Birth Defects Prevention Act of 1998

Birth Defects Prevention Act of 1997 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to carry out programs to: (1) collect and analyze, and make available data on birth defects in a manner that facilitates compliance with this Act, including data on the causes of such defects and on the incidence and prevalence of such defects; (2) operate regional centers for the conduct of applied epidemiological research on the prevention of such defects; and (3) provide information and education to the public on the prevention of such defects. Requires the Secretary, in collecting, analyzing, and making available data on birth defects, to: (1) collect and analyze data by gender and by racial and ethnic group; (2) collect such data from birth and death certificates, hospital records, and such other sources as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; and (3) encourage States to establish or improve programs for the collection and analysis of epidemiological data on birth defects and to make the data available. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Information Clearinghouse on Birth Defects to collect and disseminate to health professionals and the public information on birth defects, including the prevention of such defects. Authorizes the Secretary, in carrying out programs regarding birth defects, to make grants to and enter into contracts with public and nonprofit private entities. Authorizes the Secretary, upon the request of a recipient of an award of a grant or contract, to provide supplies, equipment, and services for the purpose of aiding the recipient in carrying out the purposes for which the award is made and, for such purposes, to detail to the recipient any HHS officer or employee. Authorizes the Secretary to make an award of a grant or contract only if an application for the award is submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out the purposes for which the award is to be made. Requires the Secretary to report biennially to the House Committee on Commerce and the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources regarding birth defects. Subjects the provisions of this Act to requirements of the Privacy Act. Applies all Federal laws relating to the privacy of information to data and information collected under this Act. Authorizes appropriations.