text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Asthma Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds as follows:
              (1) Despite improved therapies, asthma affects 
          approximately 22,000,000 adults and 6,800,000 children under 
          the age of 18 in the United States.
              (2) Approximately 1,000,000 hospital emergency room visits 
          are attributed to asthma annually.
              (3) Asthma can be life-threatening if not properly managed. 
          Most asthma-related deaths are preventable, yet such deaths 
          continue to occur in the United States.
              (4) Asthma-related health care costs are estimated at 
          $14,000,000,000 annually.
              (5) With early recognition of the signs and symptoms of 
          asthma, proper diagnosis and treatment, and patient education 
          and self-management, asthma is a controllable disease.
              (6) Public health interventions have been proven effective 
          in the treatment and management of asthma. Population-based 
          research supported by the National Institutes of Health has 
          effectively demonstrated the benefits of combining aggressive 
          medical treatment with patient education to improve the 
          management of asthma. The National Asthma Education and 
          Prevention Program helps raise awareness that asthma is a 
          serious chronic disease, and helps promote more effective 
          management of asthma through patient and professional 
          education.
              (7) The alarming rise in prevalence, asthma-related deaths, 
          and expenditures demonstrate that, despite extensive knowledge 
          on effective asthma management strategies, current Federal 
          policy and funding regarding the education, treatment, and 
          management of asthma is inadequate.
              (8) Additional Federal direction, funding, and support is 
          necessary to increase awareness of asthma as a chronic illness, 
          its symptoms, and the environmental factors (indoor and 
          outdoor) that affect the disease, as well as to promote 
          education programs that teach patients how to better manage 
          asthma.
  
  SEC. 3. PROVISIONS REGARDING NATIONAL ASTHMA EDUCATION AND PREVENTION 
                PROGRAM OF NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE.
  
      (a) Additional Funding; Expansion of Program.--In addition to any 
  other authorization of appropriations that is available to the National 
  Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for the purpose of carrying out the 
  National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, there is authorized 
  to be appropriated to such Institute for such purpose $4,100,000 for 
  each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014. Amounts appropriated under 
  the preceding sentence shall be expended to expand such Program.
      (b) Coordinating Committee.--
              (1) Report to congress.--With respect to the coordinating 
          committee established for the National Asthma Education and 
          Prevention Program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood 
          Institute, such committee shall submit to Congress a report 
          that--
                      (A) contains a determination by the committee of 
                  the scope of the problem of asthma in the United 
                  States;
                      (B) identifies all Federal programs that carry out 
                  asthma-related activities; and
                      (C) contains the recommendations of the committee 
                  for strengthening and better coordinating the asthma-
                  related activities of the Federal Government.
              (2) Inclusion of representative of department of 
          education.--The Secretary of Education or a designee of such 
          Secretary shall be included in the membership of the 
          coordinating committee described in paragraph (1).
  
  SEC. 4. ASTHMA-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND 
                PREVENTION.
  
      (a) Expansion of Public Health Surveillance Activities; Program for 
  Providing Information and Education to Public.--The Secretary of Health 
  and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for 
  Disease Control and Prevention, shall collaborate with the States to 
  expand the scope of--
              (1) activities that are carried out to determine the 
          incidence and prevalence of asthma; and
              (2) activities that are carried out to prevent the health 
          consequences of asthma, including through the provision of 
          information and education to the public regarding asthma, which 
          may include the use of public service announcements through the 
          media and such other means as such Director determines to be 
          appropriate.
      (b) Compilation of Data.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
  Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease 
  Control and Prevention and in consultation with the National Asthma 
  Education Prevention Program Coordinating Committee, shall--
              (1) conduct local asthma surveillance activities to collect 
          data on the prevalence and severity of asthma and the quality 
          of asthma management, including--
                      (A) telephone surveys to collect sample household 
                  data on the local burden of asthma; and
                      (B) health care facility specific surveillance to 
                  collect asthma data on the prevalence and severity of 
                  asthma, and on the quality of asthma care; and
              (2) compile and annually publish data on--
                      (A) the prevalence of children suffering from 
                  asthma in each State; and
                      (B) the childhood mortality rate associated with 
                  asthma nationally and in each State.
      (c) 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 section, there is 
  authorized to be appropriated to such Centers for such purpose 
  $8,200,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
  
  SEC. 5. GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH REGARDING ASTHMA INFORMATION, 
                EDUCATION, AND SERVICES.
  
      (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
  (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') may make grants to 
  nonprofit private entities for projects to carry out, in communities 
  identified by entities applying for the grants, outreach activities to 
  provide for residents of the communities the following:
              (1) Information and education on asthma.
              (2) Referrals to health programs of public and nonprofit 
          private entities that provide asthma-related services, 
          including such services for low-income individuals. The grant 
          may be expended to make arrangements to coordinate the 
          activities of such entities in order to establish and operate 
          networks or consortia regarding such referrals.
      (b) Preferences in Making Grants.--In making grants under 
  subsection (a), the Secretary shall give preference to applicants that 
  will carry out projects under such subsection in communities that are 
  disproportionately affected by asthma or underserved with respect to 
  the activities described in such subsection and in which a significant 
  number of low-income individuals reside.
      (c) Evaluations.--As a condition for receiving a grant under 
  subsection (a), the applicant for the grant shall agree to provide for 
  the evaluation of the projects carried out under such subsection by the 
  applicant to determine the extent to which the projects have been 
  effective in carrying out the activities described in such subsection.
      (d) Funding.--For the purpose of carrying out this section, there 
  is authorized to be appropriated $4,100,000 for each of the fiscal 
  years 2010 through 2014.
  
  SEC. 6. ACTION PLANS OF STATES REGARDING ASTHMA; FINANCIAL INCENTIVES 
                REGARDING CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM.
  
      (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in 
  this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall in accordance with 
  subsection (b) carry out a program to encourage the States to implement 
  plans to carry out activities to assist children with respect to asthma 
  in accordance with guidelines of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood 
  Institute.
      (b) Relation to Children's Health Insurance Program.--
              (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), if a State plan 
          under title XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et 
          seq.) provides for activities described in subsection (a) to an 
          extent satisfactory to the Secretary, the Secretary shall, with 
          amounts appropriated under subsection (c), make a grant to the 
          State involved to assist the State in carrying out such 
          activities.
              (2) Requirement of matching funds.--
                      (A) In general.--With respect to the costs of the 
                  activities to be carried out by a State under paragraph 
                  (1), the Secretary may make a grant under such 
                  paragraph only if the State agrees to make available 
                  (directly or through donations from public or private 
                  entities) non-Federal contributions toward such costs 
                  in an amount that is not less than 50 percent of the 
                  costs ($1 for each $1 of Federal funds provided in the 
                  grant).
                      (B) Determination of amount contributed.--Non-
                  Federal contributions required in subparagraph (A) may 
                  be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including 
                  plant, equipment, or services. Amounts provided by the 
                  Federal Government, or services assisted or subsidized 
                  to any significant extent by the Federal Government, 
                  may not be included in determining the amount of such 
                  non-Federal contributions.
              (3) Criteria regarding eligibility for grant.--The 
          Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register criteria 
          describing the circumstances in which the Secretary will 
          consider a State plan to be satisfactory for purposes of 
          paragraph (1).
              (4) Technical assistance.--With respect to State plans 
          under title XXI of the Social Security Act, the Secretary, 
          acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
          and Prevention, shall make available to the States technical 
          assistance in developing the provisions of such plans that will 
          provide for activities pursuant to paragraph (1).
      (c) Funding.--For the purpose of carrying out this section, there 
  is authorized to be appropriated $4,100,000 for each of the fiscal 
  years 2010 through 2014.
  
  SEC. 7. ACTION PLANS OF LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES REGARDING ASTHMA.
  
      (a) In General.--
              (1) School-based asthma activities.--The Secretary of 
          Education (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), 
          in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease 
          Control and Prevention and the Director of the National 
          Institutes of Health, may make grants to local educational 
          agencies to carry out at elementary and secondary schools 
          described in paragraph (2) programs for asthma-related 
          activities for children who attend such schools.
              (2) Eligible schools.--The elementary and secondary schools 
          described in this paragraph are such schools that are located 
          in communities with a significant number of low-income or 
          underserved individuals (as defined by the Secretary).
      (b) Development of Programs.--Programs under subsection (a) shall 
  include grants under which local education agencies and State public 
  health officials collaborate to develop programs to improve the 
  management of asthma in school settings.
      (c) Certain Guidelines.--Programs under subsection (a) shall be 
  carried out in accordance with applicable guidelines or other 
  recommendations of the National Institutes of Health (including the 
  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) and the Environmental 
  Protection Agency.
      (d) Certain Activities.--Activities that may be carried out in 
  programs under subsection (a) include the following:
              (1) Identifying and working directly with local hospitals, 
          community clinics, advocacy organizations, parent-teacher 
          associations, and asthma coalitions.
              (2) Identifying asthmatic children and training such 
          children and the families of such children in asthma self-
          management.
              (3) Purchasing asthma equipment.
              (4) Hiring school nurses.
              (5) Training teachers, nurses, coaches, and other school 
          personnel in asthma-symptom recognition and emergency 
          responses.
              (6) Simplifying procedures to improve safe access of 
          students to asthma medications.
              (7) Such other asthma-related activities as the Secretary 
          determines to be appropriate.
      (e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the terms 
  ``elementary school'', ``local educational agency'', and ``secondary 
  school'' have the meanings given such terms in section 9101 of the 
  Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
      (f) Funding.--For the purpose of carrying out this section, there 
  is authorized to be appropriated $4,100,000 for each of the fiscal 
  years 2010 through 2014.
  
  SEC. 8. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING HOSPITALS AND MANAGED CARE PLANS.
  
      It is the sense of Congress that--
              (1) hospitals should be encouraged to offer asthma-related 
          education and training to asthma patients and families of 
          asthma patients upon discharge from the hospital of such 
          patients;
              (2) hospitals should, with respect to information on 
          asthma, establish telephone services for patients and 
          communicate with providers of primary health services; and
              (3) managed care organizations should--
                      (A) be encouraged to disseminate to health care 
                  providers asthma clinical practice guidelines developed 
                  or endorsed by the Public Health Service;
                      (B) collect and maintain asthma data; and
                      (C) offer asthma-related education and training to 
                  asthma patients and their families.
  
  SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT.
  
      It is the sense of Congress that all Federal, State, and local 
  asthma-related activities should--
              (1) promote the guidelines and other recommendations of the 
          Public Health Service on asthma diagnosis and management; and
              (2) be designed in consultation with national and local 
          organizations representing the medical, educational, and 
          environmental communities, as well as advocates that represent 
          those affected by asthma.
target: Asthma Act - Authorizes additional appropriations to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Requires the Program's coordinating committee to report to Congress on: (1) the scope of the asthma problem in the United States; (2) federal programs that carry out asthma-related activities; and (3) recommendations for strengthening and better coordinating such activities. Includes the Secretary of Education or a designee in the committee's membership.
  
  Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) collaborate with states to expand the scope of asthma-related activities to determine the incidence and prevalence of asthma and prevent related health consequences; (2) conduct local asthma surveillance activities to collect data on the prevalence and severity of asthma and the quality of asthma management; and (3) compile and annually publish data on the prevalence of asthma in children.
  
  Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for: (1) information and education on asthma; and (2) referrals to health programs that provide asthma-related services.
  
  Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a program to encourage the states to implement plans for activities to assist children with respect to asthma in accordance with the Institute's guidelines; and (2) make a grant to states under the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP) for such activities.
  
  Authorizes grants to local educational agencies to carry out asthma-related activities at elementary and secondary schools in communities with a significant number of low-income or underserved individuals.
feat_title: A bill to provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education with increased authority with respect to asthma programs, and to provide for increased funding for such programs.