---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 300u–7"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "300u–7"
heading: "Office of Adolescent Health"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/300u-7"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter XV — Health Information and Health Promotion"
---

# §300u–7. Office of Adolescent Health

- (a) **In general—** There is established an Office of [Adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) Health within the Office of the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) for Health, which office[^1] shall be headed by a [director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5)[^1] appointed by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c). The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall carry out this section acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of such Office.
- (b) **Duties—** With respect to [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) health, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall—
  - (1) coordinate all activities within the Department of Health and Human [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) that relate to disease prevention, health promotion, preventive health [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), and health information and education with respect to the appropriate use of health care, including coordinating—
    - (A) the design of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), support for [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), and the evaluation of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4);
    - (B) the monitoring of trends;
    - (C) [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) of research (including multidisciplinary [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2)) on [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) health; and
    - (D) the training of health [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) who work with [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9), particularly nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and social workers;
  - (2) coordinate the activities described in [paragraph (1)](#b-1) with similar activities in the private sector; and
  - (3) support [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2), conduct research, and disseminate information relating to preventive medicine, health promotion, and physical fitness and sports medicine.
- (c) **Certain demonstration projects—**
  - (1) **In general—** In carrying out [subsection (b)(3)](#b-3), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make grants to carry out demonstration [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) for the purpose of improving [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) health, including—
    - (A) [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) to train [health care providers](/usc/42/300aa–33.md?p=1) in providing [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) to [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9); and
    - (B) [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) to reduce the incidence of violence among [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9), particularly violence related to teen dating, which shall include [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) to develop and implement educational [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to increase abuse awareness and prevention.
  - (2) **Authorization of appropriations—** For the purpose of carrying out [paragraph (1)](#c-1), there are authorized to be appropriated $8,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.
- (d) **Information clearinghouse—** In carrying out [subsection (b)](#b), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall establish and maintain a National Information Clearinghouse on [Adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) Health to collect and disseminate to health professionals and the general public information on [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) health.
- (e) **National plan—** In carrying out [subsection (b)](#b), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall develop a national plan for improving [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) health. The plan shall be consistent with the applicable objectives established by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) for the health status of the people of the United States for the year 2000, and shall be periodically reviewed, and as appropriate, revised. The plan, and any revisions in the plan, shall be submitted to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate.
- (f) **Adolescent health—** For purposes of this section, the term “[adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) health”, with respect to [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) of all ethnic and racial groups, means all diseases, disorders, and conditions (including with respect to mental health)—
  - (1) unique to [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9), or more serious or more prevalent in [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9);
  - (2) for which the factors of medical risk or types of medical intervention are different for [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9), or for which it is unknown whether such factors or types are different for [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9); or
  - (3) with respect to which there has been insufficient [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) involving [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) as subjects or insufficient clinical data on [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9).
- (g) **Interagency Work Group—**
  - (1) **Establishment—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall establish the Federal Interagency Work Group on Teen Dating Violence (referred to in this section as the “Work Group”).
  - (2) **In general—**
    - (A) **Composition—** Not later than 120 days after March 15, 2022, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall appoint representatives to the Work Group from the Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) Administration, the Department of Education, the Department of Justice, and other Federal [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) as determined appropriate by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c).
    - (B) **Consultation—** The Work Group shall consult with—
      - (i) experts at the [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), Tribal, and local levels with relevant backgrounds in reducing and preventing the incidence of teen dating violence;
      - (ii) victims of teen dating violence; and
      - (iii) [family members](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-15) of teens who were killed by a dating partner.
  - (3) **Duties—** The Work Group shall—
    - (A) examine all Federal efforts directed towards reducing and preventing teen dating violence;
    - (B) identify strategies, resources, and supports to improve [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), Tribal, and local responses to the incidence of teen dating violence;
    - (C) make recommendations to Congress for improving Federal [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and efforts and coordination across such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and efforts to reduce and prevent teen dating violence; and
    - (D) make recommendations for educating middle and high [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) students on teen dating violence.
  - (4) **Annual report to Secretary—** The Work Group shall annually prepare and submit to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives, a report on the activities carried out by the Work Group under [subsection (c)](#c), including recommendations to reduce and prevent teen dating violence.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be capitalized.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XVII, § 1708, as added Pub. L. 102–531, title III, § 302, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3483; amended Pub. L. 117–103, div. W, title XIII, § 1315(b), Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 938.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 300u–7, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XVII, § 1708, as added Nov. 10, 1978, Pub. L. 95–626, title V, § 502, 92 Stat. 3594; amended July 10, 1979, Pub. L. 96–32, § 6(l), 93 Stat. 84, related to project grants for physical fitness improvement and research projects, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 98–551, § 2(c), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2816.

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–103, § 1315(b)(1), added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c) which related to grants to carry out certain demonstration projects and authorizations of appropriations for fiscal years 1993 through 1997.

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 117–103, § 1315(b)(2), added subsec. (g).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Committee on Education and Labor of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Education and the Workforce of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023.

Committee on Labor and Human Resources of Senate changed to Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of Senate by Senate Resolution No. 20, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 19, 1999.

Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives, and jurisdiction over matters relating to securities and exchanges and insurance generally transferred to Committee on Financial Services of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.

### Effective Date of 2022 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 117–103 not effective until Oct. 1 of the first fiscal year beginning after Mar. 15, 2022, see section 4(a) of div. W of Pub. L. 117–103, set out as an Effective Date note under section 6851 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.