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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73not60

§247b–11 Effects of Folic Acid in Prevention of Birth Defects

Title 42 › Chapter 6A— PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter II— GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES › Part B— Federal-State Cooperation › § 247b–11

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary, working with the CDC Director, must expand and strengthen programs to teach health workers and the public about how folic acid can prevent birth defects. The programs must encourage every woman who can become pregnant to take a daily folic acid supplement. The work includes research on the best ways to teach people and raise supplement use, and research on folic acid’s effects, including on cleft lip, cleft palate, and heart defects. It also includes tracking birth defects, especially neural tube defects. The Secretary must work with states and with public and private groups like nonprofits, doctors, and insurers. The Secretary may give technical help to these groups. The programs must be evaluated, using surveys and monitoring babies born with neural tube defects, to see how well they work for different groups. Money may be provided as needed for each of the fiscal years 2001 through 2005.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §247b–11

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall expand and intensify programs (directly or through grants or contracts) for the following purposes:
(1)To provide education and training for health professionals and the general public for purposes of explaining the effects of folic acid in preventing birth defects and for purposes of encouraging each woman of reproductive capacity (whether or not planning a pregnancy) to consume on a daily basis a dietary supplement that provides an appropriate level of folic acid.
(2)To conduct research with respect to such education and training, including identifying effective strategies for increasing the rate of consumption of folic acid by women of reproductive capacity.
(3)To conduct research to increase the understanding of the effects of folic acid in preventing birth defects, including understanding with respect to cleft lip, cleft palate, and heart defects.
(4)To provide for appropriate epidemiological activities regarding folic acid and birth defects, including epidemiological activities regarding neural tube defects.
(b)In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with the States and with other appropriate public or private entities, including national nonprofit private organizations, health professionals, and providers of health insurance and health plans.
(c)The Secretary may (directly or through grants or contracts) provide technical assistance to public and nonprofit private entities in carrying out the activities described in subsection (a).
(d)The Secretary shall (directly or through grants or contracts) provide for the evaluation of activities under subsection (a) in order to determine the extent to which such activities have been effective in carrying out the purposes of the program under such subsection, including the effects on various demographic populations. Methods of evaluation under the preceding sentence may include surveys of knowledge and attitudes on the consumption of folic acid and on blood folate levels. Such methods may include complete and timely monitoring of infants who are born with neural tube defects.
(e)For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2001 through 2005.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 247b–11

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60