Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and with the involvement of other federal agencies, state and local health departments, and an advisory committee, to establish and operate a Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) identify, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure; (2) provide for public access to an electronic national database that accepts data from the State Environmental Public Health Network (established by this Act), subject to privacy requirements; (3) prepare and periodically publish a Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network Status Report and a Coordinated Network Health and Environment Report; (4) operate and maintain National Environmental Health Rapid Response Services; (5) provide technical assistance; and (6) develop minimum standards and procedures for data collection and reporting.
Authorizes: (1) states to apply for grants to implement pilot projects to develop State Environmental Public Health Network enhancements and programs; and (2) the Secretary to award grants to at least five accredited schools or programs of public health for Centers of Excellence.
Directs the Secretary: (1) to award John H. Chafee Public Health Scholarships to eligible students enrolled in accredited schools of public health or medicine; and (2) through the CDC Director, to enter into cooperative agreements to train and place applied epidemiology fellows in state and local health departments and to expand CDC biomonitoring data collection.
[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3643 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3643
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a Coordinated
Environmental Public Health Network, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 24, 2007
Ms. Pelosi (for herself, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, and Ms. Slaughter)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a Coordinated
Environmental Public Health Network, and for other purposes.
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 ``Coordinated Environmental Public
Health Network Act of 2007''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, approximately 7 out of every 10 deaths in the
United States are attributable to chronic diseases, with more
than 1,700,000 deaths each year attributable to chronic
diseases;
(2) with 90,000,000 people suffering from chronic diseases
each year, and over $750,000,000,000 in health care costs as a
result, the national cost of chronic disease is extremely high
and must be appropriately addressed;
(3) the rates of many chronic diseases, including asthma,
some birth defects, cancers, and autism, appear to be
increasing;
(4) there is a growing amount of evidence that
environmental factors are strongly linked with specific chronic
disease;
(5) a major gap in critical knowledge exists regarding the
prevalence and incidence of chronic diseases;
(6) States, local communities, territories, and Indian
tribes need assistance with public health efforts that would
lead to prevention of chronic disease, including the
establishment and maintenance of necessary infrastructure for
disease and environmental hazard exposure surveillance;
(7) several chronic conditions that have a disproportionate
impact upon minority communities, such as asthma, have been
linked to environmental factors, and work on health disparities
should include efforts to research these links and ameliorate
the environmental factors tied to these conditions; and
(8) a Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network will
help target resources to areas of chronic disease prevention
most in need.
(b) Purposes.--It is the purpose of this Act to--
(1) develop, ensure oversight of the operation of, and
maintain a Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network and
State Environmental Public Health Networks, and operate and
maintain rapid response capabilities so that the Federal
Government, States, local governments, territories, and Indian
tribes can more effectively monitor, investigate, respond to,
research, and prevent increases in the incidence and prevalence
of certain chronic diseases and relevant environmental and
other risk factors;
(2) provide information collected through the Coordinated
and State Environmental Public Health Networks to government
agencies, public health practitioners and researchers, State
and local policy makers, health officials, and the public;
(3) expand and coordinate among existing surveillance and
data collection systems and other infrastructure for chronic
diseases and relevant environmental, and other risk factors,
including those relevant to bioterrorism;
(4) improve coordination between the areas of public
health, environmental protection, and chemical, radiological
and biological terrorism;
(5) provide necessary support to ensure the availability of
a sufficient number of well-trained environmental health and
public health personnel to participate and provide leadership
in the development and maintenance of the Coordinated and State
Environmental Public Health Networks; and
(6) encourage coordination between researchers and Federal,
State, and local entities, including the National Institutes of
Health, for genetic studies on diseases associated with
environmental factors with an emphasis on finding genetic risk
factors and mutations associated with such diseases.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.
The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``TITLE XXX--COORDINATED ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH NETWORK
``SEC. 3000. DEFINITIONS.
``In this title:
``(1) Administrator.--The term `Administrator' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
``(2) Committee.--The term `Committee' means the Advisory
Committee established under section 3001(d).
``(3) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
``(4) Director of center.--The term `Director of Center'
means the Director of the National Center for Environmental
Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
``(5) Medical privacy regulations.--The term `medical
privacy regulations' means the regulations promulgated under
section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996.
``(6) Coordinated network.--The term `Coordinated Network'
means the Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network
established under section 3001(a).
``(7) Priority chronic conditions and health effects.--The
term `priority chronic conditions and health effects' means the
conditions to be tracked in the Coordinated Network and the
State Networks, such as birth defects, developmental
disabilities (such as cerebral palsy, autism, and mental
retardation), asthma and chronic respiratory diseases,
neurological diseases (such as Parkinson's disease, multiple
sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis), autoimmune diseases (such as lupus), cancer,
juvenile diabetes, and such other priority chronic conditions
and health effects as the Secretary may specify.
``(8) State network.--The term `State Network' means a
State Environmental Public Health Network established under
section 3001(b).
``(9) State.--The term `State' means a State, local
government, territory, or Indian tribe that is eligible to
receive a health tracking grant under section 3001(b).
``SEC. 3001. ESTABLISHMENT OF COORDINATED AND STATE ENVIRONMENTAL
PUBLIC HEALTH NETWORKS.
``(a) Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network.--
``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 36 months after the
date of the enactment of this title, the Secretary, acting
through the Director, in consultation with the Administrator
and the Director of Center, and with the involvement of other
Federal agencies, State and local health departments, and the
Committee, shall establish and operate a Coordinated
Environmental Public Health Network. In establishing and
operating the Coordinated Network, the Secretary shall, as
practicable--
``(A) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate
among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys,
registries, and other Federal public health and
environmental infrastructure as practicable,
including--
``(i) the Public Health Information
Network;
``(ii) State birth defects surveillance
systems as supported under section 317C;
``(iii) State cancer registries as
supported under part M of title III;
``(iv) State asthma surveillance systems as
supported under section 317I;
``(v) the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey;
``(vi) the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System;
``(vii) the Hazardous Substance Release/
Health Effects Database;
``(viii) the Hazardous Substances Emergency
Events Surveillance System; and
``(ix) the State vital statistics systems
as supported under section 306;
``(B) provide for public access to an electronic
national database that accepts data from the State
Networks on the incidence and prevalence of priority
chronic conditions and health effects and relevant
environmental and other factors, in a manner which
protects personal privacy consistent with the medical
privacy regulations;
``(C) prepare and publish, in accordance with
paragraph (2)--
``(i) not later than 12 months after the
date of enactment of this title, and annually
thereafter, a Coordinated Environmental Public
Health Network Status Report (referred to in
this title as the `Status Report') to provide
to Congress and the public an update on the
progress made toward developing and further
expanding the Coordinated Network and State
Networks, with such report to be made available
to the public on the websites of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Environmental Protection Agency; and
``(ii) not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this title, and biennially
thereafter, a Coordinated Network Health and
Environment Report describing environmental and
other factors potentially relevant to the
Nation's health, in order to allow the public
to access and understand information about
environmental health at the Federal, State,
and, where practicable, local level;
``(D) operate and maintain National Environmental
Health Rapid Response Services through the Epidemic
Intelligence Service, and other mechanisms available
through the National Center for Environmental Health of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, to
carry out the activities described in paragraph (3), as
practicable;
``(E) provide for the establishment of State
Networks, and coordinate the State Networks as provided
for under subsection (b);
``(F) provide technical assistance to support the
State Networks, including providing--
``(i) training for environmental health
investigators appointed or hired under
subsection (b)(3)(D);
``(ii) technical assistance as needed to
States to build necessary capacity and
infrastructure for the establishment of a State
Network, including a computerized data
collection, reporting, and processing system,
and additional assistance identified by the
States under subsection (b)(5)(C) as necessary
for infrastructure development, such as
assistance to improve the expertise of
personnel in responding to environmental health
concerns; and
``(iii) such other technical assistance as
the Secretary, in consultation with the
Administrator and the Director of Center,
determines to be necessary;
``(G) not later than 12 months after the date of
the enactment of this title, develop minimum standards
and procedures in accordance with paragraph (4) for
data collection and reporting for the State Networks,
to be updated not less than annually thereafter; and
``(H) in developing the minimum standards and
procedures under subparagraph (G), include mechanisms
for allowing the States to set priorities, and allocate
resources accordingly, among the factors described in
subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (4).
``(2) Reports.--
``(A) Annual reports.--Each Status Report prepared
under paragraph (1)(C)(i) shall include--
``(i) a statement of the activities carried
out under this title;
``(ii) the identification of gaps in the
data of the Coordinated Network, including
diseases of concern and environmental exposures
not tracked; and
``(iii) identification of key milestones
achieved in the preceding year.
``(B) Biennial reports.--Each Coordinated Network
Health and Environment Report prepared under paragraph
(1)(C)(ii) shall include--
``(i) a statement of the activities carried
out under this title;
``(ii) an analysis of the most currently
available incidence, prevalence, and trends of
priority chronic conditions and health effects,
and potentially relevant environmental and
other factors, by State and, as practicable, by
local areas such as a census tract or other
political or administrative subdivision, as
determined appropriate by the Secretary in
consultation with the Administrator;
``(iii) recommendations regarding high risk
populations, public health concerns, response
and prevention strategies, and additional
tracking needs; and
``(iv) to the extent practicable, a
discussion of genetic risk factors that have
been shown to be associated with environmental
factors and these priority chronic conditions
and health effects.
``(3) National environmental health rapid response
services.--
``(A) In general.--The National Environmental
Health Rapid Response Services operated under paragraph
(1)(D) shall--
``(i) work with environmental health
investigators appointed or hired under
subsection (b)(3)(D) to develop and implement
strategies, protocols, and guidelines for the
coordinated, rapid responses to actual and
perceived higher than expected incidence and
prevalence rates of priority chronic conditions
and health effects and to acute and potential
environmental hazards and exposures;
``(ii) provide assistance in the conduct of
investigations into higher than expected
incidence and prevalence rates of priority
chronic conditions and health effects or
environmental exposures after a State requests
assistance, through a process established by
the Secretary;
``(iii) coordinate activities carried out
under this title with activities carried out
under sections 319 through 319G; and
``(iv) coordinate activities carried out
under this title with other Federal and State
agencies, as appropriate.
``(B) Coordination with existing efforts.--The
National Environmental Health Rapid Response Services
operated under paragraph (1)(D) shall incorporate the
efforts, strategies, and protocols of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention with respect to rapidly
responding to and investigating possible increases in
priority chronic conditions and other health effects
and environmental health threats.
``(4) Data collection and reporting by state networks.--The
minimum standards and procedures referred to in paragraph
(1)(G) shall include--
``(A) a list and definitions of the priority
chronic conditions and health effects to be tracked
through the State Networks;
``(B) a list and definitions of relevant
environmental exposures of concern to be tracked, to
the extent practicable, through the State Networks,
including--
``(i) hazardous air pollutants (as defined
in section 302(g) of the Clean Air Act);
``(ii) air pollutants for which national
primary ambient air quality standards have been
promulgated under section 109 of the Clean Air
Act;
``(iii) pollutants or contaminants (as
defined in section 101 of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980);
``(iv) toxic chemicals (as described in
section 313 of the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986);
``(v) substances reported under the Toxic
Substances Control Act Inventory Update Rule as
provided for in part 710 of title 40, Code of
Federal Regulations, or successor regulations;
``(vi) pesticides (as defined in section
2(u) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act); and
``(vii) such other potentially relevant
environmental factors as the Secretary may
specify;
``(C) a list and definitions of potentially
relevant behavioral, socioeconomic, demographic, and
genetic factors known to be associated with these
priority chronic conditions and health effects and
other risk factors, such as race, ethnic status,
gender, age, occupation, and primary language, to be
tracked through the State Networks;
``(D) procedures for the complete and timely
collection and reporting of data to the Coordinated
Network by local areas, such as a census tract or other
political subdivision determined appropriate by the
Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator,
regarding the factors described in subparagraphs (A),
(B), and (C);
``(E) procedures for making data available to the
public and researchers, and for reporting to the
Coordinated Network, while protecting the
confidentiality of all personal data reported, in
accordance with medical privacy regulations;
``(F) standards and procedures for the
establishment, operation, and maintenance of
laboratories conducting biomonitoring, in order to
expand the scope and amount of biomonitoring data
collected by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention as described in section 3004;
``(G) criteria for the environmental health
investigators as required under subsection (b)(3)(D);
``(H) procedures for record and data maintenance
and verification; and
``(I) a framework for coordinating genetic studies
on these priority chronic conditions and health effects
associated with environmental factors including privacy
protections, informed consent, and contact information
for patients wishing to enroll in clinical trials.
``(b) State Environmental Public Health Networks.--
``(1) Grants.--Not later than 12 months after the date of
the enactment of this title, the Secretary, acting through the
Director, in consultation with the Administrator and the
Director of Center, and taking into consideration the findings
of the Committee, shall award grants to States for the
establishment, maintenance, and operation of State
Environmental Public Health Networks in accordance with the
minimum standards and procedures established by the Secretary
under subsection (a)(4).
``(2) Specialized assistance.--The Coordinated Network
shall provide specialized assistance to grantees in the
establishment, maintenance, and operation of State Networks.
``(3) Requirements.--A State receiving a grant under this
subsection shall use the grant--
``(A) to establish an environmental public health
network that will provide--
``(i) for the tracking of the incidence,
prevalence, and trends of priority chronic
conditions and health effects, and potentially
relevant environmental and other factors as set
forth in subsection (a), as well as any
additional priority chronic conditions and
health effects and potentially related
environmental exposures of concern to that
State;
``(ii) for identification of priority
chronic conditions and health effects and
potentially relevant environmental, genetic,
and other factors that disproportionately
impact low income and minority communities;
``(iii) for the protection of the
confidentiality of all personal data reported,
in accordance with the medical privacy
regulations;
``(iv) a means by which confidential data
may, in accordance with Federal and State law,
be disclosed to researchers for the purposes of
public health research;
``(v) the fullest possible public access to
data collected by the State Network or through
the Coordinated Network, while ensuring that
individual privacy is protected in accordance
with subsection (a)(1)(B); and
``(vi) for the collection of exposure data
through biomonitoring and other methods, which
may include the entering into of cooperative
agreements as described in section 3004;
``(B) to develop a publicly available plan for
establishing the State Network in order to meet minimum
standards and procedures as developed by the
Coordinated Network under subsection (a)(4), including
the State's priorities within the minimum standards, a
timeline by which all the standards will be met, and a
plan for coordinating and expanding existing data and
surveillance systems within the State including any
pilot projects established through the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention prior to the date of the
enactment of this title;
``(C) to appoint a lead public health department or
agency that will be responsible for the development,
operation, and maintenance of the State Network, and
ensure the appropriate coordination among State and
local agencies, including environmental agencies,
regarding the development, operation, and maintenance
of the State Network;
``(D) to appoint or hire an environmental health
investigator who meets criteria established by the
Secretary under subsection (a)(4)(G) and who will
coordinate the development and maintenance of the rapid
response protocol established under subparagraph (E);
``(E) to establish a rapid response protocol,
coordinated by the grantee's environmental health
investigator, in order to respond in a timely manner to
actual and perceived incidence and prevalence rates of
priority chronic diseases that are higher than
expected, acute and potential environmental hazards and
exposures, and other environmental health concerns,
including warning the public when emergent public
health concerns are detected through the State Network,
and concerns regarding vulnerable subpopulations and
disproportionately impacted subpopulations;
``(F) to establish an advisory committee to ensure
local community input to the State Network; and
``(G) to recruit and train public health officials
to continue to expand the State Network.
``(4) Limitation.--A State that receives a grant under this
section may not use more than 10 percent of the funds made
available through the grant for administrative costs.
``(5) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, a
State shall submit to the Secretary an application at such
time, in such form and manner, and accompanied by such
information as the Secretary may specify. The Secretary may not
approve an application for a grant under this subsection unless
the application--
``(A) contains assurances that the State will--
``(i) use the grant only in compliance with
the requirements of this title; and
``(ii) establish such fiscal control and
fund accounting procedures as may be necessary
to ensure the proper disbursement and
accounting of Federal funds paid to the State
under the grant;
``(B) contains the assurance that the State will
establish a State Network as required by this
subsection; and
``(C) contains assurances that if the State is
unable to meet all of the requirements described in
this subsection within the prescribed time period, the
State will use grant funds to increase the public
health infrastructure of the State, acting in
cooperation with the Coordinated Network, in order to
implement and maintain a State Network within 24 months
of the receipt of such grant.
``(c) Pilot Projects.--
``(1) In general.--A State may apply for a grant under this
subsection to implement a pilot project that is approved by the
Secretary, acting through the Director and in consultation with
the Administrator, the Director of Center, and the Committee.
``(2) Activities.--A State shall use amounts received under
a grant under this subsection to carry out a pilot project
designed to develop State Network enhancements and to develop
programs to address specific local and regional concerns,
including--
``(A) the expansion of the State Network to include
additional chronic diseases or environmental exposures;
``(B) the conduct of investigations of local
concerns of increased incidence or prevalence of
priority chronic conditions and health effects and
environmental exposures; and
``(C) the carrying out of other activities as
determined to be a priority by the State or consortium
of regional States and the Secretary.
``(3) Results.--The Secretary may consider the results of
the pilot projects under this subsection for inclusion into the
Coordinated Network.
``(d) Advisory Committee.--
``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 9 months after the
date of the enactment of this title, the Secretary acting
jointly with the Administrator and the Director of Center,
shall establish an Advisory Committee in accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act.
``(2) Composition.--
``(A) In general.--The Advisory Committee shall be
composed of 16 members to be appointed by the
Secretary. Each member of the Advisory Committee shall
serve a 3-year term, except that the Secretary may
appoint the initial members of the Advisory Committee
for lesser terms in order to comply with the following
sentence. In appointing the members of the Advisory
Committee, the Secretary shall ensure that the terms of
5 or 6 members expire each year.
``(B) Qualifications.--The Advisory Committee shall
include at least--
``(i) 9 members that have experience in the
areas of--
``(I) public health;
``(II) the environment, especially
toxic chemicals and human exposure;
``(III) epidemiology;
``(IV) biomonitoring and other
relevant exposure technologies; and
``(V) human disease genetics; and
``(ii) 1 member representing nonprofit
organizations with expertise in environmental
health, community-based participatory research,
and developing a community response to priority
chronic conditions and health effects.
``(3) Reporting.--The Advisory Committee shall not later
than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this title,
and at least once every 12 months thereafter, report to
Congress on the progress of the Coordinated Network.
``(4) Hearings.--The Advisory Committee shall hold such
hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such
testimony, and receive such evidence as the Committee considers
appropriate to carry out the objectives of the Coordinated
Network.
``(5) Duties.--The Advisory Committee shall--
``(A) review and provide input for each Status
Report and Coordinated Network Health and Environment
Report prior to publication, and make recommendations
as to the progress of the Coordinated Network,
including identifying information gaps in the network;
``(B) assist in developing the minimum standards
and procedures for the State Networks under subsection
(a)(4) and developing coordinated and standardized
guidelines to respond to priority chronic conditions
and health effects; and
``(C) provide ongoing public input to the
Coordinated Network.
``(e) Privacy.--In establishing and operating the Coordinated
Network under subsection (a), and in making grants under subsections
(b) and (c), the Secretary shall ensure the protection of privacy of
individually identifiable health information, including ensuring
protection consistent with the regulations promulgated under section
264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 note).
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for fiscal year
2008 and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2009
through 2012.
``SEC. 3002. INCREASING PUBLIC HEALTH PERSONNEL CAPACITY.
``(a) Schools or Programs of Public Health Centers of Excellence.--
``(1) Grants.--Beginning in fiscal year 2008, the Secretary
may award grants to at least 5 accredited schools or programs
of public health for the establishment, maintenance, and
operation of Centers of Excellence for research and
demonstration with respect to priority chronic conditions and
health effects and relevant environmental factors.
``(2) Activities.--A Center of Excellence established or
operated under paragraph (1) shall undertake research and
development projects in at least 1 of the following areas:
``(A) Investigating causal connections between
priority chronic conditions and health effects and
environmental factors.
``(B) Increasing the understanding of the causes of
higher than expected incidence and prevalence rates of
priority chronic conditions and health effects and
developing more effective intervention methods for when
such elevated rates occur.
``(C) Identifying additional chronic conditions and
environmental factors that could be tracked by the
Coordinated Network.
``(D) Improving translation of Coordinated Network
tracking results into effective prevention activities.
``(E) Improving training of the public health
workforce in environmental epidemiology, public health
surveillance, and effective risk communication.
``(F) Establishing links to the Coordinated Network
and the State Networks to identify associations that
warrant further study.
``(3) Requirements for centers of excellence.--To be
eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (1), a school or
program of public health shall provide assurances that the
school or program--
``(A) meets the minimum requirements as established
by the Secretary in consultation with the Director;
``(B) maintains privacy for public health
information if appropriate to the project, including
the protections described in section 3001(e); and
``(C) makes public information regarding the
findings and results of the programs.
``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
``(b) John H. Chafee Public Health Scholar Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award scholarships,
to be known as John H. Chafee Public Health Scholarships, to
eligible students who are enrolled in an accredited school of
public health or medicine. The Secretary shall determine both
the criteria and eligibility requirements for such
scholarships, after consultation with the Committee.
``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $2,500,000 for
each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
``(c) Applied Epidemiology Fellowship Programs.--
``(1) In general.--Beginning in fiscal year 2008, the
Secretary, acting through the Director, shall enter into a
cooperative agreement with the Council of State and Territorial
Epidemiologists to train and place, in State and local health
departments, applied epidemiology fellows to enhance State and
local public health capacity in the areas of environmental
health, chronic and other noninfectious diseases and
conditions, and public health surveillance.
``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $2,500,000 for
fiscal year 2008, and such sums as may be necessary in each of
fiscal years 2009 through 2012.
``SEC. 3003. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
``(a) Appropriations Account.--All authorizations of appropriations
established in this title are authorizations exclusively for
appropriations to the account that, among appropriations accounts for
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is designated
`Environmental Health'.
``(b) Date Certain for Obligation of Appropriations.--With respect
to the process of receiving applications for and making awards of
grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts under this title, the
Secretary, acting through the Director, shall to the extent practicable
design the process to ensure that amounts appropriated under this title
for such awards for a fiscal year are obligated not later than the
beginning of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, subject to
compliance with section 1512 of title 31, United States Code (relating
to deficiency or supplemental appropriations), and other applicable law
regarding appropriations accounting.
``(c) Coordination With Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry.--In carrying out this title, the Secretary, acting through
the Director, shall coordinate activities and responses with the Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
``(d) Coordination With Existing Tracking Program Through CDC.--The
Secretary shall integrate the enactment of this title with all
environmental health tracking programs funded prior to the date of
enactment of this title, including by integrating the programs, in
existence on the date of enactment of this title, to develop State
Network enhancements and to develop programs to address specific local
and regional concerns.
``SEC. 3004. EXPANSION OF BIOMONITORING CAPABILITIES AND DATA
COLLECTION.
``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to expand the
scope and amount of biomonitoring data collected by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, State laboratories, and consortia of
State laboratories, in order to obtain robust information, including
information by geographically defined areas and subpopulations, about a
range of environmental exposures.
``(b) In General.--In meeting the purpose of this section, the
Secretary shall ensure that biomonitoring data are collected through
appropriate sources, including the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey, and shall, as appropriate, enter into collaboration
or partnerships with other entities to obtain additional information
regarding vulnerable subpopulations or other subpopulations.
``(c) Cooperative Agreements.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
shall enter into cooperative agreements with States or
consortia of States to support the purposes of this title.
``(2) Applications.--Applications for such cooperative
agreements by consortia of States shall address the manner in
which such States will coordinate activities with other States
in the region, and shall designate a lead State for
administrative purposes.
``(3) Geographic distribution.--In entering into
cooperative agreements under this section, the Secretary shall,
to the extent practicable, take appropriate measures to provide
for an equitable geographic distribution of such agreements.
``(d) Privacy.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall
ensure the protection of privacy of individually identifiable health
information, including ensuring protection consistent with the
regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 note).
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $50,000,000 for fiscal year
2008, and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2009
through 2012.''.
<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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