What Might Have Been: Health Bills Introduced But Not Passed

The second session of the 109^th United States Congress recessed at the end of September, with no further sessions scheduled for this year, though a lame-duck session is possible after the November elections. Here are some of the health-related bills that have died in committees this year and will not carry over to the new 110^th Congress that convenes in January. Bills introduced in the final week of a congressional session generally signal the intention of their sponsors to re-introduce them in the new Congress.

SCHIP

A bill, S. 3972, introduced in the Senate by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) would amend the Social Security Act to reduce funding shortfalls in fiscal year 2007 for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The bill differs slightly from SCHIP funding legislation introduced earlier by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). Grassley noted that one of his principal objectives in the 110^th Congress will be to reauthorize SCHIP, with attention to the funding formula that is causing the current problem as well as other "compelling issues."

School Health

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation, S. 3980, September 28, directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to develop a policy for managing the risk of food allergy and other anaphylaxis in schools and to establish school-based food allergy management grants. The bill’s chief sponsor, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) noted that his state last year became the first to enact school-based guidelines concerning food allergies and the prevention of life-threatening incidents in schools.

Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) introduced a bill, S. 3969, September 28 that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to establish regulations to eliminate sources of lead exposure in child-occupied facilities. Clinton noted that risks and hazards from lead continue to exist in childcare facilities and schools.

S. 2592, introduced in the Senate April 6 by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and co-sponsors would amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 "to improve the nutrition and health of schoolchildren by updating the definition of ‘food of minimal nutritional value’ to conform to current nutrition science and to protect the federal investment in the national school lunch and breakfast programs." A companion bill, H.R. 5167, was introduced in the House the same day.

Minority Health Care

A Latina Health Access Act introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) would authorize funding for hospitals and community health centers serving the growing population of Hispanic girls and women in the United States. The bill, S. 3965, would also fund research on the health status of Latinas and educational outreach to the Latina population. In an associated bill, S. 3966, Boxer called for public awareness and outreach campaigns to reduce teen pregnancy, with activities targeted to areas with large minority populations.

Legislation, H.R. 5806, introduced in the House of Representatives July 13 would make grants "to carry out activities to prevent teen pregnancy in racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities." The Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Act of 2006 calls for community interventions, including medically accurate contraceptive information for young people who are already sexually active or at risk of becoming sexually active.

Obesity

S. 1328, "A bill to provide health services for improved nutrition, increased physical activity, obesity, and eating disorder prevention," introduced by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and co-sponsors June 28, 2005, was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and remained in committee with no action taken at the close of the congressional session.

The bill numbers shown in this article are from the 109^th Congress, which is now in recess. If introduced in the new 110^th Congress, identical bills will carry new numbers.