LONG-TERM CHILD DEVELOPMENT STUDY.

SEC. 1004. LONG-TERM CHILD DEVELOPMENT STUDY. (a) Purpose.—It is the purpose of this section to authorize the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to conduct a national longitudinal study of environmental influences(including physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial) on children’s health and development. (b) In General.—The Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development shall establish a consortium of representatives from appropriate Federal agencies (including the 114 STAT. 1131Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency) to— (1) plan, develop, and implement a prospective cohort study, from birth to adulthood, to evaluate the effects of both chronic and intermittent exposures on child health and human development; and (2) investigate basic mechanisms of developmental dis-orders and environmental factors, both risk and protective, that influence health and developmental processes. (c) Requirement.—The study under subsection (b) shall— (1) incorporate behavioral, emotional, educational, and contextual consequences to enable a complete assessment of the physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial environmental influences on children’s well-being; (2) gather data on environmental influences and outcomes on diverse populations of children, which may include the consideration of prenatal exposures; and (3) consider health disparities among children which may include the consideration of prenatal exposures. (d) Report.—Beginning not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and periodically thereafter for the duration of the study under this section, the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development shall prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the implementation and findings made under the planning and feasibility study conducted under this section. (e) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, and such sums as may be necessary for each the fiscal years 2002 through 2005.