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42 U.S. Code § 285g - Purpose of Institute

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The general purpose of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (hereafter in this subpart referred to as the “Institute”) is the conduct and support of research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to gynecologic health, maternal health, child health, intellectual disabilities, human growth and development, including prenatal development, population research, and special health problems and requirements of mothers and children.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 448, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 856; amended Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(1) [title II, § 215], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–28; Pub. L. 110–154, § 1(d), Dec. 21, 2007, 121 Stat. 1828; Pub. L. 111–256, § 2(f)(2), Oct. 5, 2010, 124 Stat. 2644.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments

2010—Pub. L. 111–256 substituted “intellectual disabilities,” for “mental retardation,”.

2000—Pub. L. 106–554 inserted “gynecologic health,” after “with respect to”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name

“Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development” substituted for “National Institute of Child Health and Human Development” in text, on authority of section 1(d) of Pub. L. 110–154, set out below.

Pub. L. 110–154, § 1(d), Dec. 21, 2007, 121 Stat. 1828, provided that:

“Any reference in any law, regulation, order, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the ‘National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’ shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’.”
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Findings

Pub. L. 110–154, § 1(a), Dec. 21, 2007, 121 Stat. 1826, as amended by Pub. L. 111–256, § 2(h), Oct. 5, 2010, 124 Stat. 2644, provided that:

Congress makes the following findings:
“(1) Since it was established by Congress in 1962 at the request of President John F. Kennedy, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has achieved an outstanding record of achievement in catalyzing a concentrated attack on the unsolved health problems of children and of mother-infant relationships by fulfilling its mission to—
“(A)
ensure that every individual is born healthy and wanted, that women suffer no harmful effects from reproductive processes, and that all children have the chance to achieve their full potential for healthy and productive lives, free from disease or disability; and
“(B)
ensure the health, productivity, independence, and well-being of all individuals through optimal rehabilitation.
“(2) The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has made unparalleled contributions to the advancement of child health and human development, including significant efforts to—
“(A)
reduce dramatically the rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, infant mortality, and maternal HIV transmission;
“(B)
develop the Haemophilus Influenza B (Hib) vaccine, credited with nearly eliminating the incidence of intellectual disabilities; and
“(C)
conduct intramural research, support extramural research, and train thousands of child health and human development researchers who have contributed greatly to dramatic gains in child health throughout the world.
“(3)
The vision, drive, and tenacity of one woman, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was instrumental in proposing, passing, and enacting legislation to establish the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Public Law 87–838) [see Tables for classification] on October 17, 1962.
“(4)
It is befitting and appropriate to recognize the substantial achievements of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a tireless advocate for children with special needs, whose foresight in creating the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development gave life to the words of President Kennedy, who wished to ‘encourage imaginative research into the complex processes of human development from conception to old age.’ ”

[For definition of “intellectual disabilities” in section 1(a) of Pub. L. 110–154, set out above, see Definitions note below.]

Long-Term Child Development Study

Pub. L. 106–310, div. A, title X, § 1004, Oct. 17, 2000, 114 Stat. 1130, as amended by Pub. L. 108–446, title III, § 301, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2803; Pub. L. 109–482, title I, § 104(b)(3)(E), Jan. 15, 2007, 120 Stat. 3694; Pub. L. 110–154, § 1(d), Dec. 21, 2007, 121 Stat. 1828, provided that:

“(a) Purpose.—
It is the purpose of this section to authorize the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to conduct a national longitudinal study of environmental influences (including physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial) on children’s health and development.
“(b) In General.—The Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development shall establish a consortium of representatives from appropriate Federal agencies (including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Education) to—
“(1)
plan, develop, and implement a prospective cohort study, from birth to adulthood, to evaluate the effects of both chronic and intermittent exposures on child health and human development; and
“(2)
investigate basic mechanisms of developmental disorders and environmental factors, both risk and protective, that influence health and developmental processes.
“(c) Requirement.—The study under subsection (b) shall—
“(1)
incorporate behavioral, emotional, educational, and contextual consequences to enable a complete assessment of the physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial environmental influences on children’s well-being;
“(2)
gather data on environmental influences and outcomes on diverse populations of children, which may include the consideration of prenatal exposures;
“(3)
consider health disparities among children which may include the consideration of prenatal exposures; and
“(4)
be conducted in compliance with section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g), including the requirement of prior parental consent for the disclosure of any education records, except without the use of authority or exceptions granted to authorized representatives of the Secretary of Education for the evaluation of Federally-supported education programs or in connection with the enforcement of the Federal legal requirements that relate to such programs.
“(e) Authorization of Appropriations.—
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, and such sums as may be necessary for each [sic] the fiscal years 2002 through 2005.”
National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality; Composition; Voluntary Services; Duration

Pub. L. 100–436, title IV, Sept. 20, 1988, 102 Stat. 1709, provided that the National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality was to be composed of sixteen members, including seven at large members, and that it had power to accept voluntary and uncompensated services, notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, and was to continue operating, notwithstanding sections 208 and 209 of Pub. L. 99–660 (formerly set out below).

National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality

Pub. L. 99–660, title II, Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3752, known as the National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality Act of 1986, established National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality to examine and make recommendation on government and private resources, policies, and programs which impact on infant mortality, required Commission to submit recommendations to President and Congress no later than one year after Nov. 14, 1986, and terminated Commission 90 days after submission of recommendations.

Definitions

For meaning of references to an intellectual disability and to individuals with intellectual disabilities in provisions amended by section 2 of Pub. L. 111–256, see section 2(k) of Pub. L. 111–256, set out as a note under section 1400 of Title 20, Education.