On November 13, 1998, this bill was signed and became Public Law 105-392.
This Act has not been funded. The details of implementing this new law will
have to be filed in the Code of Federal Regulations. Only then will it take
effect.
105th CONGRESS
2d Session
Sen. Daschle submitted the substance of S.1875, his bill on FAS, as an
amendment, S.AMDT.3485, to S. 1754, which 07/31/98 passed Senate, amended
(CR S9647).
On Oct 13, 1998, S. 1754, the Health Professions Education Partnerships Act,
was called up by the House under suspension of the rules. It was considered
by House as unfinished business, and Passed the House (as Amended) by Yea-Nay
Vote: 303 - 102 (Roll No. 527).
S 1754 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY 13-OCT-1998 6:14 PM
QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended
BILL TITLE: Health Professions Education Partnerships Act
This bill includes:
SEC. 419. FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME PREVENTION AND SERVICES.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect Prevention and
Services Act''.
For details see:
[Congressional Record: October 13, 1998 (House)]
[Page H10748-H10771]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr13oc98-176]
The full text of Section 419 is as follows:
SEC. 419. FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME PREVENTION AND SERVICES.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect Prevention and
Services Act''.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
[[Page H10767]]
(1) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading preventable cause
of mental retardation, and it is 100 percent preventable;
(2) estimates on the number of children each year vary, but
according to some researchers, 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 Effect, also known as Alcohol Related 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 children 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 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 Effect 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.
(c) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to
establish, within the Department of Health and Human
Services, a comprehensive program to help prevent Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect nationwide and to
provide effective intervention programs and services for
children, adolescents and adults already affected by these
conditions. Such program shall--
(1) coordinate, support, and conduct national, State, and
community-based public awareness, prevention, and education
programs on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
(2) coordinate, support, and conduct prevention and
intervention studies as well as epidemiologic research
concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
(3) coordinate, support and conduct research and
demonstration projects to develop effective developmental and
behavioral interventions and programs that foster effective
advocacy, educational and vocational training, appropriate
therapies, counseling, medical and mental health, and other
supportive services, as well as models that integrate or
coordinate such services, aimed at the unique challenges
facing individuals with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal
Alcohol Effect and their families; and
(4) foster coordination among all Federal, State and local
agencies, and promote partnerships between research
institutions and communities that conduct or support Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect research, programs,
surveillance, prevention, and interventions and otherwise
meet the general needs of populations already affected or at
risk of being impacted by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal
Alcohol Effect.
(d) 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 AND SERVICES PROGRAM
``SEC. 399G. ESTABLISHMENT OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME
PREVENTION AND SERVICES PROGRAM.
``(a) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention, Intervention and
Services Delivery Program.--The Secretary shall establish a
comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect
prevention, intervention and services delivery program that
shall include--
``(1) an education and public awareness program to support,
conduct, and evaluate the effectiveness of--
``(A) educational programs targeting medical schools,
social and other supportive services, educators and
counselors and other service providers in all phases of
childhood development, and other relevant service providers,
concerning the prevention, identification, and provision of
services for children, adolescents and adults with Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
``(B) strategies to educate school-age children, including
pregnant and high risk youth, concerning Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
``(C) public and community awareness programs concerning
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect; and
``(D) strategies to coordinate information and services
across affected community agencies, including agencies
providing social services such as foster care, adoption, and
social work, medical and mental health services, and agencies
involved in education, vocational training and civil and
criminal justice;
``(2) a prevention and diagnosis program to support
clinical studies, demonstrations and other research as
appropriate to--
``(A) develop appropriate medical diagnostic methods for
identifying Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect;
and
``(B) develop effective prevention services and
interventions for pregnant, alcohol-dependent women; and
``(3) an applied research program concerning intervention
and prevention to support and conduct service demonstration
projects, clinical studies and other research models
providing advocacy, educational and vocational training,
counseling, medical and mental health, and other supportive
services, as well as models that integrate and coordinate
such services, that are aimed at the unique challenges facing
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 entities 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 Alcohol
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 establish 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 governmental agencies, academic bodies and community
groups that conduct or support Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 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 established pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) be chaired by an individual to be appointed by the
Secretary and staffed by the Administration; and
``(B) include the Chairperson of the Interagency
Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome of the
Department of Health and Human Services, individuals with
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect, and
representatives from advocacy and research organization such
as the Research Society on Alcoholism, the FAS Family
Resource Institute, the National Organization of Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome, the Arc, the academic community, and
Federal, State and local government agencies and offices.
``(3) Functions.--The Task Force shall--
``(A) advise Federal, State and local programs and research
concerning Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect,
including programs and research concerning education and
public awareness for relevant service providers, school-age
children, women at-risk, and the general public, medical
diagnosis, interventions for women at-risk of giving birth to
children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol
Effect, and beneficial services for individuals with Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect and their families;
``(B) coordinate its efforts with the Interagency
Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome of the
Department of Health and Human Services; 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.
``(4) Time for appointment.--The members of the Task Force
shall be appointed by the Secretary not later than 6 months
after the date of enactment of this part.
``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.
``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated
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 operations
[[Page H10768]]
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).''.
Senate Bill 1875
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