Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) today applauded House passage of their bill to educate parents and health care providers about the importance of newborn screening, improve follow-up care for infants with an illness detected through newborn screening, and help states expand and improve their newborn screening programs.  “The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act” was approved by the Senate last year and will now go to the President’s desk for his signature. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, and author of the Family Leave Insurance Act, legislation that would provide paid leave for employees, today praised the State of New Jersey for becoming the third state to adopt paid family leave after the State Senate approved a paid family leave bill that  New Jersey Governor John Corzine has committed to sign.

“I congratulate the State of New Jersey on becoming only the third state to adopt paid family leave, and sincerely hope that their work will spur more support for my efforts to make paid family leave a national policy,” said Dodd.  “Last year, I introduced the Family Leave Insurance Act, legislation that would allow American workers to take up to eight weeks of paid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, helping to make sure that no one is forced in a time of crisis to make the impossible choice between work and family.”

Today, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, and author of the Combating Autism Act, released the following statement in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day:

“At a time when the number of children and families living with autism has grown exponentially, it is important that we recognize the need to expand our federal commitment to combating this disability.  Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States, yet we are not committing enough of our federal resources to develop the type of scientific breakthroughs that are needed to combat autism. It is time to redouble our efforts and help the thousands of families who are raising children with autism.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, held a Town Hall meeting at the Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy in East Hartford on Friday to discuss reforming No Child Left Behind.  Dodd  heard directly from students, teachers, administrators and parents on how they think the federal government can do a better job helping America’s students and schools.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, lauded last night’s passage of his amendment to the FY2009 Budget Resolution that increases funding for the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant by $184 million.  Under the President’s budget, the MCH Block Grant will be funded at $666 million for the second consecutive year.  This amount represents a cut of $65 million from five years ago when funding peaked at $731 million. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) joined Dodd as the lead co-sponsor of the amendment.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) announced passage of several key provisions of their legislation, “The Global Pediatric HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Act of 2007,” as part of the “Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today.  If enacted, Dodd and Smith’s legislation would help prevent thousands of new pediatric HIV infections, improve the treatment of children living with HIV/AIDS throughout the world, and improve outcomes for HIV-affected women and families. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, lauded the passage of his amendment to the FY2009 Budget Resolution that increases funding for autism research, education, and early detection by $197 million.  This increase brings autism funding up to its authorized level and then provides for a doubling of funding research into the causes of and treatments for autism. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) joined Dodd as the lead co-sponsor of the amendment.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, today introduced legislation to provide low-income children with additional time in school during the summer before and the summer after the traditional kindergarten school year.  This legislation will ensure that more children enter the first grade with the tools they need to succeed in school.  The Sandy Feldman Kindergarten Plus Act would provide competitive grants to states to fund the creation of 12-month kindergarten programs. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, announced the introduction of the Disabilities Savings Act of 2008 at an event with Autism Speaks Co-Founders Bob and Suzanne Wright, Stuart Spielman, the father of a teenage son with Autism, Kathy Neas of Easter Seals, and families of children with autism and other disabilities.

Purpose:

To encourage individuals with disabilities and their families to save private funds for disability-related expenses to supplement, not supplant, benefits provided by other sources (including Medicaid and private insurance) so that people with disabilities can maintain health, independence, and quality of life.