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The President Signs Several Bi-Partisan Health-Related Bills Into Law

By Marilyn Singleton, MD, JD @MSingletonMDJD

Among the bills presented by the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently signed into law on December 18, 2014 are:

  • EARLY Act Reauthorization of 2014, HR 5185 reauthorize through FY2019 the Young Women’s Breast Health Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009, which supports: (1) campaigns to educate the public and health care professionals about young women’s breast health, (2) research into prevention of breast cancer in young women, and (3) support for young women with breast cancer.
    Bill Text: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr5185/text
  • Sudden Unexpected Death and Data Enhancement and Awareness Act, HR 669 
requires HHS to continue to report on activities related to stillbirth, sudden unexpected infant death, and sudden unexplained death in childhood, including collaborating with states and experts to improve the quality and consistency of data collected after one of these deaths.
    Bill Text: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr669
  • Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2014, HR 1281 revises and extends through FY2019 a grant program for screening, counseling, and other services related to heritable disorders that can be detected in newborns.

    Parent Consent Added to Newborn Screening Law Hat tip: Twila Brase, President of Citizens Council for Health Freedom worked six months with U.S. Senate staff on a parent consent amendment (authored by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)). The amendment classifies newborn screening bloodspots as “identifiable private information” that relate to a human. Thus, researchers using them are doing “human subjects research” and must get informed consent. This protection is solely for federally-funded research and lasts only until a revised federal research regulation is finalized. But it stands as Congressional intent for those regulations, and it sets a standard for baby DNA for the first time ever in federal law.
    Bill Text: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr1281

  • Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, originally HR 647 was signed on December 19th as part of HR 5771. The law creates tax-exempt, state based private savings accounts to fund disability-related expenses to supplement benefits currently provided by Social Security, Medicaid, employers, and private insurance. Disability-related expenses include education; housing; transportation; employment support; health, prevention, and wellness costs; assistive technology and personal support services; and other expenses. ABLE accounts will have no impact on Medicaid eligibility. Bill Text: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr5771 (see Division B)
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