Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of not more than eight centers to conduct multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Requires each such center to: (1) be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence; (2) establish ongoing collaborations with community organizations; (3) be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions; (4) be supported under this Act for a period of not more than five years with additional periods allowed after review and recommendation; and (5) use innovative approaches to study unexplored areas of the environment and breast cancer.
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel to make recommendations for and to review grants awarded under this Act.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2231 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2231
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
May 10, 2005
Mrs. Lowey (for herself and Mrs. Myrick) 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 2005''.
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 3,000,000 women in the United States are living
with breast cancer, about 2,000,000 of which have been
diagnosed and an estimated 1,000,000 who do not yet know that
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 2005, it is estimated that 269,730 new cases of
breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United
States, 211,240 invasive breast cancers and 58,490 cases of
ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
(4) Approximately 40,410 women in the United States will
die from the disease in 2005. Breast cancer is the leading
cause of cancer death for women in the United States between
the ages of 20 and 59, and the leading cause of cancer death
for women worldwide.
(5) A woman who lives into her 80s in the United States has
a 1 in 7 chance of developing invasive breast cancer in her
lifetime. This risk was 1 in 11 in 1975. In 2005, 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 2003, the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences awarded grants to four research centers to begin to
study the prenatal-to-adult environmental exposures that may
predispose a woman to breast cancer. The currently funded
research is examining the mammary tissue in animals and young
girls and study the subjects' life exposures to environmental,
nutritional, and social factors that impact menarche. Early
menarche, beginning menstruation before the age of 12, has been
shown to increase breast cancer risk later in life.
(10) The National Cancer Institute and the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have paired together
to make those four centers possible. The two institutes work
well together, combining their respective areas of expertise to
the best advantage of the research.
(11) 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. The research conducted at the four
centers, while critically important, is one small facet of the
many issues that must be addressed in order to gauge the link
between environmental factors and breast cancer.
(12) 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. 463C. 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 Panel
established under subsection (b) (referred to in this section 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.
``(b) Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish in the
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences a Breast Cancer and
Environmental Research Panel.
``(2) Composition.--The Panel shall be composed of--
``(A) 9 members to be appointed by the Secretary,
of which--
``(i) six members shall be appointed from
among physicians, and other health
professionals, who--
``(I) are not officers or employees
of the United States;
``(II) represent multiple
disciplines, including clinical, basic,
and public health sciences;
``(III) represent different
geographical regions of the United
States;
``(IV) are from practice settings
or academia or other research settings;
and
``(V) are experienced in biomedical
review; and
``(ii) three members shall be appointed
from the general public who are representatives
of individuals who have had breast cancer and
who represent a constituency; and
``(B) such nonvoting, ex officio members as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
``(3) Chairperson.--The members of the Panel appointed
under paragraph (2)(A) shall select a chairperson from among
such members.
``(4) Meetings.--The Panel shall meet at the call of the
chairperson or upon the request of the Director, but in no case
less often than once each year.
``(5) Duties.--The Panel shall--
``(A) oversee the peer review process for the
awarding of grants under subsection (a) and conduct the
programmatic review under such subsection;
``(B) make recommendations with respect to the
funding criteria and mechanisms under which amounts
will be allocated under this section; and
``(C) make final programmatic recommendations with
respect to grants under this section.
``(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 shall 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.--Each center under subsection (a)
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 2006 through 2011. Such authorization is
in addition to any other authorization of appropriations that is
available for such purpose.''.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2175-2176)
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