Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise with great pride to be speaking in support of H.R. 669, the Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act.

This has been an issue that I have worked on for many years in Congress. In particular, it is one of the many bills that I partnered with my late

friend, Senator Frank Lautenberg. I also want to thank Congressman Peter King as well, since he worked with me on this.

Stillbirth and unexpected infant death affect tens of thousands of families every year, according to data from CDC, and sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of death for infants up to 12 months old. Unfortunately, too many families in this country suffer these tragic events, but what makes matters even worse is their struggle with the process to help find answers.

Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive, high-quality data to best understand why these events occur in the first place. The intent of the bill has always been to better utilize the Federal Government's activities in this area.

Specifically, it would expand and standardize surveillance and data collection for stillbirth and sudden unexpected infant death and sudden unexplained death in childhood at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, it would improve the development of standard protocols for use in death scene investigations and autopsies surrounding these deaths and also allow the Secretary of HHS to conduct training activities regarding these protocols.

The bill also requires CDC, in consultation with NIH, to submit a report to Congress on current activities related to stillbirth, SUID, and SUDC and evaluate the possibility of expanding programs related to SUDC specifically.

Let me close, Mr. Speaker, by personally thanking Laura Crandall, cofounder and codirector of the CJ Foundation's SUDC program. This issue hits close to home for Laura, but in the face of tragedy, she decided to work to help others who also suffered.

She has been a great advocate for this bill and has spread awareness of SUDC in communities all across the country. I thank her for her strength, determination, and dedication.

Mr. Speaker, this bill isn't everything I think the CDC can be doing to address the needs of families across the country, but it represents a critical step on a very tragic issue that deserves our attention.

I urge my colleagues to support its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 669) to amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the health of children and help better understand and enhance awareness about unexpected sudden death in early life, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 669, the Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act, introduced by my colleague, Mr. Pallone of New Jersey.

Prevention of stillbirth, sudden unexpected infant death, and sudden unexplained death in children depends upon the collection of data related to the biological, social, and environmental factors associated with these outcomes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collects data through existing surveillance systems in order to identify the extent of the problem and risk factors.

Sudden unexpected infant death rates decreased in the 1990s during the Back to Sleep campaign, but have remained unchanged since then. It is time for us to address this problem.

H.R. 669 authorizes activities at the Centers for Disease Control to help improve the understanding of stillbirth, sudden unexpected infant death, and sudden unexplained death in children by improving data collection, increasing surveillance strategies, and setting guidelines and protocols for death scene investigations.

I ask my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 669, the Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act.

Stillbirths--the loss of a pregnancy after 20 weeks of gestation-- occur for approximately 26,000 women in the United States each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate there are 4,000 sudden unexplained infant deaths (SUID) in children under age one each year as well. Sudden Unexplained Deaths in Childhood (SUDC) occur in children over the age of 12 months, with an estimated incidence of 1.2 deaths per 100,000 children.

CDC currently oversees a number of initiatives to collect data on these tragic deaths. H.R. 669 would help to improve surveillance on SUID, SUDC, and stillbirths. Improving data on the number and root causes of these unexplained deaths will be a critical step in advancing our efforts to reduce them.

I want to commend the sponsors of this legislation, Ranking Member Pallone and Congressman King, for their leadership on this issue. I would also like to thank Chairman Upton, Chairman Pitts, and all of our staff for helping to bring this bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee and to the floor today.

I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.

I ask unanimous consent that the HELP Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 669, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the Harkin substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and the Harkin amendment to the title, which is also at the desk, be agreed to, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 669) to amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the health of children and help better understand and enhance awareness about unexpected sudden death in early life, with the Senate amendments thereto, and concur in the Senate amendments.