---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 280f"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "280f"
heading: "Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders prevention, intervention, and services delivery program"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/280f"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter II — General Powers and Duties"
  - "Part O — Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Prevention and Services Program"
---

# §280f. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders prevention, intervention, and services delivery program

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall establish or continue activities to support a comprehensive fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (referred to in this section as “FASD”) education, prevention, identification, intervention, and [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) delivery [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), which may include—
  - (1) an education and public awareness [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to support, conduct, and evaluate the effectiveness of—
    - (A) educational [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) targeting health professions [schools](/usc/42/6372.md?p=1), social and other [supportive services](/usc/42/3002.md?p=54), educators and counselors and other [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) providers in all phases of childhood development, and other relevant [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) providers, concerning the prevention, identification, and provision of [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) for infants, [children](/usc/42/256e.md?p=g-2), adolescents, and adults with FASD;
    - (B) strategies to educate [school](/usc/42/6372.md?p=1)-age [children](/usc/42/256e.md?p=g-2), including pregnant and high-risk youth, concerning FASD;
    - (C) public and community awareness [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) concerning FASD; and
    - (D) strategies to coordinate information and [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) across affected community agencies, including agencies providing social [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) such as foster care, adoption, and social work, agencies providing health [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), and agencies involved in education, vocational [training](/usc/42/285e–2.md?p=b-2), and civil and criminal justice;
  - (2) supporting and conducting research on FASD, as appropriate, including to—
    - (A) develop appropriate medical diagnostic methods for identifying FASD; and
    - (B) develop effective culturally and linguistically appropriate evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions and appropriate supports for preventing prenatal alcohol exposure, which may co-occur with exposure to other substances;
  - (3) [building](/usc/42/6881.md?p=i-3) [State](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-14) and Tribal capacity for the identification, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), and support of individuals with FASD and their [families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=11), which may include—
    - (A) utilizing and adapting existing Federal, [State](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-14), or Tribal [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to include FASD identification and [FASD-informed](#c) support;
    - (B) developing and expanding screening and diagnostic capacity for FASD;
    - (C) developing, implementing, and evaluating targeted [FASD-informed](#c) intervention [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for FASD;
    - (D) providing [training](/usc/42/285e–2.md?p=b-2) with respect to FASD for professionals across relevant sectors; and
    - (E) disseminating information about FASD and support [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) to affected individuals and their [families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=11); and
  - (4) an applied research [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) concerning intervention and prevention to support and conduct [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) [demonstration projects](/usc/42/16281.md?p=d-2), clinical studies and other research models providing advocacy, educational and vocational [training](/usc/42/285e–2.md?p=b-2), counseling, medical and mental health, and other [supportive services](/usc/42/3002.md?p=54), as well as models that integrate and coordinate such [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), that are aimed at the unique challenges facing individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or fetal alcohol effect and their [families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=11).
- (b) **Grants and technical assistance—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may award grants, cooperative [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) and contracts and provide technical assistance to [eligible entities](/usc/42/296.md?p=1) to carry out [subsection (a)](#a).
  - (2) **Eligible entities—** To be eligible to receive a grant, or enter into a cooperative [agreement](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) or contract, under this section, an entity shall—
    - (A) be a [State](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-14), [Indian Tribe](/usc/42/300f.md?p=14) or [Tribal organization](/usc/42/629a.md?p=a-6), [local government](/usc/42/8401a.md), scientific or academic institution, or nonprofit organization; and
    - (B) prepare and submit to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may require, including a description of the activities that the entity intends to carry out using amounts received under this section.
  - (3) **Additional application contents—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may require that an [eligible entity](/usc/42/256a.md?p=l-1) include in the application submitted under [paragraph (2)(B)](#b-2-B)—
    - (A) a designation of an individual to serve as a FASD [State](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-14) or Tribal coordinator of activities such [eligible entity](/usc/42/256a.md?p=l-1) proposes to carry out through a grant, cooperative [agreement](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A), or contract under this section; and
    - (B) a description of an [advisory committee](/usc/42/7703.md?p=9) the entity will establish to provide guidance for the entity on developing and implementing a statewide or Tribal strategic plan to prevent FASD and provide for the identification, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), and support of individuals with FASD and their [families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=11).
- (c) **Definition of FASD-informed—** For purposes of this section, the term “FASD-informed”, with respect to support or an intervention [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), means that such support or intervention [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) uses culturally and linguistically informed evidence-based or practice-based interventions and appropriate resources to support an improved quality of life for an individual with FASD and the [family](/usc/42/290ff–4.md?p=d-2) of such individual.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 399H, as added Pub. L. 119–44, title I, § 104(a), Dec. 1, 2025, 139 Stat. 671.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 280f, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 399H, formerly § 399G, as added Pub. L. 105–392, title IV, § 419(d), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3593; renumbered § 399H and amended Pub. L. 106–310, div. A, title V, § 502(4)(A), (B), Oct. 17, 2000, 114 Stat. 1115, required the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect prevention, intervention and services delivery program and to establish the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect, prior to the general amendment of this part by Pub. L. 119–44.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Report

Pub. L. 119–44, title I, § 104(b), Dec. 1, 2025, 139 Stat. 673, provided that: “Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 1, 2025], and every year thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report containing— a review of the activities carried out pursuant to sections 399H and 399I of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 280f, 280f–1], as amended, to advance public education and awareness of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (referred to in this section as ‘FASD’); a description of— the activities carried out pursuant to such sections 399H and 399I [42 U.S.C. 280f, 280f–1] to identify, prevent, and treat FASD; and methods used to evaluate the outcomes of such activities; and an assessment of activities carried out pursuant to such sections 399H and 399I [42 U.S.C. 280f, 280f–1] to support individuals with FASD.”