I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 889
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a program for the
collection and analysis of data on toxic shock syndrome.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 1, 1999
Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. WAXMAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr.
FORD, Mr. FROST, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. BROWN of Cali-
fornia, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. LEE, Mr.
MATSUI, Mrs. MCCARTHY
of New York, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms.
MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mrs. MINK
of Hawaii, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. SHOWS, Mrs. THURMAN, and
Mrs. JONES of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a pro-
gram for the collection and analysis of data on toxic
shock syndrome.
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 ‘‘Robin Danielson Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Of the cases of toxic shock syndrome in the
United States, approximately 50 percent are related
to tampon use and approximately 50 percent occur
in nonmenstruating women and in men and children.
(2) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention (CDC) believes that women are at increased
risk for developing toxic shock syndrome due to a
false sense of security that there is no longer any
risk for developing the disease.
(3) The CDC has estimated that each year such
syndrome strikes more than 1,300 individuals.
Among women in the age group 12 through 44 who
use tampons or barrier contraceptives, between one
and two of every 100,000 will develop the syndrome.
(4) Epidemiological data on cases of toxic shock
syndrome are not systematically collected in the
United States, and information on cases seldom
travels beyond the victim’s circle of family and
friends.
(5) The CDC and the States should cooperate
to collect and analyze such data. Increasing the
amount of information on toxic shock syndrome will
lead to increased awareness about the disease in the
medical community, and may also lead to an in-
creased understanding of the causes of the syn-
drome.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM FOR COLLECTION
AND ANALYSIS OF DATA ON TOXIC SHOCK
SYNDROME.
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 317G the following section:
‘‘COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA ON TOXIC SHOCK
SYNDROME
‘‘SEC. 317H. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, act-
ing through the Director of the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, shall carry out a program to collect,
analyze, and make available data on toxic shock syndrome,
including data on the causes of such syndrome.
‘‘(b) NATIONAL INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE.—In
carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall to the extent practicable determine the na-
tional incidence and prevalence of toxic shock syndrome.
‘‘(c) COOPERATION WITH STATES.—The Secretary
may carry out the program under subsection (a) directly
and through grants to States and local health depart-
ments.
‘‘(d) 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 2000 through 2004.’’.
Æ