On January 29, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a number of non-controversial bills, including one (H.R. 398) aimed at preventing birth defects. The bill was approved, by voice vote, without debate.
Sponsored by Reps. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ) and John Dingell (D-MI), the Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Prevention Act would expand the work of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include research on, and the promotion of, birth defects, disabilities, and secondary health conditions among individuals with disabilities. Additionally, under the bill, the center would be charged with supporting a National Spina Bifida Program to prevent and reduce spina bifida.
