I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 259
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the prevention of
fetal alcohol syndrome, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 7, 1997
Mr. RICHARDSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for
the prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome, 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 ‘‘Comprehensive Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Act’’.
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SEC. 2. PREVENTION OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME; PRO-
GRAM OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL
ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM.
Subpart 14 of part C of title IV of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285n et seq.) is amended by adding
at the end the following section:
‘‘FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME
‘‘SEC. 464K. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the
Institute shall establish a program for the conduct and
support of research and training, the dissemination of
health information, and other programs with respect to
the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of fetal al-
cohol syndrome and the related condition known as fetal
alcohol effects (which syndrome and effects are referred
to collectively in this section as ‘fetal alcohol conditions’).
‘‘(b) INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (6),
the Secretary shall establish a committee to be
known as the Interagency Coordinating Committee
on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (in this subsection re-
ferred to as the ‘Coordinating Committee’).
‘‘(2) DUTIES.—With respect to fetal alcohol
conditions, the Coordinating Committee shall—
‘‘(A) coordinate the activities of the Na-
tional Institutes of Health; and
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‘‘(B) coordinate the aspects of all Federal
health programs and activities relating to such
conditions in order to assure the adequacy and
technical soundness of such programs and ac-
tivities, and in order to provide for the full com-
munication and exchange of information nec-
essary to maintain adequate coordination of
such programs and activities.
‘‘(3) COMPOSITION.—The Coordinating Com-
mittee shall be composed of—
‘‘(A) the directors of each of the national
research institutes, and the heads of other
agencies of the National Institutes of Health,
that are involved in research on fetal alcohol
conditions; and
‘‘(B) representatives of all other Federal
departments and agencies whose programs in-
volve health functions or responsibilities rel-
evant to such conditions.
‘‘(4) CHAIR.—The Secretary shall designate a
member of the Coordinating Committee to serve as
the chair of the Committee. The Committee shall
meet at the call of the Chair, but not less than four
times a year.
‘‘(5) ANNUAL REPORT.—
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‘‘(A) In carrying out paragraph (2), the
Coordinating Committee shall comply with the
following:
‘‘(i) Identify and monitor all activities
regarding fetal alcohol conditions that are
conducted or supported by the Department
of Health and Human Services and other
Federal departments or agencies.
‘‘(ii) Identify the goals expected to be
achieved through the activities.
‘‘(iii) Conduct evaluations of the ex-
tent to which the activities have been effec-
tive in achieving such goals.
‘‘(iv) Determine the extent to which
the activities have been coordinated with
each other.
‘‘(v) Make recommendations on the
activities that should be carried out, on
priorities among the activities, and on the
coordination of the activities.
‘‘(B) Subject to paragraph (6)(B), the Co-
ordinating Committee shall, for each fiscal year,
prepare and submit to the Congress a report
detailing the activities of the Committee in car-
rying out the duties of the Committee for the
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fiscal year. The Coordinating Committee shall
submit copies of each such report to the Sec-
retary, the Director of NIH, the officials speci-
fied in paragraph (3)(A), and the advisory
council for the Institute. Except as provided in
paragraph (6)(B), each such report shall be
submitted not later than February 1 of the fis-
cal year following the fiscal year for which the
report is prepared.
‘‘(6) INITIAL INTRADEPARTMENTAL STATUS OF
COMMITTEE.—
‘‘(A) During fiscal years 1998 and 1999,
the Secretary shall ensure that individuals ap-
pointed to the Coordinating Committee under
paragraph (3)(B) include only officers or em-
ployees of the Department of Health and
Human Services, and that the duties of the Co-
ordinating Committee are carried out only with
respect to such Department.
‘‘(B) The first report under subparagraph
(B) of paragraph (5) shall concern fiscal years
1996 and 1997, and shall consist of the find-
ings and recommendations made by the Coordi-
nating Committee in applying subparagraph (A)
of such paragraph to the Department of Health
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and Human Services. Such report shall be sub-
mitted not later than February 1, 2000.
‘‘(7) PREVENTION
ACTIVITIES.—With respect
to activities for the prevention of fetal alcohol condi-
tions—
‘‘(A) the Coordinating Committee shall, as
soon as is practicable after the date on which
this section takes effect, develop recommenda-
tions under paragraph (5)(A) regarding the De-
partment of Health and Human Services; and
‘‘(B) such Committee shall, as soon as is
practicable after October 1, 1999, develop rec-
ommendations under such paragraph regarding
other departments and agencies of the Federal
Government.
‘‘(c) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Activities under subsection
(a) regarding fetal alcohol conditions shall include
conducting and supporting basic and applied re-
search, including epidemiological research; dem-
onstrations; the training of health professionals, in-
cluding the development of professional practice
standards for detecting and preventing such condi-
tions in pregnant women and for counseling such
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women; the evaluation of programs, including train-
ing programs; and the dissemination of diagnostic
criteria. Activities under such subsection shall in-
clude the provision of technical assistance to public
and nonprofit private entities that carry out such
programs.
‘‘(2) PREVENTION; PUBLIC AWARENESS.—
‘‘(A) With respect to the prevention of
fetal alcohol conditions, each of the require-
ments of paragraph (1) regarding the conduct
and support of various types of activities shall
be carried out, except to the extent inapplicable
to prevention activities. Activities conducted or
supported pursuant to the preceding sentence
shall include carrying out a comprehensive pro-
gram to educate health professionals and the
general public, and shall include programs di-
rected toward at-risk populations. Programs
under this paragraph that are directed toward
particular populations shall be provided in the
language and cultural context most appropriate
for the population involved.
‘‘(B) In the conduct and support of activi-
ties under subparagraph (A), special emphasis
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shall be placed upon the utilization of collabo-
rative efforts with both the public and private
sectors for the purpose of—
‘‘(i) increasing the awareness and
knowledge of health professionals and the
public regarding the prevention of fetal al-
cohol conditions; and
‘‘(ii) developing and disseminating to
health professionals, patients and patient
families, and the public information de-
signed to encourage individuals to adopt
healthful practices concerning the preven-
tion of such conditions.
‘‘(d) UNIFORM CRITERIA FOR COLLECTION AND RE-
PORTING OF DATA.—In order to provide for the com-
parability of data on fetal alcohol conditions, the Secretary
shall, to the extent practicable, develop uniform criteria
for the collection and reporting of such data by or through
the National Institutes of Health and the other agencies
of the Department of Health and Human Services. The
Secretary shall encourage the States to utilize such cri-
teria.
‘‘(e) COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary
may require that an activity under this section be carried
out in collaboration with or through one or more of the
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other agencies of the Department of Health and Human
Services, and amounts made available under subsection (f)
are available to the Secretary for such purpose.
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for
each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002.’’.
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