent abusive head trauma and other 

5 forms of child maltreatment, and the need 

6 to secure immediate medical attention in 

7 cases of head trauma; and 

8 (ii) to provide health care providers 

9 and early childhood educators with the 

10 knowledge, skills, and materials to simply, 

11 quickly, and effectively educate parents, in12 cluding adoptive and foster parents, as well 

13 as others who are caregivers of young chil14 dren, about infant crying and thus reduce 

15 abuse. 

16 (4) SUPPORTS FOR PARENTS AND CARE17 GIVERS.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in con19 sultation with the Shaken Baby Awareness Ad20 visory Council, shall work to ensure that the 

21 parents and caregivers of children are con22 nected to effective supports through the coordi23 nation of existing programs and networks or 

24 the establishment of new programs. 


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1 (B) SUPPORTS.—To the extent practicable, 

2 the supports provided under this paragraph 

3 shall include the provision of a 24-hour phone 

4 hotline, and the development of an Internet 

5 website for round-the-clock support, for— 

6 (i) parents and caregivers who strug7 gle with infant crying and related con8 cerns; 

9 (ii) parents and caregivers of sur10 viving children who suffer serious injuries 

11 as a result of shaking or an abusive impact 

12 to the head, as a young child; and 

13 (iii) parents and family members of 

14 children who do not survive such shaking 

15 or abusive impact. 

16 (c) SHAKEN BABY AWARENESS ADVISORY COUN17 CIL.— 

18 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a 

19 Shaken Baby Awareness Advisory Council (referred 

20 to in this subsection as the ‘‘Council’’). 

21 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Council shall be com22 posed of members appointed by the Secretary, not 

23 later than 6 months after the date of enactment of 

24 this Act, including, to the maximum extent possible, 

25 representatives from— 


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1 (A) Shaken Baby Awareness advocacy or2 ganizations, including groups formed by parents 

3 and relatives of victims; 

4 (B) child protection advocacy organiza5 tions; 

6 (C) organizations involved in child protec7 tion and child maltreatment prevention; 

8 (D) disability advocacy organizations; 

9 (E) pediatric medical associations; 

10 (F) psychologists, child development pro11 fessionals, or family studies professionals; 

12 (G) professional associations or institutions 

13 involved in medical research related to abusive 

14 head trauma; 

15 (H) academic institutions; 

16 (I) parenting support organizations, in17 cluding those providing programs targeted to18 wards fathers; 

19 (J) organizations who come in contact with 

20 families and caregivers of infants, toddlers, and 

21 other young children; and 

22 (K) other Federal and State agencies in23 volved in child abuse prevention activities. 

24 (3) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.— 


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1 (A) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT.—The Sec2 retary shall, after consultation with the mem3 bers of the Council initially appointed by the 

4 Secretary under paragraph (2), determine and 

5 establish the term of service on the Council that 

6 shall apply to all current and future members. 

7 (B) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the 

8 Council shall not affect the powers of the Coun9 cil, but shall be filled in the same manner as 

10 the original appointment. 

11 (4) DUTIES.—The Council shall meet at least 

12 semi-annually— 

13 (A) to develop recommendations regarding 

14 the National Action Plan and effective strate15 gies described in subsection (b)(2); and 

16 (B) to develop recommendations related to 

17 support services for families and caregivers of 

18 young children. 

19 (5) PERSONNEL.— 

20 (A) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of 

21 the Council shall not receive compensation for 

22 the performance of services for the Council, but 

23 shall be allowed travel expenses, including per 

24 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized 

25 for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 


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1 chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while 

2 away from their homes or regular places of 

3 business in the performance of services for the 

4 Council. Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 

5 31, United States Code, the Secretary may ac6 cept the voluntary and uncompensated services 

7 of members of the Council. 

8 (B) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOY9 EES.—Any Federal Government employee may 

10 be detailed to the Council without reimburse11 ment, and such detail shall be without interrup12 tion or loss of civil service status or privilege. 

13 (6) TERMINATION OF COMMITTEE.—Section 14 

14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 

15 App.) shall not apply to the Council. The Secretary 

16 shall terminate the Council when the Secretary de17 termines, after consultation with the Council, that it 

18 is no longer necessary to pursue the goals and carry 

19 out the activities of the Council. 

20 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

21 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

22 this Act $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such sums 

23 as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, 

24 and 2011. 

Æ 


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