[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1746 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1746
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for
the development and operation of research centers regarding
environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast
cancer.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 10, 2003
Mrs. Lowey (for herself, Mrs. Myrick, Ms. Norton, Mr. Lynch, Mr.
Kildee, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. McNulty, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Brown
of Ohio, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Holden, Mr. Frank of
Massachusetts, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Frost, Mr. Wolf, Mr.
McHugh, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Holt, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Rodriguez, Ms.
Bordallo, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Baker, Mr. Sensenbrenner, Mr. Gordon,
Ms. Berkley, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Berman, Mr.
Nadler, Mr. Owens, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Schiff, Mrs.
Capps, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Ose, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Simmons,
Ms. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Reyes,
Mr. Stark, Mr. Ackerman, Mrs. Musgrave, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr.
Meehan, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Doyle, Ms.
Millender-McDonald, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Bass, Mr. Shays, Mr. Leach, Mr.
Evans, and Ms. DeLauro) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for
the development and operation of research centers regarding
environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast
cancer.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Breast Cancer and Environmental
Research Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer
deaths among American women.
(2) More women in the United States are living with breast
cancer than any other cancer (excluding skin cancer).
Approximately 3 million women in the United States are living
with breast cancer: 2 million who have been diagnosed and an
estimated 1 million who do not yet know they have the disease.
(3) Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer
among women in the United States and worldwide (excluding skin
cancer). In 2001, it is estimated that 233,000 new cases of
breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United
States: 192,000 invasive breast cancer and 40,800 cases of
ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
(4) Breast cancer is the second leading cause of breast
cancer death for women in the United States; approximately
40,000 women in the U.S. die from the disease each year. Breast
cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for U.S. women
between the ages of 20 and 59, and the leading cause of cancer
death for women worldwide.
(5) A woman in the United States has a 1 in 8 chance of
developing invasive breast cancer in her lifetime--this risk
was 1 in 11 in 1975. In 2001, a new case of breast cancer will
be diagnosed every 2 minutes, and a woman will die from breast
cancer every 13 minutes.
(6) All women are at risk for breast cancer. About 90
percent of women who develop breast cancer do not have a family
history of the disease.
(7) The National Action Plan on Breast Cancer, a public-
private partnership, has recognized the importance of expanding
the scope and breadth of biomedical, epidemiological, and
behavioral research activities related to the etiology of
breast cancer and the role of the environment.
(8) To date, there has been only a limited research
investment to expand the scope or coordinate efforts across
disciplines or work with the community to study the role of the
environment in the development of breast cancer.
(9) In order to take full advantage of the tremendous
potential for avenues of prevention, the Federal investment in
the role of the environment and the development of breast
cancer should be expanded.
(10) In order to understand the effect of chemicals and
radiation on the development of cancer, multi-generational,
prospective studies are probably required.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES; AWARDS FOR
DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF RESEARCH CENTERS REGARDING
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS RELATED TO BREAST CANCER.
Subpart 12 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 285l et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following
section:
``SEC. 463B. RESEARCH CENTERS REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS RELATED
TO BREAST CANCER.
``(a) In General.--The Director of the Institute, based on
recommendations from the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research
Advisory Panel (hereafter in this section referred to as the `Panel'),
shall make grants, after a process of peer review and programmatic
review, to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and
operation of not more than 8 centers for the purpose of conducting
multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental
factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Each such
center shall be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research
Center of Excellence. The Panel shall oversee the peer review process
and shall conduct a programmatic review. The Panel will recommend the
funding criteria and mechanisms by which the grant funds shall be
allocated. The Panel shall make final programmatic recommendations on
allocation of grant funds.
``(b) Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Advisory Panel.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish in the
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences the Breast Cancer
and Environmental Research Panel (hereafter in this section
individually referred to as the `Panel').
``(2) Membership.--The Panel shall be composed of nine
appointed members and nonvoting ex officio members. The
Secretary shall appoint--
``(A) six members from physicians, and other health
professionals, who are not officers or employees of the
United States, and who represent multiple disciplines,
including clinical, basic and public health sciences,
and also different geographical regions of the country,
individuals shall come from practice settings as well
as academia and other research settings. Panel members
should be experienced in biomedical review; and
``(B) three members from the general public who are
consumer representatives who have had breast cancer and
who represent a constituency.
``(3) Chair.--The members of the Panel shall select a
chairman from among the appointed members.
``(4) Meetings.--The Panel shall meet at the call of the
chairman or upon the request of the Director of the Institute,
but not less often than once a year.
``(c) Collaboration With Community.--Each center under subsection
(a) shall establish and maintain ongoing collaborations with community
organizations in the geographic area served by the center, including
those that represent women with breast cancer.
``(d) Coordination of Centers; Reports.--The Director of the
Institute shall, as appropriate, provide for the coordination of
information among centers under subsection (a) and ensure regular
communication between such centers, and may require the periodic
preparation of reports on the activities of the centers and the
submission of the reports to the Director.
``(e) Required Consortium.--Each center under subsection (a) shall
be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions, meeting such
requirements as may be prescribed by the Director of the Institute.
Each center must require collaboration among highly accomplished
scientists, other health professionals and advocates of diverse
backgrounds from various areas of expertise.
``(f) Duration of Support.--Support of a center under subsection
(a) may be for a period not exceeding 5 years. Such period may be
extended for one or more additional periods not exceeding 5 years if
the operations of such center have been reviewed by an appropriate
technical and scientific peer review group established by the Director
of the Institute and if such group has recommended to the Director that
such period should be extended.
``(g) Geographic Distribution of Centers.--The Director of the
Institute shall, to the extent practicable, provide for an equitable
geographical distribution of centers under this section.
``(h) Innovative Approaches.--Centers shall use innovative
approaches to study unexplored or under explored areas of the
environment and breast cancer.
``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000
for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2009. Such authorization is
in addition to any other authorization of appropriations that is
available for such purpose.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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