§ 709 — Administration Of Federal And State Programs

(a) The Secretary shall designate an identifiable administrative unit with expertise in maternal and child health within the Department of Health and Human Services, which unit shall be responsible for— (1) the Federal program described in section 702(a) of this title; (2) promoting coordination at the Federal level of the activities authorized under this subchapter and under subchapter XIX of this chapter, especially early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment, related activities funded by the Departments of Agriculture and Education, and under health block grants and categorical health programs, such as immunizations, administered by the Secretary; (3) disseminating information to the States in such areas as preventive health services and advances in the care and treatment of mothers and children; (4) providing technical assistance, upon request, to the States in such areas as program planning, establishment of goals and objectives, standards of care, and evaluation and in developing consistent and accurate data collection mechanisms in order to report the information required under section 706(a)(2) of this title; (5) in cooperation with the National Center for Health Statistics and in a manner that avoids duplication of data collection, collection, maintenance, and dissemination of information relating to the health status and health service needs of mothers and children in the United States; (6) (7) assisting States in the development of care coordination services (as defined in section 701(b)(3) of this title); and (8) developing and making available to the State agency (or agencies) administering the State’s program under this subchapter a national directory listing by State the toll-free numbers described in section 705(a)(5)(E) of this title. (b) the requirement of this subsection if it would otherwise comply but for the fact that such other State agency administers (or supervises the administration of) any such program providing services for children with special health care needs.