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H.R. 6590House115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

CAMRA Act

Sponsored by John K. DelaneyRep. John K. Delaney (D-MD)
Introduced July 26, 2018

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 11:15 PM UTC

The CAMRA Act would amend the Public Health Service Act to create a dedicated research program within the National Institutes of Health focused on how media and technology affect the health and development of infants, children, and adolescents. The program would study both positive and negative impacts across cognitive, physical, and socio‑emotional areas, and would require the NIH to report its findings to Congress. Funding is authorized for the program through fiscal year 2023.

Key Provisions

  • NIH, in coordination with the Institute of Child Health and other partners, must conduct and support research on the health and developmental effects of media (including social media, video games, AI, VR, etc.) on youth.
  • The Director of NIH must develop a research agenda that identifies knowledge gaps and priorities for studying media impacts on children.
  • An expanded research program will be funded through the NIH’s peer‑review process.
  • NIH must submit a progress report to Congress within one year of enactment, summarizing grants and research funded.
  • Appropriations are authorized at $15 million per year for FY2019‑2021 and $25 million per year for FY2022‑2023.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions
HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

July 27, 2018

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 26, 2018

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

July 26, 2018

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

July 27, 2018

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 26, 2018

I

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 6590

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 26, 2018

Mr. Delaney (for himself and Mr. Budd) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a program on children and the media within the National Institutes of Health to study the health and developmental effects of technology on infants, children, and adolescents.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Children and Media Research Advancement Act or the CAMRA Act.

2.

Research on the health and development effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents

Subpart 7 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

452H.

Research on the health and development effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents

(a)

In general

The Director of the National Institutes of Health, in coordination with or acting through the Director of the Institute, shall conduct and support research and related activities concerning the health and developmental effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents, which may include the positive and negative effects of exposure to and use of media, such as social media, applications, websites, television, motion pictures, artificial intelligence, mobile devices, computers, video games, virtual and augmented reality, and other media formats as they become available. Such research shall attempt to better understand the relationships between media and technology use and individual differences and characteristics of children and shall include longitudinally designed studies to assess the impact of media on youth over time. Such research shall include consideration of core areas of child and adolescent health and development including the following:

(1)

Cognitive

The role and impact of media use and exposure in the development of children and adolescents within such cognitive areas as language development, executive functioning, attention, creative problem solving skills, visual and spatial skills, literacy, critical thinking, and other learning abilities, and the impact of early technology use on developmental trajectories.

(2)

Physical

The role and impact of media use and exposure on children's and adolescent's physical development and health behaviors, including diet, exercise, sleeping and eating routines, and other areas of physical development.

(3)

Socio-emotional

The role and impact of media use and exposure on children’s and adolescents’ social-emotional competencies, including self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, relationship skills, empathy, distress tolerance, perception of social cues, awareness of one’s relationship with the media, and decision-making, as well as outcomes such as privacy, violence, bullying, depression, anxiety, addiction, obsessive behavior, and suicidal ideation.

(b)

Developing research agenda

The Director of the National Institutes of Health, in coordination with the Director of the Institute, other appropriate national research institutes, academies, and centers, the Trans-NIH Pediatric Research Consortium, and non-Federal experts as needed, shall develop a research agenda on the health and developmental effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents to inform research activities under subsection (a). In developing such research agenda, the Director may use whatever means necessary (such as scientific workshops and literature reviews) to assess current knowledge and research gaps in this area.

(c)

Research program

In coordination with the Institute and other national research institutes and centers, and utilizing the National Institutes of Health’s process of scientific peer review, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall fund an expanded research program on the health and developmental effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents.

(d)

Report to Congress

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall submit a report to Congress on the progress made in gathering data and expanding research on the health and developmental effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents in accordance with this section. Such report shall summarize the grants and research funded, by year, under this section.

(e)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—

(1)

$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2021; and

(2)

$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

.