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House Committee Approves Health Measures

On May 7, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved, by voice vote, the Health Centers Renewal Act (H.R. 1343) and the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008 (H.R. 1553). The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health approved H.R. 1343 and H.R. 1553 on April 23 (see The Source, 4/25/08). The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee passed its versions of the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act (S. 911) and the Health Centers Renewal Act (S. 901) on November 14 (see The Source, 11/16/07).

Health Centers Renewal Act

The Health Centers Renewal Act would authorize $2.213 billion for FY2008, $2.451 billion for FY2009, $2.758 billion for FY2010, $3.116 billion for FY2011, and $3.537 for FY2012 for the program.

During consideration of the bill, the committee adopted, by voice vote, a substitute amendment by Rep. Gene Green (D-TX), the bill’s sponsor, which would give the secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to recognize high poverty areas when making grants for the establishment of new health centers and give preference in awarding grants to potential recipients who address those needs.

Conquer Childhood Cancer Act

During its consideration of the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, the committee adopted, by voice vote, a substitute amendment by Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA), which would require all public awareness provisions of the program to be culturally and linguistically appropriate for minority and medically underserved patients and families. The substitute also would change the name of the bill to the “Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008,” in honor of the late daughter of Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH), the bill’s sponsor. Caroline Pryce Walker died of cancer in 1999, at the age of nine.