Law to Protect Disabled Children Awaits President's Signature
An amendment to the Public Health Service Act that will provide support and resources for parents whose children have been pre-natally or post-natally diagnosed with Down syndrome or other genetic conditions could become law, if President Bush signs it, or if Congress remains in session so the legislation does not expire from constitutional limits.
The Pre-natally and Post-natally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, introduced by Sens. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), was passed by Congress on Sept. 25 and delivered to the president on Sept. 29.
According to the Constitution, the bill will become law in 10 days, with or without the president's signature, unless Congress adjourns, resulting in a pocket veto of the act.
But Brownback's Washington staff told CNSNews.com they are confident that Bush will sign the bill sometime this week, and even if doesn't, it probably won't fall victim to a pocket veto status because Congress is likely to continue its pro forma sessions – meeting briefly to avert such legislative losses – over the coming weeks.
The law would require that families who receive a diagnosis of Down Syndrome, spina bifida, cystic fibrosis or another disability, pre-natally or up to one year after birth, receive the most accurate information about the disability and be connected with support services and networks.
It also would generate grant money to facilitate adherence to the law, with an emphasis on funding partnerships between health care professionals and disability advocacy groups.
"As a society, we must offer as much protection as we can to 'the least of these,'" Brownback said when he and Kennedy introduced the legislation in July.
"When a mother receives the news that her unborn child may be born with a disability, she should be supplied with current and reliable information about the many options available for caring for children with disabilities," he added.
The bill also would provide for the development of a national clearinghouse on information for parents of children with disabilities, further develop national and local support systems, and create a registry of families willing to adopt children with disabilities.
"One of the hardest moments in the life of an expectant mother is when she receives news that she is going to have a child with special needs," Kennedy said. "Access to the best support and information about the condition and the quality of life for a child born with that condition can make all the difference to a woman trying to make an informed and difficult decision."
The cost of the bill is estimated to be less than $1 per taxpayer over the 2009-2013 period.
Calls to the White House to inquire about the president's plans for signing the bill were not returned by press time.
Contact: Penny Starr
Source: CNSNews.com
Source URL: www.CNSNews.com
Publish Date: October 7, 2008
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