Asthma Act

Asthma Act - Authorizes additional appropriations to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to carry out the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program for FY 1999 through 2003. Requires the coordinating committee established for such Program to report to the Congress on the scope of asthma in the United States, all Federal programs that carry out asthma-related activities, and any recommendations for strengthening and better coordinating such activities. Authorizes additional appropriations to the Centers for Disease Control to collaborate with the States to expand the scope of activities carried out to determine the incidence and prevalence of asthma, and prevent its health consequences. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Service to make grants to nonprofit private entities for projects to carry out community outreach activities regarding asthma information, education, and services. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to carry out a program to encourage the States to implement plans to assist children with respect to asthma, including matching grants to any State with a children's health insurance program under title XXI of the Social Security Act. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to local educational agencies for programs to carry out asthma-related activities for children at specified elementary and secondary schools located in communities with a significant number of low-income or underserved individuals. Authorizes appropriations. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) hospitals should be encouraged to offer asthma-related education and training to asthma patients and their families upon such patients' discharge; (2) hospitals should, with respect to information on asthma, establish telephone services for patients and communicate with primary service providers; (3) managed care organizations should be encouraged to disseminate asthma clinical practice guidelines to providers, collect and maintain asthma data, and offer asthma-related education and training to asthma patients and their families; and (4) all Federal, State, and local asthma-related activities should promote Public Health Service guidelines and recommendations on asthma diagnosis and management, and be designed in consultation with relevant organizations and advocates representing asthma sufferers.