amendments respecting venereal diseases

amendments respecting venereal diseases Sec. 203. (a) The Congress finds and declares that— (1) the number of reported cases of venereal disease continues in epidemic proportions in the United States; (2) the number of patients with venereal disease reported to public health authorities is only a fraction of those actually infected; (3) the incidence, of venereal disease is particularly high in the 15–29-year age group, and in metropolitan areas; 90 STAT. 704 (4) venereal disease accounts for needless deaths and leads to such severe disabilities as sterility, insanity, blindness, and crippling conditions; (5) the number of cases of congenital syphilis, a preventable disease, tends to parallel the incidence of syphilis in adults; (6) it is conservatively estimated that the public cost of care for persons suffering the complications of venereal disease exceed $80,000,000 annually; (7) medical researchers have no successful vaccine for syphilis or gonorrhea, and have no blood test for the detection of gonorrhea among the large reservoir of asymptomatic females; (8) school health education programs, public information and awareness campaigns, mass diagnostic screening and case followup activities have all been found to be effective disease intervention methodologies; (9) knowledgeable health providers and concerned individuals and groups are fundamental to venereal disease prevention and control; (10) biomedical research leading to the development of vaccines for syphilis and gonorrhea is of singular importance for the eventual eradication of these dreaded diseases; and (11) a variety of other sexually transmitted diseases, in addition to syphilis and gonorrhea, have become of public health significance. (b) (1) Section 318(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act is amended to read as follows: “(2) For the purpose of carrying out this subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1976, $6,600,000 for fiscal year 1977, and $7,600,000 for fiscal year 1978.”. (2) Subsection (d)(2) of such section is amended to react as follows: “(2) For the purpose of carrying out this section there is authorized to be appropriated $32,000,000 for fiscal year 1976, $41,500,000 for fiscal year 1977, and $43,500,000 for fiscal year 1978.”. (c) Subsection (a) of such section is amended by striking out “public, authorities and” and inserting in lieu thereof “public and non-profit private entities and to”. (d) Subsection (d)(1)(B) of such section is amended by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: “and routine testing, including laboratory tests and followup systems”. (e) Subsection (d)(1)(E) of such section is amended by striking out “control” and inserting in lieu thereof “prevention and control strategies and activities”. (f) (1) Subsection (c) is repealed. (2) Subsection (e)(1) of such section is amended by striking out “or (d)” and inserting in lieu thereof “or (c) ”, (3) Subsection (e)(2)(C) of such section is amended by striking out “(including dark-field microscope techniques for the diagnosis of both gonorrhea and syphilis) ”. (4) The last sentence of subsection (e)(4) of such section is amended by striking out the semicolon and all that follows through “paid to such recipient”. (5) The first sentence of subsection (e)(5) of such section is amended by inserting before the period the following: “or as may be required by a law of a State or political subdivision of a State”. (6) Subsection (g) of such section is amended by striking out “, (c), and (d)” and inserting in lieu thereof “and (c)”. (7) Subsection (h) of such section is amended by striking out “treated or to have any child or ward of his”. 90 STAT. 705 (8) Subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), and (h) of such section are redesignated as subsections (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g), respectively. (g) Subsection (e) of such section (as so redesignated) is amended by striking out “317(d)(4) ” and inserting in lieu thereof “317 (g)(2) ”. (h) Such section is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: “(h) For purposes of this section and section 317, the term ‘venereal disease’ means gonorrhea, syphilis, or any other disease which can be sexually transmitted and which the Secretary determines is or may be amenable to control with assistance provided under this section and is of national significance.”. (i) Section 318(b)(1) is amended by inserting “education,” before “and training”.