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Comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Act (Introduced in Senate)
S 148 IS
January 21, 1997
Mr. DASCHLE (for himself, Mr. CHAFEE, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. INOUYE, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. CAMPBELL, and Mr. REID) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources
- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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'.
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, suffering irreversible physical and mental damage;
- (3) thousands more infants are born each year with Fetal Alcohol Effects, which are lesser, though still serious, alcohol-related birth defects;
- (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 Effects 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 Effects are up to 30 times greater than national averages;
- (7) in addition to the immeasurable toll on children and their families, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects pose extraordinary financial costs to the Nation, including the costs of health care, education, foster care, job training, and general support services for affected individuals;
- (8) the total cost to the economy of Fetal Alcohol 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 possibility of giving birth to a baby with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effects increases in proportion to the amount and frequency of alcohol consumed by a pregnant woman, and that stopping alcohol consumption at any point in the pregnancy reduces the emotional, physical, and mental consequences of alcohol exposure to the baby; and
- (10) though approximately 1 out of every 5 pregnant women drink alcohol during their pregnancy, we know of no safe dose of alcohol during pregnancy, or of any safe time to drink during pregnancy, 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 consumption during pregnancy.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
- It is the purpose of this Act to establish, within the Department of Health and Human Services, a comprehensive program to help prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects nationwide. Such program shall--
- (1) coordinate, support, and conduct basic and applied epidemiologic research concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects;
- (2) coordinate, support, and conduct national, State, and community-based public awareness, prevention, and education programs on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects; and
- (3) foster coordination among all Federal agencies that conduct or support Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects research, programs, and surveillance and otherwise meet the general needs of populations actually or potentially impacted by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.
- Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
`PART O--FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME PREVENTION PROGRAM
`SEC. 399G. ESTABLISHMENT OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME PREVENTION PROGRAM.
- `(a) FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME PREVENTION PROGRAM- The Secretary shall establish a comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects prevention program that shall include--
- `(1) an education and public awareness program to--
- `(A) support, conduct, and evaluate the effectiveness of--
- `(i) training programs concerning the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects;
- `(ii) prevention and education programs, including school health education and school-based clinic programs for school-age children, concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects; and
- `(iii) public and community awareness programs concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects;
- `(B) provide technical and consultative assistance to States, Indian tribal governments, local governments, scientific and academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations concerning the programs referred to in subparagraph (A); and
- `(C) award grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts with, States, Indian tribal governments, local governments, scientific and academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of--
- `(i) evaluating the effectiveness, with particular emphasis on the cultural competency and age-appropriateness, of programs referred to in subparagraph (A);
- `(ii) providing training in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects;
- `(iii) educating school-age children, including pregnant and high-risk youth, concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects, with priority given to programs that are part of a sequential, comprehensive school health education program; and
- `(iv) increasing public and community awareness concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects through culturally competent projects, programs, and campaigns, and improving the understanding of the general public and targeted groups concerning the most effective intervention methods to prevent fetal exposure to alcohol;
- `(2) an applied epidemiologic research and prevention program to--
- `(A) support and conduct research on the causes, mechanisms, diagnostic methods, treatment, and prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects;
- `(B) provide technical and consultative assistance and training to States, Tribal governments, local governments, scientific and academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations engaged in the conduct of--
- `(i) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome prevention and early intervention programs; and
- `(ii) research relating to the causes, mechanisms, diagnosis methods, treatment, and prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects; and
- `(C) award grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts with, States, Indian tribal governments, local governments, scientific and academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of--
- `(i) conducting innovative demonstration and evaluation projects designed to determine effective strategies, including community-based prevention programs and multicultural education campaigns, for preventing and intervening in fetal exposure to alcohol;
- `(ii) improving and coordinating the surveillance and ongoing assessment methods implemented by such entities and the Federal Government with respect to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects;
- `(iii) developing and evaluating effective age-appropriate and culturally competent prevention programs for children, adolescents, and adults identified as being at-risk of becoming chemically dependent on alcohol and associated with or developing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects; and
- `(iv) facilitating coordination and collaboration among Federal, State, local government, Indian tribal, and community-based Fetal Alcohol Syndrome prevention programs;
- `(3) a basic research program to support and conduct basic research on services and effective prevention treatments and interventions for pregnant alcohol-dependent women and individuals with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects;
- `(4) a procedure for disseminating the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects 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; and
- `(5) the establishment, in accordance with subsection (b), of an interagency task force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal
Alcohol Effects to foster coordination among all Federal agencies that conduct or support Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects research, programs, and surveillance, and otherwise meet the general needs of populations actually or potentially impacted by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects.
- `(b) INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE-
- `(1) MEMBERSHIP- The Task Force established pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection (a) shall--
- `(A) be chaired by the Secretary or a designee of the Secretary, and staffed by the Administration; and
- `(B) include representatives from all relevant agencies and offices within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Trade Commission, and any other relevant Federal agency.
- `(2) FUNCTIONS- The Task Force shall--
- `(A) coordinate all Federal programs and research concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects, including programs that--
- `(i) target individuals, families, and populations identified as being at risk of acquiring Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects; and
- `(ii) provide health, education, treatment, and social services to infants, children, and adults with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects;
- `(B) coordinate its efforts with existing Department of Health and Human Services task forces on substance abuse prevention and maternal and child health; and
- `(C) report on a biennial basis to the Secretary and relevant committees of Congress on the current and planned activities of the participating agencies.
- `(c) SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND TRAINING- The Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, with the cooperation of members of the interagency task force established under subsection (b), shall establish a collaborative program to provide for the conduct and support of research, training, and dissemination of information to researchers, clinicians, health professionals and the public, with respect to the cause, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the related condition know as Fetal Alcohol Effects.
`SEC. 399H. ELIGIBILITY.
- `To be eligible to receive a grant, or enter into a cooperative 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 containing such information as the Secretary may prescribe, including a description of the activities that the entity intends to carry out using amounts received under this part.
`SEC. 399I. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
- `There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part, such sums as are necessary for each of the fiscal years 1997 through 2001.'.
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