[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4332 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4332
To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, to support research and
programmatic efforts that will build on previous research on the
effects of adverse childhood experiences.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 26, 2022
Mr. King (for himself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, to support research and
programmatic efforts that will build on previous research on the
effects of adverse childhood experiences.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Data
Collection for Adverse Childhood Experiences Act''.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Certain negative events, circumstances, or maltreatment
to which children may be exposed, known as adverse childhood
experiences (commonly referred to as ``ACEs''), are associated
with negative health outcomes.
(2) Childhood psychological, physical, or sexual abuse;
household challenges such as violence, substance use, mental
illness, separation or divorce, or incarceration of a family
member; historical trauma; and emotional or physical neglect
have been shown to negatively impact a person's long-term
health and well-being.
(3) Adverse childhood experiences and associated conditions
such as living in under-resourced or racially segregated
neighborhoods, frequently moving, experiencing food insecurity,
and other instability can cause toxic stress, a prolonged
activation of the stress-response system.
(4) Experiencing one or more adverse childhood experiences
is associated with higher risks of some of the leading causes
of death and disability in the United States.
(5) More than half of all people in the United States have
experienced one or more adverse childhood experiences.
(6) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has
recognized adverse childhood experiences as a major public
health concern and made it a priority area for focus in the
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(7) Further research is needed to better define adverse
childhood experiences, understand the causal pathway between
adverse childhood experiences and physical health outcomes, and
identify protective factors against adverse childhood
experiences and their effects, in order to inform and improve
current programs and future efforts to promote public health.
(8) Evidence-based and culturally informed prevention and
mitigation strategies to address adverse childhood experiences
have been identified, but efforts are needed to facilitate
implementation in communities.
(9) American Indian and Alaska Native communities have
experienced traumatic events that have had long-lasting
consequences for communities. More research on the critical
connections between historically traumatic events, contemporary
stressors, and adverse childhood experiences is needed.
SEC. 2. SUPPORTING RESEARCH ON ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES.
Part J of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
280b et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 393D (42 U.S.C.
280b-1f) the following:
``SEC. 393E. SUPPORTING RESEARCH ON PREVENTING OR REMEDIATING ADVERSE
CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may, in cooperation
with the States, collect and report data on adverse childhood
experiences through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, or other relevant public
health surveys or questionnaires to contribute to a longitudinal study
that--
``(1) builds on previous literature, including the seminal
CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)
Study, on the biology and neuroscience of childhood adversity
that establishes the links between adverse childhood
experiences and negative outcomes; and
``(2) focuses on elements not included in the study
referred to in paragraph (1), including--
``(A) the inclusion of a diverse nationally
representative sample of participants;
``(B) the strength of the relationship between
individual, specific adverse childhood experiences and
negative health outcomes;
``(C) the intensity and frequency of adverse
childhood experiences;
``(D) the relative strength of particular risk and
protective factors;
``(E) the impact of historical trauma in
communities disproportionately impacted, as identified
by the Secretary, such as American Indians and Alaska
Natives, as well as the intersections between
historical trauma and adverse childhood experiences
scores; and
``(F) the effect of social, economic, and community
conditions on health and well-being.
``(b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may, directly or through
awards of grants or contracts to public or nonprofit private entities
or Tribal organizations or Indian Tribes, provide technical assistance
with respect to the collection and reporting of data as described in
subsection (a).
``(c) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `historical trauma' means the cumulative,
transgenerational, collective experience of emotional and
psychological injury in communities; and
``(2) the terms `Indian Tribe' and `Tribal organization'
have the meanings given such terms in section 4 of the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $7,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2023 through 2028.''.
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