§280f. 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 280f–1 of this title to carry out subsection (a) of this section.

(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 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 organizations 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 November 13, 1998.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, §399G, as added Pub. L. 105–392, title IV, §419(d), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3593 .)

References in Text

Section 705 of the ADAMHA Reorganization Act, referred to in subsec. (c), is section 705 of Pub. L. 102–321, title VII, July 10, 1992, 106 Stat. 438 , which was formerly set out as a note under section 285n of this title.

Congressional Findings and Purpose

Pub. L. 105–392, title IV, §419(b), (c), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3591 , 3592, provided that:

"(b) Findings.-Congress finds that-

"(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 1,000) than children of those women who do not use alcohol (8.6 per 1,000);

"(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."

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 280f–2, 280f–3 of this title.