To help millions of young adults with a mental illness receive access to care, Senators Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT), and Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA) introduced legislation today in their respective chambers to ease the transition from youth into adult mental health care and community supports.  The legislation, the Healthy Transition Act of 2008, was introduced in response to findings of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today that exposed the problems that young adults face in finding services that help their transition to adult services suited to meet their needs. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, announced today that Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), the ranking member of the Children and Families Subcommittee, and Bob Corker (R-TN) have joined him as cosponsors of his bill to help protect children with potentially fatal food allergies. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act, which Dodd initially introduced in 2006, addresses the critical need for uniform and consistent federal guidelines for the management of food allergies in schools and provides them with the resources they need to implement them. Last month, Dodd chaired a subcommittee hearing to examine the impact of food allergies on children and families.       

D.C. – As part of National Food Allergy Awareness Week, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families, today convened a subcommittee hearing to examine the impact of food allergies on children and families.  Senator Dodd authored and introduced the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act, a bill that addresses the critical need for uniform and consistent food allergy policies in our schools while providing them with the resources they need to implement them.   

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) commended the President for yesterday signing his 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. Dodd first introduced the “Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act” in 2002 and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) joined him as the lead cosponsor last year.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, praised the passage of a Senate Resolution he co-authored with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), designating the third week of April as “National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, made the following statement to honor the Week of the Young Child:

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the “Week of the Young Child.” With 20 million children under the age of 5 in this country, these children are our country’s future, and we must support and invest in our future. Providing children with access to quality early education programs will help to ensure that all children are not only ready for school, but ready to succeed and reach their full potential.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, and the sponsor of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2007, made the following statement on the food allergy legislation approved by the House Tuesday. 

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. 

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, 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.