I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4376
To initiate a coordinated national effort to prevent, detect, and educate
the public concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect
and to identify effective interventions for children, adolescents, and adults
with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 31, 1998
Mrs. MORELLA (for herself, Mr. BEREUTER, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. MALONEY of
New York, and Ms. DELAURO) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To initiate a coordinated national effort to prevent, detect,
and educate the public concerning Fetal Alcohol Syn-
drome and Fetal Alcohol Effect and to identify effective
interventions for children, adolescents, and adults with
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect, 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 ‘‘Fetal Alcohol Syn-
drome and Fetal Alcohol Effect Prevention and Services
Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading
known cause of mental retardation, and it is 100
percent preventable;
(2) each year, up to 12,000 infants are born in
the United States with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, suf-
fering irreversible physical and mental damage;
(3) thousands more infants are born each year
with Fetal Alcohol Effect, also known as Alcohol Re-
lated Neurobehavioral Disorder (ARND), a related
and equally tragic syndrome;
(4) children of women who use alcohol while
pregnant have a significantly higher infant mortality
rate (13.3 per 1000) than children of those women
who do not use alcohol (8.6 per 1000);
(5) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol
Effect are national problems which can impact any
child, family, or community, but their threat to
American Indians and Alaska Natives is especially
alarming;
(6) in some American Indian communities,
where alcohol dependency rates reach 50 percent
and above, the chances of a newborn suffering Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effect are up to
30 times greater than national averages;
(7) in addition to the immeasurable toll on chil-
dren and their families, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and
Fetal Alcohol Effect pose extraordinary financial
costs to the Nation, including the costs of health
care, education, foster care, job training, and gen-
eral support services for affected individuals;
(8) the total cost to the economy of Fetal Alco-
hol Syndrome was approximately $2,500,000,000 in
1995, and over a lifetime, health care costs for one
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome child are estimated to be at
least $1,400,000;
(9) researchers have determined that the possi-
bility of giving birth to a baby with Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effect increases in pro-
portion to the amount and frequency of alcohol con-
sumed by a pregnant woman, and that stopping al-
cohol consumption at any point in the pregnancy re-
duces the emotional, physical, and mental con-
sequences of alcohol exposure to the baby; and
(10) though approximately 1 out of every 5
pregnant women drink alcohol during their preg-
nancy, we know of no safe dose of alcohol during
pregnancy, or of any safe time to drink during preg-
nancy, thus, it is in the best interest of the Nation
for the Federal Government to take an active role in
encouraging all women to abstain from alcohol con-
sumption during pregnancy.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
It is the purpose of this Act to establish, within the
Department of Health and Human Services, a comprehen-
sive program to help prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and
Fetal Alcohol Effect nationwide and to provide effective
intervention programs and services for children, adoles-
cents and adults already affected by these conditions.
Such program shall—
(1) coordinate, support, and conduct national,
State, and community-based public awareness, pre-
vention, and education programs on Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
(2) coordinate, support, and conduct prevention
and intervention studies as well as epidemiologic re-
search concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal
Alcohol Effect;
well as models that integrate and coordinate such
services, that are aimed at the unique challenges fac-
ing individuals with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or
Fetal Alcohol Effect and their families.
‘‘(b) GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The
Secretary may award grants, cooperative agreements and
contracts and provide technical assistance to eligible enti-
ties described in section 399H to carry out subsection (a).
‘‘(c) DISSEMINATION OF CRITERIA.—In carrying out
this section, the Secretary shall develop a procedure for
disseminating the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alco-
hol Effect diagnostic criteria developed pursuant to section
705 of the ADAMHA Reorganization Act (42 U.S.C. 485n
note) to health care providers, educators, social workers,
child welfare workers, and other individuals.
‘‘(d) NATIONAL TASK FORCE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a task force to be known as the National task
force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol
Effect (referred to in this subsection as the ‘task
force’) to foster coordination among all govern-
mental agencies, academic bodies and community
groups that conduct or support Fetal Alcohol Syn-
drome and Fetal Alcohol Effect research, programs,
and surveillance, and otherwise meet the general
needs of populations actually or potentially impacted
by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect.
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Task Force estab-
lished pursuant to paragraph (1) shall—
‘‘(A) be chaired by an individual to be ap-
pointed by the Secretary and staffed by the Ad-
ministration; and
‘‘(B) include the Chairperson of the Inter-
agency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alco-
hol Syndrome of the Department of Health and
Human Services, and representatives from re-
search and advocacy organizations such as the
Research Society on Alcoholism, the FAS Fam-
ily Resource Institute and the National Organi-
zation of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, the academic
community, and Federal, State and local gov-
ernment agencies and offices.
‘‘(3) FUNCTIONS.—The Task Force shall—
‘‘(A) advise Federal, State and local pro-
grams and research concerning Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect, including
programs and research concerning education
and public awareness for relevant service pro-
viders, school-age children, women at-risk, and
the general public, medical diagnosis, interven-
tions for women at-risk of giving birth to chil-
dren with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal
Alcohol Effect, and beneficial services for indi-
viduals with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal
Alcohol Effect and their families;
‘‘(B) coordinate its efforts with the Inter-
agency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alco-
hol Syndrome of the Department of Health and
Human Services; and
‘‘(C) report on a biennial basis to the Sec-
retary and relevant committees of Congress on
the current and planned activities of the partici-
pating agencies.
‘‘(4) TIME FOR APPOINTMENT.—The members
of the Task Force shall be appointed by the Sec-
retary not later than 6 months after the date of en-
actment of this part.
‘‘SEC. 399H. ELIGIBILITY.
‘‘To be eligible to receive a grant, or enter into a co-
operative agreement or contract under this part, an entity
shall—
‘‘(1) be a State, Indian tribal government, local
government, scientific or academic institution, or
nonprofit organization; and
‘‘(2) prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may pre-
scribe, including a description of the activities that
the entity intends to carry out using amounts re-
ceived under this part.
‘‘SEC. 399I. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out this part, $27,000,000 for each
of the fiscal years 1999 through 2003.
‘‘(b) TASK FORCE.—From amounts appropriate for
a fiscal year under subsection (a), the Secretary may use
not to exceed $2,000,000 of such amounts for the oper-
ations of the National Task Force under section 399G(d).
‘‘SEC. 399J. SUNSET PROVISION.
‘‘This part shall not apply on the date that is 7 years
after the date on which all members of the national task
force have been appointed under section 399G(d)(1).’’.
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