Children and Media Research Advancement Act or the CAMRA Act
This bill requires the National Institutes of Health to fund research regarding the effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents. Such research must examine the impact of media (e.g., social media, television, video games) on cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2161 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2161
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a program on
children and the media within the National Institute of Health to study
the health and developmental effects of technology on infants,
children, and adolescents.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 23, 2021
Mr. Raskin (for himself, Mr. Gonzalez of Ohio, and Mrs. Trahan)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a program on
children and the media within the National Institute of Health to study
the health and developmental effects of technology on infants,
children, and adolescents.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Children and Media Research
Advancement Act'' or the ``CAMRA Act''.
SEC. 2. RESEARCH ON THE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFECTS OF MEDIA ON
INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND ADOLESCENTS.
Subpart 7 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 285g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 452H. RESEARCH ON THE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFECTS OF MEDIA ON
INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND ADOLESCENTS.
``(a) In General.--The Director of the National Institutes of
Health, in coordination with or acting through the Director of the
Institute, shall conduct and support research and related activities
concerning the health and developmental effects of media on infants,
children, and adolescents, which may include the positive and negative
effects of exposure to and use of media, such as social media,
applications, websites, television, motion pictures, artificial
intelligence, mobile devices, computers, video games, virtual and
augmented reality, and other media formats as they become available.
Such research shall attempt to better understand the relationships
between media and technology use and individual differences and
characteristics of children and shall include longitudinally designed
studies to assess the impact of media on youth over time. Such research
shall include consideration of core areas of child and adolescent
health and development including the following:
``(1) Cognitive.--The role and impact of media use and
exposure in the development of children and adolescents within
such cognitive areas as language development, executive
functioning, attention, creative problem solving skills, visual
and spatial skills, literacy, critical thinking, and other
learning abilities, and the impact of early technology use on
developmental trajectories.
``(2) Physical.--The role and impact of media use and
exposure on children's and adolescent's physical development
and health behaviors, including diet, exercise, sleeping and
eating routines, and other areas of physical development.
``(3) Socio-emotional.--The role and impact of media use
and exposure on children's and adolescents' social-emotional
competencies, including self-awareness, self-regulation, social
awareness, relationship skills, empathy, distress tolerance,
perception of social cues, awareness of one's relationship with
the media, and decision-making, as well as outcomes such as
violations of privacy, perpetration of or exposure to violence,
bullying or other forms of aggression, depression, anxiety,
substance use, misuse or disorder, and suicidal ideation/
behavior and self-harm.
``(b) Developing Research Agenda.--The Director of the National
Institutes of Health, in consultation with the Director of the
Institute, other appropriate national research institutes, academies,
and centers, the Trans-NIH Pediatric Research Consortium, and non-
Federal experts as needed, shall develop a research agenda on the
health and developmental effects of media on infants, children, and
adolescents to inform research activities under subsection (a). In
developing such research agenda, the Director may use whatever means
necessary (such as scientific workshops and literature reviews) to
assess current knowledge and research gaps in this area.
``(c) Research Program.--In coordination with the Institute and
other national research institutes and centers, and utilizing the
National Institutes of Health's process of scientific peer review, the
Director of the National Institutes of Health shall fund an expanded
research program on the health and developmental effects of media on
infants, children, and adolescents.
``(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of
Health shall submit a report to Congress on the progress made in
gathering data and expanding research on the health and developmental
effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents in accordance
with this section. Such report shall summarize the grants and research
funded, by year, under this section.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section--
``(1) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through
2024; and
``(2) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 and
2026.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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