II 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3479 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 

the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to 

establish and implement a birth defects prevention, risk reduction, and 

public awareness program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 10, 2010 

Mrs. HAGAN (for herself, Mr. CASEY, and Ms. LANDRIEU) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention, to establish and implement a 

birth defects prevention, risk reduction, and public 

awareness program. 

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 ‘‘Birth Defects Preven5 tion, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act of 2010’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. BIRTH DEFECTS PREVENTION, RISK REDUCTION, 

2 AND AWARENESS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and 

4 implement a birth defects prevention and public awareness 

5 program, consisting of the activities described in sub6 sections (c) and (d). 

7 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

8 (1) The term ‘‘organization’’ means an organi9 zation with a demonstrated ability to provide, and 

10 experience providing, specialized information on pre11 natal exposures and breastfeeding exposures with 

12 oversight by a licensed health care provider. 

13 (2) The term ‘‘pregnancy and breastfeeding in14 formation services’’ includes only— 

15 (A) information services to provide accu16 rate, evidence-based, clinical information re17 garding maternal exposures during pregnancy 

18 that may be associated with birth defects or 

19 other health risks, such as exposures to medica20 tions, chemicals, infections, foodborne patho21 gens, illnesses, nutrition, or lifestyle factors; 

22 (B) information services to provide accu23 rate, evidence-based, clinical information re24 garding maternal exposures during 

25 breastfeeding that may be associated with 

26 health risks to a breast-fed infant, such as exVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:27 Jun 11, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3479.IS S3479

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1 posures to medications, chemicals, infections, 

2 foodborne pathogens, illnesses, nutrition, or life3 style factors; 

4 (C) the provision of accurate, evidence5 based information weighing risks of exposures 

6 during breastfeeding against benefits of 

7 breastfeeding; and 

8 (D) the provision of information described 

9 in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) through coun10 selors, Web sites, fact sheets, telephonic or elec11 tronic communication, community outreach ef12 forts, or other appropriate means. 

13 (3) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

14 of Health and Human Services, acting through the 

15 Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre16 vention. 

17 (c) NATIONWIDE MEDIA CAMPAIGN.—In carrying out 

18 subsection (a), the Secretary shall conduct or support a 

19 nationwide media campaign to increase awareness among 

20 health care providers and at-risk populations about preg21 nancy and breastfeeding information services. 

22 (d) GRANTS FOR PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING

23 INFORMATION SERVICES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out subsection 

2 (a), the Secretary shall award grants to organiza3 tions for any of the following: 

4 (A) INFORMATION SERVICES.—The provi5 sion of, or campaigns to increase awareness 

6 about, pregnancy and breastfeeding information 

7 services. 

8 (B) SURVEILLANCE AND RESEARCH.—The 

9 conduct or support of— 

10 (i) surveillance of, or research on— 

11 (I) maternal exposures that may 

12 influence the risk of birth defects, pre13 maturity, or other adverse pregnancy 

14 outcomes; and 

15 (II) maternal exposures that may 

16 influence health risks to a breastfed 

17 infant; or 

18 (ii) networking to facilitate surveil19 lance or research described in this sub20 paragraph. 

21 (2) PREFERENCE FOR CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS

22 IN CERTAIN STATES.—The Secretary, in making any 

23 grant under this subsection, shall give preference to 

24 organizations, otherwise equally qualified, operating 

25 in States that have or had a pregnancy and 


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1 breastfeeding information service in place on or after 

2 January 1, 2006. 

3 (3) MATCHING FUNDS.—The Secretary may 

4 award a grant under this subsection only to an orga5 nization that agrees, with respect to the costs to be 

6 incurred in carrying out the grant activities, to make 

7 available (directly or through donations from public 

8 or private entities) non-Federal funds toward such 

9 costs in an amount that is not less than 25 percent 

10 of the amount of the grant. 

11 (4) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall en12 sure that activities funded through a grant under 

13 this subsection are coordinated, to the maximum ex14 tent practicable, with other birth defects prevention 

15 and environmental health activities of the Federal 

16 Government, including with respect to pediatric envi17 ronmental health specialty units and children’s envi18 ronmental health centers. 

19 (e) EVALUATION.—In furtherance of the program 

20 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide for an 

21 evaluation of pregnancy and breastfeeding information 

22 services to identify efficient and effective models of— 

23 (1) providing information; 

24 (2) raising awareness and increasing knowledge 

25 about birth defects prevention measures; 


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1 (3) modifying risk behaviors; or 

2 (4) other outcome measures as determined ap3 propriate by the Secretary. 

4 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

5 out this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated 

6 $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, $6,000,000 for fiscal year 

7 2012, $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2013, $8,000,000 for fis8 cal year 2014, and $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2015. 

Æ 


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