As much as I made fun of the GOP for constantly nattering on about "zomg! 2,000 pages!" I do have to admit they've got a bit of a point. There's a lot of stuff in there; I'm sure we're all still in for several more surprises regarding the legislation.
And the one -- or five -- I've found today are pretty darn cool. They're not the big, sexy issues that grab all the headlines, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised as I was. So let's hop below the fold and start with item number one. All legal text citations are from this link.
The act requires chain restaurants with more than 20 locations to post calorie content on their menus, allowing customers to make healthier decisions about what foods they choose.
SEC. 4205. NUTRITION LABELING OF STANDARD MENU ITEMS AT
CHAIN RESTAURANTS.
‘‘(i) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RESTAURANTS AND SIMILAR RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS.
—Except for food described in subclause (vii), in the case of food that is a standard menu item that is offered for sale in a restaurant or similar retail food establishment that is part of a chain with 20 or more
locations doing business under the same name (regardless of the type of ownership of the locations) and offering for sale substantially the same menu items, the restaurant or similar retail food establishment shall disclose the information described in subclauses (ii) and (iii).
‘‘(ii) INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BE DISCLOSED BY RESTAURANTS AND RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS.
—Except as provided in subclause (vii), the restaurant or similar retail food establishment shall disclose in a clear and conspicuous manner—
‘‘(I)(aa) in a nutrient content disclosure statement adjacent to the name of the standard menu item, so as to be clearly associated with the standard menu item, on the menu listing the item for sale, the number of calories contained in the standard menu item, as usually prepared and offered for sale.
The health care reform law provides up to $50 million for Community Transformation Grants to promote access to healthy food and to encourage exercise. The grants will be awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and could be used for projects such as creating healthy, school-lunch programs and building bike lanes and sidewalks.
SEC. 4201. COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION GRANTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award competitive grants to State and local governmental agencies and community-based organizations for the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence-based community preventive health activities in order to reduce chronic disease rates, prevent the development of secondary conditions, address health disparities, and develop a stronger evidence-base of effective prevention programming.
...(B) ACTIVITIES.—Activities within the plan may focus on (but not be limited to)—
(i) creating healthier school environments, including increasing healthy food options, physical activity opportunities, promotion of healthy lifestyle,emotional wellness, and prevention curricula, and activities to prevent chronic diseases;
(ii) creating the infrastructure to support active living and access to nutritious foods in a safe environment;
(iii) developing and promoting programs targeting a variety of age levels to increase access to nutrition, physical activity and smoking cessation, improve social and emotional wellness, enhance safety in a community,
or address any other chronic disease priority area identified by the grantee;
(iv) assessing and implementing worksite wellness programming and incentives;
(v) working to highlight healthy options at restaurants and other food venues;
(vi) prioritizing strategies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities, including social, economic, and geographic determinants of health; and
(vii) addressing special populations needs, including all age groups and individuals with disabilities, and individuals in both urban and rural areas.
The new law provides $200 million in grants to small businesses to create healthier work environments for employees, offer incentives for workers to eat better and to exercise, and even offer free tests and medical screenings at work.
SEC. 10408. GRANTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAMS.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall award grants to eligible employers to provide their employees with access to comprehensive workplace wellness programs (as described under subsection (c)).
...(c) COMPREHENSIVE WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAMS.—
(1) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall develop program criteria for comprehensive workplace wellness programs under this section that are based on and consistent with evidence-based research and best practices, including research and practices as provided in the Guide to Community Preventive Services, the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, and the NationalRegistry for Effective Programs.
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—A comprehensive workplace wellness program shall be made available by an eligible employer to all employees and include the following components:
(A) Health awareness initiatives.
(B) Efforts to maximize employee engagement.
(C) Initiatives to change unhealthy behaviors and lifestyle choices.
(D) Supportive environment efforts
More babies will enjoy the health benefits many attribute to nursing, thanks to a new requirement that employers provide reasonable break time and a place other than a bathroom for nursing mothers to use a breast pump.
SEC. 4207. REASONABLE BREAK TIME FOR NURSING MOTHERS.
Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C.
- is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(r)(1) An employer shall provide—
‘‘(A) a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and
‘‘(B) a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.
‘‘(2) An employer shall not be required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time under paragraph (1) for any work time spent for such purpose.
health care reform law includes $50 million to build and run clinics to give students free diagnoses, treatment for chronic medical conditions and mental health screenings.
SEC. 4101. SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS.
(a) GRANTS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS.—
(1) PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a program to award grants to eligible entities to support the operation of school-based health centers.
‘‘SEC. 399Z–1. SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS.
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS; ESTABLISHMENT OF CRITERIA.—In this section:
‘‘(1) COMPREHENSIVE PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES.—The term ‘comprehensive primary health services’ means the core services offered by school-based health centers, which shall include the following:
‘‘(A) PHYSICAL.—Comprehensive health assessments, diagnosis, and treatment of minor, acute, and chronic medical conditions, and referrals to, and follow-up for, specialty care and oral health services.
‘‘(B) MENTAL HEALTH.—Mental health and substance use disorder assessments, crisis intervention, counseling, treatment, and referral to a continuum of services including emergency psychiatric care, community support programs, inpatient care, and outpatient programs.
...‘‘(3) SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER.—The term ‘schoolbased health center’ means a health clinic that—
‘‘(A) meets the definition of a school-based health center under section 2110(c)(9)(A) of the Social Security Act and is administered by a sponsoring facility (as defined in section 2110(c)(9)(B) of the Social Security Act);
‘‘(B) provides, at a minimum, comprehensive primary health services during school hours to children and adolescents by health professionals in accordance with established standards, community practice, reporting laws, and other State laws, including parental consent and notification laws that are not inconsistent with Federal law.
What interesting things have you found?