Sponsors (12)
The bill aims to expand access, training, and national coordination for FASD care and services—benefiting families, clinicians, and governments—while creating open-ended federal costs and risks of uneven implementation or reduced legal guarantees in some jurisdictions.
Parents and families of children with FASD gain substantially improved access to screening, diagnosis, and support services through new Centers for Excellence and grant-funded programs.
State, Tribal, and local governments can build capacity and create coordinator roles to better identify and deliver services for people with FASD.
Clinicians and allied health providers receive training and technical assistance to improve FASD diagnosis and treatment, raising quality of care.
Taxpayers may face higher federal spending because the bill authorizes unspecified "such sums as may be necessary" for 2025–2029.
Smaller or rural states and Tribes could struggle to match or sustain new programs if grant funding is limited or temporary, producing uneven access.
Shifting language to discretionary authority ("may" rather than "shall") could reduce guaranteed services or mandates in some jurisdictions, leaving families without promised support.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands HHS authority to fund and coordinate FASD awareness, prevention, screening, diagnosis, intervention, training, Centers for Excellence, and requires a 4-year report; funds authorized for FY2025–2029.
Introduced January 16, 2025 by Lisa Murkowski · Last progress January 16, 2025
Expands federal health authority over fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) by authorizing HHS to fund and support awareness, prevention, identification, diagnosis, intervention, treatment, and family support activities. It creates competitive grant programs and new FASD Centers for Excellence to build state, tribal, local, and national capacity, sets program uses (screening, training, outreach, clearinghouse functions, technical assistance), defines “FASD‑informed,” and requires a report to Congress on best practices and HHS efforts within four years. Funding is authorized as "such sums as may be necessary" for fiscal years 2025–2029 and an older statutory provision is repealed.