text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Act 
  of 2007''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds the following:
              (1) Shaken Baby Syndrome is a term used to describe the 
          constellation of symptoms, trauma, and medical conditions 
          resulting from the violent shaking, or abusive impact to the 
          head, of an infant, toddler or other young child.
              (2) Shaken Baby Syndrome is a form of child abuse affecting 
          between 1,200 and 1,600 children every year.
              (3) Children who are age 1 or younger accounted for 41.9 
          percent of all child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2005, and 
          children who are age 4 or younger accounted for 76.6 percent of 
          all child abuse and neglect facilities in 2005.
              (4) The most recent National Child Abuse and Neglect Data 
          System figures reveal that almost 900,000 children were victims 
          of abuse and neglect in the United States in 2005. That abuse 
          and neglect caused unspeakable pain and suffering to the 
          Nation's most vulnerable citizens.
              (5) It is estimated that between one-quarter and one-third 
          of Shaken Baby Syndrome victims die as a result of their 
          injuries, while one-third suffer permanent, severe disabilities 
          including paralysis, seizures, loss of hearing or vision, 
          cognitive impairments, and other disabilities, often resulting 
          in a lifetime of extraordinary medical, educational, and care 
          expenses.
              (6) Shaken Baby Syndrome is preventable. Prevention 
          programs have demonstrated that educating new parents and other 
          caregivers about the danger of shaking young children, healthy 
          strategies for coping with infant crying, infant soothing 
          skills, and how to protect children from injury can bring about 
          a significant reduction in the number of cases of Shaken Baby 
          Syndrome.
              (7) Efforts to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome are supported 
          by child welfare and advocacy groups across the United States, 
          including many groups formed by parents and relatives of 
          children who have been killed or injured by the syndrome.
              (8) Education programs have been shown to raise awareness 
          about Shaken Baby Syndrome and provide critically important 
          information about the syndrome to caregivers, day care workers, 
          child protection employees, law enforcement personnel, health 
          care providers, and legal representatives.
              (9) Education programs can give parents healthy strategies 
          for dealing with a crying infant and change the knowledge and 
          behavior of parents of young children.
  
  SEC. 3. PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN.
  
      (a) In General.--
              (1) Development.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
          Services (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary''), acting 
          through the Director of the National Center for Injury 
          Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and 
          Prevention, the Director of the National Institute of Child 
          Health and Human Development, the Director of the Maternal and 
          Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services 
          Administration, and the Director of the Office of Child Abuse 
          and Neglect in the Administration for Children and Families, 
          shall develop an effective national Shaken Baby Syndrome public 
          health campaign.
              (2) Information.--The public health campaign shall inform 
          the general public, and new parents, child care providers and 
          other caregivers of young children, health care providers, and 
          social workers, among others, about brain injuries and other 
          harmful effects that may result from shaking, or abusive impact 
          to the head, of infants and children under age 5, and healthy 
          strategies to cope with a crying infant and related 
          frustrations, in order to help protect children from injury.
              (3) Coordination.--In carrying out the public health 
          campaign, the Secretary shall also coordinate activities with 
          providers of other support services to parents and other 
          caregivers of young children.
      (b) Activities.--
              (1) In general.--In carrying out the public health 
          campaign, the Secretary shall carry out the activities 
          described in paragraphs (2) through (4).
              (2) National action plan and strategies.--The Secretary 
          shall--
                      (A) develop a National Action Plan and effective 
                  strategies to increase awareness of opportunities to 
                  prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome through activities that 
                  comprehensively and systematically provide information 
                  and instruction about healthy strategies for parents 
                  and other caregivers concerning how to cope with a 
                  crying infant and related frustrations; and
                      (B) coordinate the Plan and effective strategies 
                  with evidence-based strategies and efforts that support 
                  families with infants and other young children, such as 
                  home visiting programs and respite child care efforts, 
                  which have a role to play in prevention of the 
                  syndrome.
              (3) Communication, education, and training.--The Secretary 
          shall carry out communication, education, and training about 
          Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention, including efforts to 
          communicate with the general public by--
                      (A) disseminating effective prevention practices 
                  and techniques to parents and caregivers through 
                  maternity hospitals, child care centers, organizations 
                  providing prenatal and postnatal care, organizations 
                  providing programs for fathers, and organizations 
                  providing parenting education and support services;
                      (B)(i) producing evidence-based educational and 
                  informational materials in print, audio, video, 
                  electronic, and other media, giving special attention 
                  to educating young men and English language learners 
                  through the materials; and
                      (ii) coordinating activities carried out under 
                  clause (i) with national and Federal awareness 
                  activities, such as the activities accompanying Shaken 
                  Baby Awareness Week, to the extent possible;
                      (C) carrying out Shaken Baby Syndrome training, 
                  which shall aim--
                              (i) to ensure that primary care providers, 
                          home visitors, parent educators, child care 
                          providers, foster parents and others involved 
                          in the care of young children, and nurses, 
                          physicians, and other health care providers, 
                          are aware of ways to prevent abusive head 
                          trauma and other forms of child maltreatment, 
                          and the need to secure immediate medical 
                          attention in cases of head trauma; and
                              (ii) to provide health care providers and 
                          early childhood educators with the knowledge, 
                          skills, and materials to simply, quickly, and 
                          effectively educate parents, including adoptive 
                          and foster parents, as well as others who are 
                          caregivers of young children, about infant 
                          crying and thus reduce abuse.
              (4) Supports for parents and caregivers.--
                      (A) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation 
                  with the Shaken Baby Awareness Advisory Council, shall 
                  work to ensure that the parents and caregivers of 
                  children are connected to effective supports through 
                  the coordination of existing programs and networks or 
                  the establishment of new programs.
                      (B) Supports.--To the extent practicable, the 
                  supports provided under this paragraph shall include 
                  the provision of a 24-hour phone hotline, and the 
                  development of an Internet website for round-the-clock 
                  support, for--
                              (i) parents and caregivers who struggle 
                          with infant crying and related concerns;
                              (ii) parents and caregivers of surviving 
                          children who suffer serious injuries as a 
                          result of shaking or an abusive impact to the 
                          head, as a young child; and
                              (iii) parents and family members of 
                          children who do not survive such shaking or 
                          abusive impact.
      (c) Shaken Baby Awareness Advisory Council.--
              (1) Establishment.--There is established a Shaken Baby 
          Awareness Advisory Council (referred to in this subsection as 
          the ``Council'').
              (2) Membership.--The Council shall be composed of members 
          appointed by the Secretary, not later than 6 months after the 
          date of enactment of this Act, including, to the maximum extent 
          possible, representatives from--
                      (A) Shaken Baby Awareness advocacy organizations, 
                  including groups formed by parents and relatives of 
                  victims;
                      (B) child protection advocacy organizations;
                      (C) organizations involved in child protection and 
                  child maltreatment prevention;
                      (D) disability advocacy organizations;
                      (E) pediatric medical associations;
                      (F) psychologists, child development professionals, 
                  or family studies professionals;
                      (G) professional associations or institutions 
                  involved in medical research related to abusive head 
                  trauma;
                      (H) academic institutions;
                      (I) parenting support organizations, including 
                  those providing programs targeted towards fathers;
                      (J) organizations who come in contact with families 
                  and caregivers of infants, toddlers, and other young 
                  children; and
                      (K) other Federal and State agencies involved in 
                  child abuse prevention activities.
              (3) Period of appointment; vacancies.--
                      (A) Period of appointment.--The Secretary shall, 
                  after consultation with the members of the Council 
                  initially appointed by the Secretary under paragraph 
                  (2), determine and establish the term of service on the 
                  Council that shall apply to all current and future 
                  members.
                      (B) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Council shall 
                  not affect the powers of the Council, but shall be 
                  filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
              (4) Duties.--The Council shall meet at least semi-
          annually--
                      (A) to develop recommendations regarding the 
                  National Action Plan and effective strategies described 
                  in subsection (b)(2); and
                      (B) to develop recommendations related to support 
                  services for families and caregivers of young children.
              (5) Personnel.--
                      (A) Travel expenses.--The members of the Council 
                  shall not receive compensation for the performance of 
                  services for the Council, but shall be allowed travel 
                  expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at 
                  rates authorized for employees of agencies under 
                  subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
                  Code, while away from their homes or regular places of 
                  business in the performance of services for the 
                  Council. Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, 
                  United States Code, the Secretary may accept the 
                  voluntary and uncompensated services of members of the 
                  Council.
                      (B) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal 
                  Government employee may be detailed to the Council 
                  without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without 
                  interruption or loss of civil service status or 
                  privilege.
              (6) Termination of committee.--Section 14 of the Federal 
          Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
          Council. The Secretary shall terminate the Council when the 
          Secretary determines, after consultation with the Council, that 
          it is no longer necessary to pursue the goals and carry out the 
          activities of the Council.
  
  SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
  $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such sums as may be necessary for 
  each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011.
target: Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through various federal agencies, to develop a national Shaken Baby Syndrome public health campaign. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a National Action Plan and effective strategies to increase awareness of opportunities to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome; and (2) coordinate the Plan and strategies with evidence-based strategies and efforts that support families with infants and other young children.
  
  Directs the Secretary to carry out communication, education, and training about Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention, including efforts to communicate with the general public, such as by: (1) disseminating effective prevention practices and techniques to parents and caregivers; (2) producing evidence-based educational and information materials; and (3) carrying out Shaken Baby Syndrome training.
  
  Requires the Secretary to work to ensure that the parents and caregivers of children are connected to effective supports through the coordination of existing programs and networks or the establishment of new programs, including a 24-hour phone hotline and the development of an Internet website for round-the-clock support.
  
  Establishes a Shaken Baby Awareness Advisory Council to develop recommendations: (1) regarding the National Action Plan and effective strategies; and (2) related to support services for families and caregivers of young children.
feat_title: A bill to enhance Federal efforts focused on public awareness and education about the risks and dangers associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome.