Meningitis Immunization Awareness Act

Mr. President, today I am happy to join my colleagues in the House of Representatives, Congressman Moran and Congressman McGovern, in re-introducing the Product Safety Notification and Recall Effectiveness Act. As my colleagues may recall, this legislation makes it easier for parents to learn when a product they bought may harm their children, so that they might take steps to return the item or have it repaired.

On January 6 of this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a study that contained a lot of good news for parents. In its study, NHTSA found that its child safety seat registration program has been incredibly successful. NHTSA implemented this program in March of 1993, and the information that is starting to come in shows that nine times more child safety seats are now registered than before the program was launched. In fact, in 1993 only 3 percent of seats were registered; now 27 percent are. And this is significant, because this has directly led to more effective recalls of defective child seats--the recall repair rate has increased by more than half since 1993, from 13.8 percent to 21.5 percent.

The reason I mention this study to my colleagues is because NHTSA's program is very much like the one that this bill would establish. This legislation would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a rule requiring manufacturers to establish and maintain a system for notifying consumers of the recall of certain products that may cause harm to children. The database could be assembled through the use of shortened product registration cards, Internet registration, or other alternate means of encouraging consumers to provide vital contact information.

There is a very clear reason why such a database is necessary. As we all know, these products come with registration cards. The intent of these cards should be that customers will fill them out and send them in, which gives the companies a way to contact purchasers. Unfortunately, many times consumers do not return these cards, and there is a good reason behind this. These cards sometimes contain 40 to 50, or even more, different questions or boxes to fill out. They ask about marital status, salary information, and about what kind of products a person buys. Either a person does not wish to

reveal that much personal information, or they simply do not have time to fill out the card. In fact, the intent seems to be more to get personal marketing information from consumers than anything else. That is why its such a good idea to shorten the card and just ask for the basic information, like a customer's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Not only have studies done by companies like Mattel and BrandStamp shown that these methods increase the number of consumers who respond, NHTSA--working on almost ten years of real data--has clearly proven a dramatic increase in registration and, as a result, in the number of products successfully recalled.

But a card is not the only way to compile this information. For instance, many companies are now using online registration, where customers can log on to their website and quickly enter the information. For Americans with Internet connections, this is often much less of a hassle than filling out a card, attaching a stamp, and mailing it in. It's quick and easy. And this legislation allows for the use of alternate methods such as this in compiling this database.

I am sure that some of my colleagues might be concerned about the cost of setting up such a program. I say to my colleagues that I also have no desire to pass along more costs to the companies that make these products and, ultimately, to the consumer. However, let me again point to the NHTSA study. The indirect cost of consumers for the car seat program is 43 cents per seat sold. Forty-three cents. I do not know of a single parent who would not pay an extra forty-three cents to ensure the safety of their child. But I would say to my colleagues, don't take my word for it--ask the thousands of parents who have returned recalled car seats since 1993. I'm sure they would tell you that was the best 43 cents they had ever spent.

The need for this legislation is only highlighted by the CPSC's refusal to consider such a rule last Friday, despite intense efforts by consumer groups like the Consumer Federation of America and SAFE to highlight the importance of this change to the way recalls work. I world urge my colleagues to join me in sponsoring this important bill, and I hope that we can pass this legislation into law as soon as possible.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senators Voinovich, DeWine, Mikulski and Warner to offer health legislation that will bring great benefits to many of our Nation's families.

Bacterial meningitis affects 3,000 people across the United States each year. Approximately 10 percent of patients with bacterial meningitis die despite receiving antibiotics early in the course of the disease. Meningitis occurs most frequently in infants and young adults living in dormitory settings. The disease can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure or death.

In 2001, Lydia Evans entered her sophomore year at North Texas University as a healthy 20-year-old. Now she's lost both of her legs, parts of seven fingers and endured 15 surgeries and intensive physical therapy. She is a victim of a terrible, yet little-known disease called meningococcal meningitis.

Carolyn Waghorne of Dallas contacted me after the tragic death of her son, Carter, who contracted meningitis at boarding school in 1998. Mrs. Waghorne has led the battle in our State to create awareness about the dangers of the illness. After hearing her story, I knew we needed to help educate all Americans about this devastating--yet preventable-- disease.

My bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Director of the Centers of Disease Control, CDC, to develop and make information available about bacterial meningitis. In addition, it would provide information about the availability and effectiveness of bacterial meningitis vaccinations for children and adults.

The information would be distributed at institutions, including child care centers, schools, universities, boarding schools, summer camps, detention facilities, and other entities that provide housing in a dorm-like setting.

Meningitis is spread through close contact such as coughing or sneezing and direct contact with persons infected with meningitis. The bacteria cannot live outside the body for very long, so the disease is not as easily transmitted as a cold virus. Many healthy people carry the bacteria, but if a person has a suppressed immune system they may contract the disease. A spinal tap procedure enables doctors to diagnose meningitis, and if the disease is discovered, it is treated with antibiotics.

The disease can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure or death.

The CDC reports that two-thirds of cases on college campuses could have been prevented with a vaccine. In fact, the Advisory Commission on Immunization Practices, part of the CDC, recommends what this bill provides.

I commend the Senators for their support and hope other Senators will join us in this effort to prevent the tragedies that befell Lydia Evans and Carolyn Waghorne as well as thousands of families every year.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senators Voinovich, DeWine, Mikulski and Warner to offer health legislation that will bring great benefits to many of our Nation's families.

Bacterial meningitis affects 3,000 people across the United States each year. Approximately 10 percent of patients with bacterial meningitis die despite receiving antibiotics early in the course of the disease. Meningitis occurs most frequently in infants and young adults living in dormitory settings. The disease can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure or death.

In 2001, Lydia Evans entered her sophomore year at North Texas University as a healthy 20-year-old. Now she's lost both of her legs, parts of seven fingers and endured 15 surgeries and intensive physical therapy. She is a victim of a terrible, yet little-known disease called meningococcal meningitis.

Carolyn Waghorne of Dallas contacted me after the tragic death of her son, Carter, who contracted meningitis at boarding school in 1998. Mrs. Waghorne has led the battle in our State to create awareness about the dangers of the illness. After hearing her story, I knew we needed to help educate all Americans about this devastating--yet preventable-- disease.

My bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Director of the Centers of Disease Control, CDC, to develop and make information available about bacterial meningitis. In addition, it would provide information about the availability and effectiveness of bacterial meningitis vaccinations for children and adults.

The information would be distributed at institutions, including child care centers, schools, universities, boarding schools, summer camps, detention facilities, and other entities that provide housing in a dorm-like setting.

Meningitis is spread through close contact such as coughing or sneezing and direct contact with persons infected with meningitis. The bacteria cannot live outside the body for very long, so the disease is not as easily transmitted as a cold virus. Many healthy people carry the bacteria, but if a person has a suppressed immune system they may contract the disease. A spinal tap procedure enables doctors to diagnose meningitis, and if the disease is discovered, it is treated with antibiotics.

The disease can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure or death.

The CDC reports that two-thirds of cases on college campuses could have been prevented with a vaccine. In fact, the Advisory Commission on Immunization Practices, part of the CDC, recommends what this bill provides.

I commend the Senators for their support and hope other Senators will join us in this effort to prevent the tragedies that befell Lydia Evans and Carolyn Waghorne as well as thousands of families every year.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation to repeal the Jackson-Vanik amendment to Title IV of the 1974 Trade Act as it relates to Russia and to authorize the President to grant permanent normal trade relations to Russia.

Congress passed the 1974 Jackson-Vanik amendment to deny permanent normal trade relations to communist countries that restricted emigration rights. Over the years, it has been an effective tool to promote free emigration, but its continuing applicability to Russia no longer makes sense in the context of the many changes that have occurred since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Since 1994, successive Administrations have found Russia in full compliance with the requirements of freedom of emigration. Because Russia continues to be subject to Jackson-Vanik, the Administration must submit a semi-annual report to the Congress on Russia's continued compliance with freedom of emigration requirements. Since 1991, Congress has authorized the removal of Jackson-Vanik restrictions from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Kyrgyzstan, Albania, and Georgia. The conditions that have warranted these countries' removal from Title IV reporting apply equally to Russia.

For more than 8 years, Russia has satisfied the requirements of the Jackson-Vanik legislation. It has supported free emigration and it has signed a bilateral trade agreement with the United States allowing the application of normal trade relations status. Last year, the United States declared that Russia would no longer be considered a nonmarket economy for the purposes of trade remedies laws. Russia has made tremendous strides in the last decade. While Russia currently receives normal trade relations treatment with respect to its exports to the U.S., repealing Jackson-Vanik will remove the requirement of semi- annual reports that have been an irritant in U.S.-Russia relations. Granting permanent normal trade relations also will provide certainty that will improve the investment climate and promote enhanced economic relations between the U.S. and Russia. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.