NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Subcommittee Approves Four Critical Public Health Bills

Legislation Will Improve Health Care Services and Prevention Efforts

Washington, D.C. – Today the Subcommittee on Health reported four public health bills to the full Committee for consideration. Each of the bills, including H.R. 1343, H.R. 5669, H.R. 1553, and H.R. 3112, was forwarded to the full Committee by voice vote. Amendments in the Nature of a Substitute on H.R. 1343, H.R. 1553 and H.R. 3112, which were offered by Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ,) were approved by voice vote.

“The unanimous approval of these critical bills signals our commitment to protecting the public health,” said Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. “I applaud my colleagues for coming together to support community health and poison control centers, and to provide vital resources to enhance health services for children and pregnant women. I especially want to thank two Subcommittee Members, Reps. Green and Towns, for the leadership they’ve provided in moving this legislation forward.”

"Today, the Health Subcommittee approved four vitally important bills addressing childhood cancer, poisonous materials, prenatally diagnosed conditions and Community Health Centers," Pallone said. "As more Americans join the ranks of the uninsured, the demands on our state's health centers are growing exponentially. I am particularly proud of the subcommittee's work in reauthorizing the Community Health Centers program so they can continue to provide quality health care services to the millions of Americans who are either uninsured or underinsured."

H.R. 1343, the “Health Centers Renewal Act of 2007,” (Rep. Green) would provide additional appropriations for health centers to meet the health care needs of medically underserved populations.

H.R. 5669, the “Poison Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act of 2008,” (Rep. Towns) would reauthorize the poison center national toll-free number, national media campaign, and grant program to provide assistance for poison prevention, and sustain the funding of poison centers.

H.R. 1553, the “Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2007,” would advance medical research and treatments into pediatric cancers, ensure patients and families have access to the current treatments and information regarding pediatric cancers, establish a population-based national childhood cancer database, and promote public awareness of pediatric cancers.

H.R. 3112, the “Prenatally Diagnosed Condition Awareness Act of 2007,” would increase the provision of scientifically sound information and support services to patients receiving a positive test diagnosis for Down syndrome or other prenatally diagnosed conditions.

“Health centers represent our nation’s largest primary health care system and serve as a medical home to more than fifteen million Americans, the overwhelming majority of whom are low-income or uninsured individuals. This bill will double the number Americans that can be served in these health centers,” Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) said. “By providing the medically underserved with primary and preventive health care, federally-qualified health centers have also reduced the need for in-patient and specialty care and help to depopulate our overcrowded emergency rooms.”

“I am happy that the ‘Poison Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act of 2008’ will be advancing to the full Committee on Energy and Commerce,” said Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns (D-NY). “With the implementation this important legislation, we can offer Americans the most critical resource to reduce the morbidity and mortality of poisoning and enable the network of sixty-one state and regional certified poison centers to launch a national awareness campaign, enhance the public health, provide acute assistance, support poison prevention and sustain their overall efforts.”

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