To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the Healthy Start Initiative.

July 22, 2004

Mr. UPTON (for himself, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mrs. CAPITO, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. RUSH, Mr. MARSHALL, and Mr. DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the Healthy Start Initiative.

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 `Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2004'.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO HEALTHY START INITIATIVE.

(a) Considerations in Making Grants- Section 330H(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-8(b)) is amended--

(1) by striking `(b) Requirements' and all that follows through `In making grants under subsection (a)' and inserting the following: `(b) Considerations in Making Grants-

`(1) REQUIREMENTS- In making grants under subsection (a)'; and

(2) by adding at the end the following paragraph:

`(2) OTHER CONSIDERATIONS- In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into consideration the following:

`(A) Factors that contribute to infant mortality, such as low birthweight.

`(B) The extent to which applicants for such grants facilitate--

`(i) a community-based approach to the delivery of services; and

`(ii) a comprehensive approach to women's health care to improve perinatal outcomes.'.

(b) Other Grants- Section 330H of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-8) is amended--

(1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (3); and

(2) by striking subsections (e) and (f).

(c) Funding- Section 330H of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by subsection (b) of this section, is amended by adding at the end the following subsection:

`(e) Funding-

`(1) 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 2005 through 2010.

`(2) ALLOCATION-

`(A) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION- Of the amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve up to 5 percent for coordination, dissemination, technical assistance, and data activities that are determined by the Secretary to be appropriate for carrying out the program under this section.

`(B) EVALUATION- Of the amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve up to 1 percent for evaluations of projects carried out under subsection (a). Each such evaluation shall include a determination of whether such projects have been effective in reducing the disparity in health status between the general population and individuals who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups.'.

END