NEWS RELEASE

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

Committee Approves Package of Public Health and Consumer Protection Legislation

Legislation Includes Postpartum Depression and Paralysis Research, Required Registration for Child Product Recalls

Washington, D.C. – The Committee on Energy and Commerce today held a markup for nine bills intended to improve public health, product safety and consumer protection. The Committee approved all of the proposed legislation by voice vote. The bills will now be referred to the House floor.

“I commend my colleagues for working in a bipartisan manner to move these critical bills forward,” said Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. “The health care legislation approved today will increase our success in treating and overcoming life-threatening diseases and conditions, and all four consumer protection bills will help safeguard children from the risks of hazardous consumer products. These bills serve as a prelude to more comprehensive legislation to improve product safety and strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). I am proud to bring these bills before the full House for consideration and look forward to voting in support of them.”

"Today, the Energy and Commerce Committee approved four health care bills that will significantly improve our knowledge and our treatment of post-partum depression, Lou Gehrig's disease, children's vision impairments, paralysis and other physical disabilities," said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health. "I commend each of the bills' authors, and look forward to moving them to the floor, where I am confident they will garner the same bipartisan support they received in Committee."

“All the bills coming out of the subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection today will take us one step closer to protecting our children by
improving recalls, increasing penalties to companies that violate safety regulations, and enhancing educational opportunities,” said Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL),
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. “I am proud of all these bills. I am also excited that after six long years, we are
moving H.R. 20, the Melanie Blocker Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act. My goal, with this bill, is to make sure that the tragic death of my
constituent, Melanie Blocker Stokes, and hundreds of thousands of unsung women like her, no longer suffer or die in vein—or in silence—in our country again.”

The public health legislation passed today includes:

• H.R. 20, the "Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act," to intensify and expand current research and education activities on postpartum depression.
• H.R. 1727, the "Christopher and Dana Reeve Quality of Life for Persons with Paralysis Act," to enhance research into paralysis and to improve rehabilitation and the quality of life for persons living with paralysis and other physical disabilities. (This bill passed with an amendment offered by Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Mary Bono (R-CA)).
• H.R. 2295, the "ALS Registry Act," to enhance national efforts to find a treatment and cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
• H.R. 507, the "Vision Care for Kids Act of 2007," to create a grant program through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to fund comprehensive eye examinations and treatments for children under the age of nine.
• H.R. 970, the "Dextromethorphan Distribution Act of 2007," to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the distribution of the drug dextromethorphan, and for other purposes.

The consumer protection legislation passed today includes:

• H.R. 814, the “Children’s Gasoline Burn Prevention Act,” to require childproof caps on all gasoline cans.
• H.R. 1699, the "Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act," to require that durable products for babies and children include registration materials for quick notification of parents in the event of a product recall.
• H.R. 2474, “To provide for an increased maximum civil penalty for violations under the Consumer Product Safety Act,” to raise the maximum penalty for product safety violations from the current cap of $1.25 million to $10 million.
• H.R. 1721, the "Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act," to increase the safety of pools and spas by requiring the use of proper anti-entrapment drain covers and increasing consumer education.

Today’s full Committee markup follows hearings and Subcommittee markups on the legislation earlier this year conducted by the Subcommittees on Health and Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. For more information, please visit the Committee on Energy and Commerce website at http://energycommerce.house.gov.

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