,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bhjd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ae1
 #bjad,mrs4 ,gillibrand 7for herself and
 ,mr4 ,booker7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,health1           
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend the ,public ,health   
,service ,act with regard to research on
 asthma1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,family ,asthma ,act4  #b4 ,findings
 ,congress finds the following3 7#a7    
,the number of people ever diagnosed    
with asthma increased by #ej percent    
between #aiih and #bjab4 ,according to  
the ,centers for ,disease ,control and  
,prevention1 in #bjab more than         
#be1ejj1jjj ,americans had been         
diagnosed with asthma1 including an     
estimated #f1hjj1jjj children4  7#b7    
,according to the ,centers for ,disease 
,control and ,prevention1 in #bjaj more 
than #c1djj ,americans died from asthma4

 ,the rate of mortality from asthma is  
higher among ,african-,americans and    
women4  7#c7 ,the ,centers for ,disease 
,control and ,prevention report that    
asthma accounted for approximately      
#dhj1jjj hospitalizations and #b1ajj1jjj
 visits to hospital emergency           
departments in #bjji4  7#d7 ,according  
to the ,centers for ,disease ,control   
and ,prevention1 the annual cost of     
asthma to the ,united ,states is        
approximately #ef1jjj1jjj1jjj1 including
 #e1ijj1jjj1jjj in indirect costs from  
lost productivity4  7#e7 ,according to  
the ,centers for ,disease ,control and  
,prevention1 #aj1ejj1jjj school days and
 #ad1bjj1jjj work days are missed       
annually as a result of asthma4  7#f7   
,asthma episodes can be triggered by    
both outdoor air pollution and indoor   
air pollution1 including pollutants such
 as cigarette smoke and combustion      
by-products4 ,asthma episodes can also  
be triggered by indoor allergens such as
 animal dander and outdoor allergens    

such as pollen and molds4  7#g7 ,public 
health interventions and medical care in
 accordance with existing guidelines    
have been proven effective in the       
treatment and management of asthma4     
,better asthma management could reduce  
the numbers of emergency department     
visits and hospitalizations due to      
asthma4 ,studies published in medical   
journals have shown that better asthma  
management results in improved asthma   
outcomes at a lower cost4  7#h7 ,in     
#bjaa1 the ,centers for ,disease        
,control and ,prevention reported that  
less than half of people with asthma had
 been taught how to avoid asthma        
triggers4 ,more education about         
triggers1 proper treatment1 and asthma  
management methods is needed4  7#i7 ,the
 alarming rise in the prevalence of     
asthma1 its adverse effect on school    
attendance and productivity1 and its    
cost for hospitalizations and emergency 
room visits1 highlight the importance of
 public health interventions1 including 

increasing awareness of asthma as a     
chronic illness1 its symptoms1 the role 
of both indoor and outdoor environmental
 factors that exacerbate the disease1   
and other factors that affect its       
exacerbations and severity4 ,the goals  
of the ,federal ,government and its     
partners in the nonprofit and private   
sectors should include reducing the     
number and severity of asthma attacks1  
asthma's financial burden1 and the      
health disparities associated with      
asthma4  #c4 ,asthma-related activities 
of the centers for disease control and  
prevention ,section #cag;,i of the      
,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;b-#aj7 is amended to read
 as follows3  #cag;,i4 ,asthma-related  
activities of the centers for disease   
control and prevention  7a7 ,program for
 ,providing ,information and ,education 
to the ,public ,the ,secretary1 acting  
through the ,director of the ,centers   
for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1  
shall collaborate with ,state and local 

health departments to conduct           
activities1 including the provision of  
information and education to the public 
regarding asthma including-- 7#a7       
deterring the harmful consequences of   
uncontrolled asthma2 and  7#b7          
disseminating health education and      
information regarding prevention of     
asthma episodes and strategies for      
managing asthma4  7b7 ,development of   
,state ,asthma ,plans ,the ,secretary1  
acting through the ,director of the     
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention1 shall collaborate with     
,state and local health departments to  
develop ,state plans incorporating      
public health responses to reduce the   
burden of asthma1 particularly regarding
 disproportionately affected            
populations4  7c7 ,compilation of ,data 
,the ,secretary1 acting through the     
,director of the ,centers for ,disease  
,control and ,prevention1 shall1 in     
cooperation with ,state and local public
 health officials-- 7#a7 conduct asthma 

surveillance activities to collect data 
on the prevalence and severity of       
asthma1 the effectiveness of public     
health asthma interventions1 and the    
quality of asthma management1           
including-- 7,a7 collection of household
 data on the local burden of asthma2    
7,b7 surveillance of health care        
facilities2 and  7,c7 collection of data
 not containing individually            
identifiable information from electronic
 health records or other electronic     
communications2  7#b7 compile and       
annually publish data regarding the     
prevalence and incidence of childhood   
asthma1 the child mortality rate1 and   
the number of hospital admissions and   
emergency department visits by children 
associated with asthma nationally and in
 each ,state and at the county level by 
age1 sex1 race1 and ethnicity1 as well  
as lifetime and current prevalence2 and 
7#c7 compile and annually publish data  
regarding the prevalence and incidence  
of adult asthma1 the adult mortality    

rate1 and the number of hospital        
admissions and emergency department     
visits by adults associated with asthma 
nationally and in each ,state and at the
 county level by age1 sex1 race1        
ethnicity1 industry1 and occupation1 as 
well as lifetime and current prevalence4
  7d7 ,coordination of ,data ,collection
 ,the ,director of the ,centers for     
,disease ,control and ,prevention1 in   
conjunction with ,state and local health
 departments1 shall coordinate data     
collection activities under subsection  
7c77#b7 so as to maximize the           
comparability of results4  7e7          
,collaboration  7#a7 ,in general ,the   
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention are encouraged to           
collaborate with national1 ,state1 and  
local nonprofit organizations to provide
 information and education about asthma1
 and to strengthen such collaborations  
when possible4  7#b7 ,specific          
activities ,the ,division of ,adolescent
 and ,school ,health is encouraged to   

expand its activities with non-,federal 
partners1 especially ,state-level       
entities4  7f7 ,additional funding ,in  
addition to any other authorization of  
appropriations that is available to the 
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention for the purpose of carrying 
out this section1 there is authorized to
 be appropriated to such ,centers such  
sums as may be necessary for each of    
fiscal years #bjae through #bjai for the
 purpose of carrying out this section4  
7g7 ,report to ,congress  7#a7 ,in      
general ,not later than #b years after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary shall1 in consultation   
with patient groups1 nonprofit          
organizations1 medical societies1 and   
other relevant governmental and         
nongovernmental entities1 submit to     
,congress a report that-- 7,a7 catalogs1
 with respect to asthma prevention1     
management1 and surveillance-- 7i7 the  
activities of the ,federal ,government1 
including an assessment of the progress 

of the ,federal ,government and ,states1
 with respect to achieving the goals of 
the ,healthy ,people #bjbj initiative2  
and  7ii7 the activities of other       
entities that participate in the program
 under this section1 including nonprofit
 organizations1 patient advocacy groups1
 and medical societies2 and  7,b7 makes 
recommendations for the future direction
 of asthma activities1 in consultation  
with researchers from the ,national     
,institutes of ,health and other member 
bodies of the ,national ,asthma         
,education and ,prevention ,program who 
are qualified to review and analyze data
 and evaluate interventions1 including--
 7i7 description of how the ,federal    
,government may improve its response to 
asthma including identifying any        
barriers that may exist2  7ii7          
description of how the ,federal         
,government may continue1 expand1 and   
improve its private-public partnerships 
with respect to asthma including        
identifying any barriers that may exist2

  7iii7 the identification of steps that
 may be taken to reduce the-- 7,i7      
morbidity1 mortality1 and overall       
prevalence of asthma2  7,,ii7 financial 
burden of asthma on society2  7,,iii7   
burden of asthma on disproportionately  
affected areas1 particularly those in   
medically underserved populations 7as   
defined in section #ccj7;b77#c772 and   
7,,iv7 burden of asthma as a chronic    
disease2  7iv7 the identification of    
programs and policies that have achieved
 the steps described under clause 7iii71
 and steps that may be taken to expand  
such programs and policies to benefit   
larger populations2 and  7v7            
recommendations for future research and 
interventions4  7#b7 ,updates to        
,congress  7,a7 ,congressional request  
,during the #e-year period following the
 submission of the report under         
paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall    
submit updates and revisions of the     
report upon the request of the          
,congress4  7,b7 ,five-year reevaluation

 ,at the end of the #e-year period      
following the submission of the report  
under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary    
shall evaluate the analyses and         
recommendations made under such report  
and determine whether a new report to   
the ,congress is necessary1 and make    
appropriate recommendations to the      
,congress4  4