Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced legislation to help Americans better protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays.  The SUN Act would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen labeling and testing standards for sunscreen products.  Currently, FDA standards require that sunscreen protect against UVB rays, known for causing sunburns and increasing the chance of skin cancer. However, they do not require protection against UVA rays, which are a major cause of skin cancer and premature aging.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today joined Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Richard Burr (R-NC) in introducing a bipartisan bill which will dramatically improve the way the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protects the safety of the nation’s food supply. The bill, The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, will give FDA new authorities, tools and resources to comprehensively reform the nation’s food safety systems. The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN).

In an effort to combat the epidemic of obesity sweeping the nation, Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) today introduced the Federal Obesity Prevention Act of 2008. This legislation, which is cosponsored by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), would establish a federal interagency taskforce responsible for creating a national strategy for combating obesity across America.  

Senator Chris Dodd, senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee released the following statement today after the Senate passed the Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization bill 80 to 16.

“Of all the global challenges we face, few are more daunting in scope or immediate in need than the scourge of HIV/AIDS.  In so many parts of the world, the global HIV/AIDS pandemic threatens to undermine all of our other efforts to bring stability and prosperity to the world. With tonight’s vote, we have shown the world our sustained commitment to the treatment, prevention, and care of HIV/AIDS globally.”

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 held the first of two hearings to examine the dangerous consequences of childhood obesity and possible solutions to address this growing problem.  Today, Dodd heard from several experts about the underlying causes of the dramatic rise in American childhood obesity.  After questioning the witnesses, Dodd opened up the hearing to questions and comments from the multitude of young people in the audience who offered their thoughts about how best to combat obesity among their peers.      

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement tonight after the Senate voted to override the President’s veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act.

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. 

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) announced today that they were able to secure more than $3.4 million for Connecticut initiatives in the Senate’s fiscal year 2009 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill.  Among other projects funded by Senate appropriators, the bill includes over $1 million for the construction of a new public safety complex in Hartford.      

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.