WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today applauded House passage of S.1810, the Pre-natally and Post-natally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, legislation which would require that families who receive a diagnosis of Down syndrome or any other condition, pre-natally or up until a year after birth, be given up-to-date information about the nature of the condition and connection with support services and networks that could offer assistance.

"Passage of this bipartisan bill in both the Senate and House is a great victory for expecting parents who learn that their unborn child may be born with a disability," said Brownback. "Currently, 90 percent of children pre-natally diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted, and that percentage is similar for children pre-natally diagnosed with other conditions such as spina bifida and cystic fibrosis. These numbers are much too high and suggest that we as a society are not doing everything we can to protect every human life, at every stage." The Pre-natally and Post-natally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act would provide for the expansion and further development of a national clearinghouse on information for parents of children with disabilities, so that the clearinghouse would be better equipped to assist parents whose children have recently been pre- or post-natally diagnosed. The bill also provides for the expansion and further development of national and local peer-support programs. The bill also calls for the creation of a national registry of families willing to adopt children with pre- or post-natally diagnosed conditions.

S.1810 now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law.