I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1966
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out
programs regarding the prevention and management of asthma, allergies,
and related respiratory problems, to establish a tax credit regarding
pest control services for multifamily residential housing in low-income
communities, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 26, 1999
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD (for herself, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. BROWN
of California, Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. CARSON, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CLY-
BURN, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. DANNER, Mr. FROST, Mr. GREEN of Texas,
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HILLIARD, Ms. NORTON, Ms. HOOLEY of
Oregon, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. KENNEDY of
Rhode Island, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. LEE, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri,
Ms. MCKINNEY, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mrs.
MORELLA, Mr. OWENS, Ms. PELOSI, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RUSH,
Ms. SANCHEZ, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. TOWNS,
Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. WEYGAND, and Mr. WYNN) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in
addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to carry out programs regarding the prevention and man-
agement of asthma, allergies, and related respiratory
problems, to establish a tax credit regarding pest control
services for multifamily residential housing in low-income
communities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Asthma Awareness,
Education and Treatment Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Asthma is a chronic lung condition that af-
fects an estimated 14,600,000 Americans, including
4,800,000 children.
(2) An estimated 40,000,000 to 50,000,000
Americans suffer from allergies, including allergic
asthma.
(3) Asthma is the most common chronic res-
piratory disease of children, accounting for 25 per-
cent of school absenteeism, and is the third leading
cause of preventable hospitalizations.
(4) During the period 1980 through 1994 the
prevalence of pediatric asthma increased by 72 per-
cent, and the percentage of preschool children with
asthma increased by 160 percent.
(5) The prevalence of asthma is greater in
women than in men (5.6 percent of women as com-
pared to 5.1 percent of men).
(6) The prevalence of asthma is greater in low-
income families. In families with an annual income
of less than $10,000, 79.2 of 1,000 individuals who
are under the age of 45 have asthma, while in fami-
lies with an annual income of between $20,000 and
$35,000, 53.6 of 1,000 individuals under the age of
45 have asthma.
(7) In 1997, more than 5,000 Americans died
from asthma attacks. During the period 1993
through 1995, the average number of deaths from
asthma for African Americans was 38.5 deaths per
million individuals, while the average for Caucasians
was 15.1 deaths per million.
(8) Asthma is estimated to cost the United
States over $12,000,000,000 annually and the rise
in the prevalence of asthma will lead to higher costs
in the future.
(9) African Americans are five times more like-
ly than other segments of the population to seek
care for asthma at an emergency room.
(10) The asthma death rate is four times high-
er among African American children and two times
higher among all African Americans.
(11) Exercise improves the physical and psycho-
logical well-being of children, including improving
self-esteem, and it can help children manage their
asthma and form life-long habits of physical activity
that can improve the quality of life and the length
of life of the individual.
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR PROJECTS FOR ASTHMA-RELATED AC-
TIVITIES FOR LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) may make grants to public and nonprofit private
entities for the purpose of carrying out projects to provide
for individuals in low-income communities—
(1) screenings and referrals regarding asthma,
allergies, and related respiratory problems in accord-
ance with subsection (b);
(2) information and education regarding such
conditions in accordance with subsection (c); and
(3) workshops regarding such conditions that
are provided for parents, teachers, physical edu-
cation instructors, school nurses, school counselors,
athletic coaches, and other individuals who serve in
supervisory roles of children in such communities.
(b) SCREENINGS AND REFERRALS.—The Secretary
shall ensure that screenings and referrals regarding asth-
ma, allergies, and related respiratory problems under sub-
section (a) are comprehensive, and that the settings in
which the screenings and referrals are provided include—
(1) traditional medical settings such as hos-
pitals, health clinics, and the offices of physicians;
and
(2) nontraditional settings for the provision of
such services, such as nurseries, elementary and sec-
ondary schools, community centers, public housing
units, volunteer organizations, convenience stores,
local governmental offices, day care centers, sites
that offer nutrition-related services for women, in-
fants, and children, and governmental offices that
provide cash assistance for low-income individuals.
(c) INFORMATION AND EDUCATION.—The Secretary
shall ensure that information and education on asthma,
allergies, and related respiratory problems under sub-
section (a) is provided in accordance with the following:
(1) The information and education is provided
in the language and cultural context that is most ap-
propriate for the individuals for whom the informa-
tion and education is intended.
(2) The information and education includes in-
formation and education to increase understanding
on the following:
(A) The symptoms of the conditions.
uals served by the projects prevent and manage
asthma, allergies, and related respiratory problems;
and
(3) evaluating the effectiveness of materials
used in providing information and education.
(e) INCLUSION IN PROJECT OF LOCAL COMMUNITY-
BASED ORGANIZATION.—A condition for the receipt of a
grant under subsection (a) is that—
(1) the applicant for the grant be a community-
based organization that provides services in the low-
income community in which the project under such
subsection is to be carried out; or
(2) the applicant for the grant demonstrate to
the Secretary that one or more representatives from
such an organization will play a substantial role in
carrying out the project.
(f) APPLICATION FOR GRANT.—The Secretary may
make a grant under subsection (a) only if an application
for the grant is submitted to the Secretary and the appli-
cation is in such form, is made in such manner, and con-
tains such agreements, assurances, and information as the
Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out this sec-
tion
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized
to be appropriated $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2000, and
such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
2001 through 2004.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO PROVIDE ASTHMA-
RELATED INFORMATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) may make awards of contracts to provide for a
national media campaign to provide to the public and
health care providers information on asthma, allergies,
and related respiratory problems, with priority given to the
occurrence of such conditions in children.
(b) CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall
ensure that the national media campaign under subsection
(a) is carried out in accordance with the following:
(1) The campaign provides information regard-
ing the prevention and management of asthma, al-
lergies, and related respiratory problems.
(2) With respect to a community in which the
campaign is carried out—
(A) the campaign provides information re-
garding the availability in the community of
programs that provide screenings, referrals, and
treatment regarding such conditions and train-
ing in managing the conditions; and
(B) the campaign is carried out in the lan-
guage and cultural context that is most appro-
priate for the individuals for whom the cam-
paign is intended.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized
to be appropriated $600,000 for fiscal year 2000, and
such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
2001 through 2004.
SEC. 5. TAX CREDIT FOR DONATIONS OF PEST CONTROL
AND CLIMATE CONTROL SERVICES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart D of part IV of sub-
chapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (relating to business related credits) is amended by
adding at the end the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 45D. CREDIT FOR DONATIONS OF PEST CONTROL
AND CLIMATE CONTROL SERVICES.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of section 38, in
the case of a taxpayer engaged in the trade or business
of providing pest control or climate control services, the
donation credit determined under this section for the tax-
able year is an amount equal to 10 percent of the aggre-
gate cost (including wages) paid or incurred by the tax-
payer during the taxable year in providing qualified pest
control and climate control services.
‘‘(b) QUALIFIED PEST CONTROL AND CLIMATE CON-
TROL SERVICES.—For purposes of this section—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘qualified pest
control and climate control services’ means pest con-
trol and climate control services provided without
charge in—
‘‘(A) any public housing (as defined in sec-
tion 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of
1937), or
‘‘(B) any multifamily residential rental
property if it is reasonably expected that at
least 75 percent of the occupants of the dwell-
ing units have incomes below 200 percent of the
official poverty line,
but only if such services are part of a good faith ef-
fort (including follow-up treatments) to accomplish
the intended result and are verified in such manner
as the Secretary shall prescribe.
‘‘(2) PEST CONTROL AND CLIMATE CONTROL
SERVICES.—For purposes of paragraph (1), the
term ‘pest control and climate control services’
means services—
‘‘(A) to eliminate cockroaches, dust mites,
animal dander, and mold, or
‘‘(B) to improve poor ventilation and lack
of temperature control.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) Section 38(b) of such Code is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘plus’’ at the end of para-
graph (11),
(B) by striking the period at the end of
paragraph (12), and inserting a comma and
‘‘plus’’, and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(13) in the case of a taxpayer engaged in the
trade or business of providing pest control or climate
control services (as defined in section 45D(b)(2)),
the donation credit determined under section 45D.’’.
(2) Subsection (d) of section 39 of such Code
(relating to carryback and carryforward of unused
credits) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph:
‘‘(9) NO CARRYBACK OF SECTION 45D CREDIT
BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2000.—No portion of the un-
used business credit for any taxable year which is
attributable to the credit determined under section
45D may be carried back to a taxable year begin-
ning before January 1, 2000.’’.
(3) The table of sections for subpart D of part
IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is
amended by adding at the end the following new
item:
‘‘Sec. 45D. Credit for donations of pest control and climate con-
trol services.’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after
December 31, 1999.
SEC. 6. RESEARCH ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AIR POL-
LUTANTS AND ASTHMA-RELATED PROBLEMS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’), in consultation with the Administrator of the En-
vironmental Protection Agency, shall (directly or through
grants and contracts) provide for the conduct of research
for the purpose of determining whether and to what extent
there is a causal relationship between air pollutants and
the occurrence of asthma, allergies, and related res-
piratory problems.
(b) REQUIREMENT REGARDING CLINICAL PARTICI-
PANTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In providing for the conduct
of clinical research under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall give priority to providing to individuals
described in paragraph (2) opportunities to undergo
clinical evaluations for purposes of the research.
(2) RELEVANT POPULATIONS.—For purposes of
paragraph (1), the individuals referred to in this
paragraph are individuals who are residents of com-
munities in which the average family income is at or
below 200 percent of the official poverty line, as es-
tablished by the Director of the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget and revised by the Secretary in ac-
cordance with section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1981.
SEC. 7. COORDINATION OF FEDERAL ACTIVITIES TO AD-
DRESS 
ASTHMA-RELATED 
HEALTH 
CARE
NEEDS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute shall, through the Na-
tional Asthma Education Prevention Program Coordi-
nating Committee—
(1) identify all Federal programs that carry out
asthma-related activities;
(2) develop, in consultation with appropriate
Federal agencies and professional and voluntary
health organizations, a Federal plan for responding
to asthma; and
(3) not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, submit recommendations to
the Congress on ways to strengthen and improve the
coordination of asthma-related activities of the Fed-
eral Government.
(b) REPRESENTATION
OF
THE DEPARTMENT
OF
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.—A representative
of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
shall be included on the National Asthma Education Pre-
vention Program Coordinating Committee for the purpose
of performing the tasks described in subsection (a).
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Out of
any funds otherwise appropriated for the National Insti-
tutes of Health, $5,000,000 shall be made available to the
National Asthma Education Prevention Program for the
period of fiscal years 2000 through 2004 for the purpose
of carrying out this section. Funds made available under
this subsection shall be in addition to any other funds ap-
propriated to the National Asthma Education Prevention
Program for any fiscal year during such period.
SEC. 8. COMPILATION OF DATA BY CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION.
The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, in consultation with the National Asthma
Education Prevention Program Coordinating Committee,
shall—
(1) conduct local asthma surveillance activities
to collect data on the prevalence and severity of
asthma and the quality of asthma management,
including—
(A) telephone surveys to collect sample
household data on the local burden of asthma;
and
(B) health care facility specific surveillance
to collect asthma data on the prevalence and se-
verity of asthma, and on the quality of asthma
care; and
(2) compile and annually publish data on—
(A) the prevalence of children suffering
from asthma in each State; and
(B) the childhood mortality rate associated
with asthma nationally and in each State.
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