A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to ensure a safe pregnancy for all women in the United States, to reduce the rate of maternal morbidity and mortality, to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes, to reduce pre-term, labor, to examine the impact of pregnancy on the short and long term health of women, to expand knowledge about the safety and dosing of drugs to treat pregnant women with chronic conditions and women who become sick during pregnancy, to expand public health prevention, education and outreach, and to develop improved and more accurate data collection related to maternal morbidity and mortality.
Subtitle B: Research and Data Collection to Improve Maternal Well-Being - (Sec. 121) Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to: (1) report annually to Congress on the extent of the total funds obligated to conduct or support research on healthy mothers across the NIH; (2) investigate the reasons for disparities in maternal and perinatal outcomes among pregnant women and new mothers; (3) expand research into chronic conditions of pregnant women; and (4) establish a Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 122) Directs the Secretary to award grants to States and Indian tribes to support community-based demonstration projects to improve maternal pregnancy outcomes, with emphasis on social, economic, and behavioral health issues affecting high risk populations. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to States and Indian tribes to carry out such projects.
(Sec. 123) Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to provide for the conduct of research into the quality of maternal health care, including into barriers women face in receiving maternal health care services. Directs the Secretary to submit the results of such research as part of an annual report to Congress.
Subtitle C: Data Collection and Surveillance - (Sec. 131) Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in cooperation with other specified persons, to develop a standard definition of "maternal mortality" and "maternal morbidity." Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to States, tribes, counties, and cities for surveillance of maternal mortality and maternal morbidity, with the data to be incorporated into the report on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. Requires the CDC to provide technical assistance to grantees. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 132) Amends the Children's Health Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Development, to plan, develop, and implement a two-year study of mothers to determine the effects of pregnancy on the health of women.
Subtitle D: Public Education and Outreach - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of Women's Health and the Interagency Committee on Healthy Moms, to develop and implement a national public education and health promotion campaign to be known as the Healthy Moms Campaign.
Title II: Office On Women's Health - Women's Health Office Act of 2002 - (Sec. 202) Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Social Security Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary to establish Offices on Women's Health in the Office of the Secretary, the Office of the Director of the CDC, the Office of the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs an Office of Women's Health (the "Offices"). Directs the Offices to perform certain actions, including to: (1) establish short-range and long-range goals and objectives regarding women's health; (2) identify projects in women's health that should be conducted or supported; and (3) report on activities regarding women's health across age, biological, and sociocultural contexts.
Transfers to the Office on Women's Health functions previously exercised by the Office on Women's Health of the Public Health Service.
(Sec. 204) Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to designate an official of the Office of Priority Populations. Designates duties for the Committee, including to assist the official in: (1) identifying the need for research on women's health; and (2) identifying needs regarding coordination of such research. Directs the official to prepare a biennial report for Congress on the Office's activities.
Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 through 2007.
(Sec. 207) Declares that nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act establishes regulatory authority or modifies any existing such authority.
Title III: Wisewoman Expansion - Wisewoman Expansion Act of 2002 - Modifies, under the Public Health Service Act, provisions concerning preventive health services and screening. Replaces the current three-state demonstration program with a program authorizing grants to States to: (1) carry out preventive health services for diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and obesity; (2) screen for blood pressure, osteoporosis, and obesity; (3) offer counseling and interventions for behavioral risk factors; and (4) provide referrals for medical treatment of women receiving the above services. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 through 2007.
Title IV: Substance Abuse Prevention - Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment for Safe Motherhood Act - Adds new duties for entities awarded grants for strengthening families, including that they: (1) identify women with children in the judicial or child welfare system in need of substance abuse services; (2) provide early referral for substance abuse treatment for women with children; (3) develop a comprehensive treatment plan for the women and children; (4) provide services to the women to ensure stable housing, employment, health, and social support for women who are transitioning from treatment; (5) monitor the progress of women in substance abuse treatment; (6) provide prevention and early intervention services for the children; and (7) provide for the health and educational needs of the children.
Redefines "high-risk family" to include a woman with a minor child who is involved with the State or local child welfare agency or protective services, or who is involved with an agency of the State or local judicial system.
Title V: Perinatal Dental Health Improvement - Perinatal Dental Health Improvement Act of 2002 - Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, to make grants for the conducting of research and demonstration projects that apply new scientific evidence about maternal and child oral health linkages related to adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal transmission of dental caries. Allows appropriated funds to be used for professional and public education. Prohibits funds from being used for payment of direct dental, medical or other services or to obtain Federal matching funds under any Federal program. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 through 2007.
Title VI: Eating Disorders - Promoting Healthy Eating Behaviors in Youth Act - Allows payments to States for certain activities designed to address and prevent eating disorders, obesity, and osteoporosis.
Modifies provisions dealing with grants promoting childhood nutrition and physical activity. Expands groups that can receive grants and modifies language pertaining to what such grants can be used for. Provides for Federal technical assistance to States and localities.
Requires the Director to review the results of the grants awarded under this section and certain other programs and identify programs that have successfully promoted healthy eating behaviors and habits in youth. Directs that information about such programs shall be made readily available to the public. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 through 2007.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3440-3441)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Kennedy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Kennedy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 602.
checking server…
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line