Health Extenders, Improving Access to Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP, and Strengthening Public Health Act of 2022, Section 1432 ("Research on the Health and Development Effects of Media and Related Technology on Minors")

Summary

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to produce a report about the effects of media and technology use on the cognitive development, physical health, and mental health of infants, children, and adolescents.

Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial support to research agendas and programs on the same issues.

Instructs the Secretary to submit the aforementioned report, including grants and research funded under this act, to Congress no later than two years after the passage of this legislation.

Mandates the Secretary to research media and technology effects on youth health and development.

SEC. 1432. RESEARCH ON THE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFECTS OF MEDIA AND RELATED TECHNOLOGY ON INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND ADOLESCENTS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall, as appropriate, conduct or support research related to the health and developmental effects, including long-term effects, of media and related technology use on infants, children, and adolescents, which may include the effects of exposure to, and use of, media and related technology, such as social media, applications, websites, television, motion pictures, artificial intelligence, mobile devices, computers, video games, virtual and augmented reality, and other content, networks, or platforms disseminated through the internet, broadcasted, or other media technologies, as applicable.

Requires the Secretary to develop a research agenda assessing media and technology effects on youth development.

(b) Activities.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, shall, as appropriate, develop a research agenda to assess the effects of media and related technologies on infants, children, and adolescents, which may include consideration of the following, as appropriate: (1) The cognitive development of infants, children, and adolescents, which may include effects related to language development, learning abilities, and other areas of cognitive development. (2) The physical health of infants, children, and adolescents, which may include effects related to diet, exercise, sleeping and eating routines, and other areas of physical development. (3) The mental health of infants, children, and adolescents, which may include effects related to self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, decision-making, violence, bullying, privacy, mental disorders, and other areas related to mental health.

Allows the Secretary to consult experts and requires NIH Director to report research progress to Congress.

(c) Consultation.--In developing the research agenda under subsection (b), the Secretary may consult with appropriate national research institutes, academies, and centers, relevant consortia, and non-Federal experts, as appropriate. The <<NOTE: Assessment.>> Secretary may utilize scientific workshops, symposia, and other activities to assess current knowledge and identify relevant research opportunities and gaps in this area.

(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report-- (1) on the progress made in improving data and expanding research on the health and developmental effects of media and related technology on infants, children, and adolescents in accordance with this section; and (2) that summarizes the grants and research funded under this section for each of the years covered by the report.