[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7536 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7536
To establish a program for purposes of carrying out programs to prevent
adverse childhood experiences and promoting positive childhood
experiences, and to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to conduct studies, evaluations, and research to address adverse
childhood experiences, including through the promotion of positive
childhood experiences.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 5, 2024
Mr. Davis of Illinois (for himself and Mr. Lawler) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a program for purposes of carrying out programs to prevent
adverse childhood experiences and promoting positive childhood
experiences, and to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to conduct studies, evaluations, and research to address adverse
childhood experiences, including through the promotion of positive
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.
This Act may be cited as the ``Preventing Adverse Childhood
Experiences Act'' or the ``PACE Act''.
SEC. 2. PROGRAMS TO PREVENT ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND PROMOTE
POSITIVE 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 the following:
``SEC. 393E. PROGRAMS TO PREVENT ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND
PROMOTE POSITIVE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES.
``(a) Grant Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
shall award grants or cooperative agreements to States,
territories, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations, and local
governmental entities for purposes of carrying out programs to
prevent adverse childhood experiences and promoting positive
childhood experiences.
``(2) Use of funds.--Recipients of an award under this
subsection shall use such award to carry out any of the
following activities:
``(A) Prevention of adverse childhood experiences
and promotion of positive childhood experiences
through--
``(i) data-driven, comprehensive, evidence-
based adverse childhood experience prevention
strategies and approaches; and
``(ii) activities that leverage multi-
sector partnerships and resources to coordinate
and implement prevention activities.
``(B) Activities to improve quality and consistency
of data collection and analysis regarding the
prevention of adverse childhood experiences and the
promotion of positive childhood experiences, and use of
such data to inform the implementation of prevention
strategies, which may include--
``(i) evaluating data to continuously
identify--
``(I) specific types of adverse
childhood experiences with high burden;
``(II) specific types of positive
childhood experiences with low
prevalence; and
``(III) geographically and
demographically specific subpopulations
of interest in the State, territory,
locality, or land of the Tribe that
have a disproportionate burden of
adverse childhood experiences that
contribute to health inequities;
``(ii) using data to inform strategic
selection or adjustment of prevention
strategies or prevention strategy
implementation efforts for populations with
disproportionate burden;
``(iii) conducting or updating capacity
assessments for adverse childhood experiences
and promotion of positive childhood experiences
data collection, analysis, and readiness to
implement jurisdiction-wide adverse childhood
experiences prevention plans and program
improvement activities; and
``(iv) promoting collaborations to focus on
the complex and changing nature of the overdose
and mental health crises and their reciprocal
impact on the prevalence of adverse childhood
experiences as urgent, related, and preventable
public health challenges that require an
interdisciplinary, comprehensive, and cohesive
public health approach that addresses such
interrelated risks both as adverse childhood
experiences and contributors to future health
risk behaviors.
``(3) Technical assistance.--The Secretary may provide
training and technical assistance to recipients of awards under
this subsection.
``(4) Program evaluation.--Not later than 2 years after
making the first awards under this subsection, and annually
thereafter, the Secretary shall report to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives on the performance of programs conducted by
recipients of awards under this subsection.
``(5) Considerations.--In making awards under subsection
(a), the Secretary may give priority to--
``(A) Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations; or
``(B) entities with previous programmatic
experience in preventing adverse childhood experiences
or promoting positive childhood experiences.
``(b) Studies, Evaluations, and Research.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
shall conduct studies, evaluations, and research to--
``(A) address adverse childhood experiences,
including consideration of the impact of historical
trauma in communities disproportionately impacted, as
identified by the Secretary, such as American Indians
and Alaska Natives and the intersections between
historical trauma and adverse childhood experiences;
and
``(B) promote positive childhood experiences.
``(2) Content.--The studies, evaluations, and research
under this subsection shall--
``(A) include diverse, nationally representative
samples of participants;
``(B) include at least one longitudinal study; and
``(C) examine factors including--
``(i) the strength of the relationship
between individual, specific adverse childhood
experiences and negative health outcomes;
``(ii) the intensity and frequency of
adverse childhood experiences;
``(iii) the relative strength of particular
risk and protective factors; and
``(iv) the effect of social, economic, and
other community conditions, including
historical trauma, on health and well-being.
``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Adverse childhood experiences.--The term `adverse
childhood experiences' means preventable, potentially traumatic
events that occur in childhood, and include--
``(A) experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect;
``(B) witnessing violence in the home or community;
``(C) having a family member attempt or die by
suicide; and
``(D) aspects of a child's environment that can
undermine their sense of safety, stability, and
bonding, such as growing up in a household where a
parent or caregiver struggles with substance use,
mental health challenges, or instability due to
parental separation or household members being in jail
or prison.
``(2) Child; childhood.--The term `child' or `childhood'
means an individual under the age of 18, or the period of time
in one's life prior to reaching the age of 18.
``(3) Historical trauma.--The term `historical trauma'
means the cumulative, transgenerational, collective experience
of emotional and psychological injury in communities.
``(4) Indian tribe and tribal organization.--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.
``(5) Positive childhood experiences.--The term `positive
childhood experiences' means experiences in a child's home or
community and can create or enhance safe, stable, nurturing
relationships and environments, and include positive
interpersonal experiences with family and friends, and early
care settings, schools, and community such as positive
parenting and discipline methods, mentoring, and trauma-
informed care approaches.''.
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