I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4072

To authorize the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

to conduct minority health programs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 30, 2004

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD (for herself and Mrs. CAPITO) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL

To authorize the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention to conduct minority health programs.

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 ‘‘Healthy People, 

5 Healthy Choices Act of 2004’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds as follows: 

8 (1) There is a critical need for the Congress to 

9 lead the Federal Government in making sure that 
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1 members of minority populations are guaranteed ac2 cess to adequate health care. 

3 (2) In the United States, an estimated 108 mil4 lion or 61 percent of adults are considered to be 

5 overweight or obese. 

6 (3) High rates of obesity are associated with a 

7 greater incidence of diseases including heart disease, 

8 diabetes, and various forms of cancers including 

9 breast, uterine, and colon cancer among others. 

10 (4) A lack of access to culturally sensitive med11 ical care and guidelines for healthy eating and exer12 cise habits contributes to poor health outcomes for 

13 minority citizens. 

14 (5) Among members of ethnic minority popu15 lations, the rates of obesity and disease are in16 creased markedly. 

17 (6) According to the 2001 Behavioral Risk Fac18 tor Surveillance System of the Centers for Disease 

19 Control and Prevention, more than one third or 34.7 

20 percent of African-American adults reported no lei21 sure-time physical activity. 

22 (7) Among African-American women, 28.4 per23 cent are inactive, meaning they engage in less than 

24 10 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, 

25 as well as 20.8 percent of African-American men. 
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1 (8) Rates of physical activity are low for both 

2 African-American men and women, with 40.3 per3 cent of men and 31.4 percent of women partici4 pating in a regular fitness routine. 

5 (9) Among Latino- or Hispanic-American 

6 adults, 39.8 percent are not physically active, as 

7 compared to only 22.5 percent of non-Latino white 

8 adults. 

9 SEC. 3. MINORITY HEALTH PROGRAMS. 

10 (a) PUBLIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS.—The Director 

11 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in this 

12 Act referred to as the ‘‘Director’’) shall conduct public 

13 outreach campaigns to increase the awareness of African 

14 Americans and other minority populations, particularly 

15 those who are disproportionately impacted by higher 

16 incidences of obesity and related diseases, about the fol17 lowing: 

18 (1) Nutrition and fitness generally. 

19 (2) Access to, and the affordability of, healthy 

20 foods and dietary supplements. 

21 (3) The need for health promotion to African 

22 Americans and other minority groups. 

23 (4) How to prepare inexpensive, healthy meals. 

24 (5) How to incorporate dietary supplements and 

25 physical activity into daily life. 
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1 (b) GRANTS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING AND

2 EXERCISE.—

3 (1) GRANTS.—The Director may make grants 

4 to not-for-profit organizations servicing medically 

5 underserved populations for the promotion of 

6 healthy eating and regular exercise habits among 

7 minority communities. 

8 (2) USE OF FUNDS.—A grantee may use funds 

9 received under this subsection to provide information 

10 about proper nutrition and increased physical activ11 ity. 

12 (c) GRANTS FOR TRAINING AND DEMONSTRATION

13 PROJECTS.—

14 (1) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—The Congress ap15 plauds the efforts of the Centers for Disease Control 

16 and Prevention to eliminate racial and ethnic dis17 parities in health through the Racial and Ethnic Ap18 proaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 pro19 gram. 

20 (2) GRANTS.—For the purpose of eliminating 

21 racial and ethnic disparities in health, the Director 

22 may make grants to State educational agencies, local 

23 educational agencies, and community organizations 

24 to conduct training events and demonstration 

25 projects for children and their parents in commu-
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1 nities with a significant population of African-Amer2 ican, Latino, Asian-Pacific-Islander, or other minor3 ity individuals. 

4 (3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub5 section, the terms ‘‘State educational agency’’ and 

6 ‘‘local educational agency’’ have the meanings given 

7 to those terms in section 9101 of the Elementary 

8 and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

9 7801). 

10 (d) GRANTS FOR HEALTHY FOOD PRODUCTS.—The 

11 Director may make grants to community organizations to 

12 encourage manufacturers of healthy food products to 

13 make their products available at a discount in commu14 nities with significant minority populations to promote 

15 better health outcomes. 

16 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

17 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

18 such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 

19 2005 through 2010.

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