Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take a series of actions to address the potential impacts of climate change on public health.
Specifically, HHS must develop a strategic action plan and a climate and health program to ensure the public health and health care systems in the United States and other nations are prepared for, and can respond to, the impacts of climate change on health. HHS must revise the plan periodically to reflect new scientific developments and information.
Additionally, HHS must establish a permanent science advisory board to provide (1) scientific and technical recommendations on the impacts of climate change on public health, and (2) advice for purposes of issuing the plan and conducting the program.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3271 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3271
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and
implement a national strategic action plan and program to assist health
professionals and systems in preparing for and responding to the public
health effects of climate change, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 17, 2021
Mr. Cartwright (for himself, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Schneider,
Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Jones, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Norton, Ms.
Pingree, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Tonko, Mr.
Grijalva, Ms. Meng, Mr. Casten, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Huffman, Mr.
Cohen, Ms. Strickland, and Ms. Moore of Wisconsin) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and
implement a national strategic action plan and program to assist health
professionals and systems in preparing for and responding to the public
health effects of climate change, 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 ``Climate Change Health Protection and
Promotion Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
(a) Findings.--The U.S. Global Change Research Program Climate and
Health Assessment states that--
(1) the impacts of human-induced climate change are
increasing nationwide;
(2) rising greenhouse gas concentrations result in
increases in temperature, changes in precipitation, increases
in the frequency and intensity of some extreme weather events,
and rising sea levels;
(3) these climate change impacts endanger our health by
affecting our food and water sources, the air we breathe, the
weather we experience, and our interactions with the built and
natural environments; and
(4) as the climate continues to change, the risks to human
health continue to grow.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) climate change poses threats to the United States and
globally through its impacts on society, the economy, the
physical environment, and national security;
(2) climate change health threats are growing in scale and
severity;
(3) climate change disproportionately affects people of the
United States who are economically disadvantaged, belong to
communities of color, or have other social and health
vulnerabilities;
(4) climate change impacts anywhere in the world can
threaten the health of people of the United States through such
pathways as infectious disease pandemics, climate-driven
migration and displacement, and social, economic, and political
disruption; and
(5) the Federal Government, in cooperation with
international, State, Tribal, and local governments,
nongovernmental organizations, businesses, and individuals,
should use all practicable means and measures--
(A) to assist the efforts of public health and
health care professionals, first responders, health
care systems, States, the District of Columbia,
territories, municipalities, and Native American and
local communities to incorporate measures to prepare
public health and health care systems to respond to the
impacts of climate change;
(B) to ensure--
(i) that the Nation's public health and
health care professionals have sufficient
information to prepare for and respond to the
adverse health impacts of climate change;
(ii) the application of scientific research
in advancing understanding of--
(I) the health impacts of climate
change; and
(II) strategies to prepare for and
respond to the health impacts of
climate change;
(iii) the identification of communities and
populations vulnerable to the health impacts of
climate change, including infants, children,
pregnant women, the elderly, individuals with
disabilities or pre-existing illnesses, low-
income populations, communities of color, those
who experience environmental injustices, and
unhoused individuals;
(iv) the development of strategic response
plans to be carried out by public health and
health care professionals for the communities
described in clause (iii);
(v) the improvement of health status and
health equity through efforts to prepare for
and respond to climate change; and
(vi) the inclusion of health impacts in the
development of climate change responses;
(C) to encourage further research,
interdisciplinary partnership, and collaboration among
stakeholders in order to--
(i) understand and monitor the health
impacts of climate change, including mental
health impacts;
(ii) improve public health knowledge and
response strategies to climate change;
(iii) identify actions and policies that
are beneficial to health and that mitigate
climate health impacts; and
(iv) develop strategies to address water-,
food-, and vector-borne infectious diseases and
other public health emergencies;
(D) to enhance preparedness activities, and health
care and public health infrastructure, relating to
climate change and health;
(E) to encourage each and every community to learn
about the impacts of climate change on health; and
(F) to assist the efforts of developing countries
to incorporate measures to prepare public health and
health care systems to respond to the impacts of
climate change.
SEC. 3. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.
Nothing in this Act limits the authority provided to or
responsibility conferred on any Federal department or agency by any
provision of any law (including regulations) or authorizes any
violation of any provision of any law (including regulations),
including any health, energy, environmental, transportation, or any
other law or regulation.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN AND PROGRAM.
(a) Requirement.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary''), on the
basis of the best available science, and in consultation
pursuant to paragraph (2), shall publish a national strategic
action plan and establish a climate and health program to
ensure that public health and health care systems are prepared
for and can respond to the impacts of climate change on health
in the United States and other countries.
(2) Consultation.--In developing or making any revision to
the national strategic action plan and program, the Secretary
shall--
(A) consult with the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of
the National Institutes of Health, the Undersecretary
of Commerce for Oceans & Atmosphere, the Administrator
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
the Director of the Indian Health Service, the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the National
Environmental Justice Advisory Council, the heads of
other appropriate Federal agencies, Tribal governments,
and State and local government officials; and
(B) provide meaningful opportunity for engagement,
comment, and consultation with relevant public
stakeholders, particularly representatives of at-risk
populations, environmental justice communities, Tribal
communities, public health organizations, and
scientists.
(b) Activities.--
(1) National strategic action plan.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, and in collaboration with other Federal
agencies as appropriate, shall, on the basis of the
best available science, and in consultation with the
entities described in subsection (a)(2)(A), publish a
national strategic action plan under subsection (a)(1)
to guide the climate and health program and assist
public health and health care professionals in
preparing for and responding to the impacts of climate
change on public health in the United States and other
countries, particularly developing countries.
(B) National strategic action plan components.--The
national strategic plan under subsection (a)(1) shall
include an assessment of the health system capacity of
the United States to address climate change,
including--
(i) identifying and prioritizing
communities and populations vulnerable to the
health impacts of climate change;
(ii) identifying the link between
environmental injustice and vulnerability to
the impacts of climate change and prioritizing
those who have been harmed by environmental and
climate injustice;
(iii) providing outreach and communication
aimed at public health and health care
professionals and the public to promote
preparedness and response strategies;
(iv) providing for programs across Federal
agencies to advance research related to the
impacts of climate change on health;
(v) identifying and assessing existing
preparedness and response strategies for the
health impacts of climate change;
(vi) prioritizing critical public health
and health care infrastructure projects;
(vii) providing modeling and forecasting
tools of climate change health impacts,
including local impacts, where feasible;
(viii) establishing academic and regional
centers of excellence;
(ix) providing technical assistance and
support for preparedness and response plans for
the health threats of climate change in States,
municipalities, territories, Indian Tribes, and
developing countries; and
(x) developing, improving, integrating, and
maintaining domestic and international disease
surveillance systems and monitoring capacity to
respond to health-related impacts of climate
change, including on topics addressing--
(I) water-, food-, and vector-borne
infectious diseases and climate change;
(II) pulmonary effects, including
responses to aeroallergens and toxic
exposures;
(III) cardiovascular effects,
including impacts of temperature
extremes;
(IV) air pollution health effects,
including heightened sensitivity to air
pollution;
(V) harmful algal blooms;
(VI) mental and behavioral health
impacts of climate change;
(VII) the health of migrants,
refugees, displaced persons, and
vulnerable communities;
(VIII) the implications for
communities and populations vulnerable
to the health effects of climate
change, as well as strategies for
responding to climate change within
such communities;
(IX) Tribal, local, and community-
based health interventions for climate-
related health impacts;
(X) extreme heat and weather
events, including drought;
(XI) decreased nutritional value of
crops; and
(XII) disruptions in access to
routine and acute medical care.
(2) Climate and health program.--The Secretary, acting
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, and in collaboration with other Federal agencies,
as appropriate, shall ensure that the climate and health
program established under this section addresses priority
health actions, including by doing each of the following:
(A) Serve as a credible source of information on
the physical, mental, and behavioral health
consequences of climate change for the United States
population and globally.
(B) Track data on environmental conditions, disease
risks, and disease occurrence related to climate
change.
(C) Expand capacity for modeling and forecasting
health effects that may be climate-related.
(D) Enhance the science base to better understand
the relationship between climate change and health
outcomes.
(E) Identify locations and population groups at
greatest risk for specific health threats and effects,
such as increased heat-related illnesses and injuries,
degraded air and water quality, food or water-related
infections, vector-borne illnesses, pulmonary and
cardiovascular effects, mental and behavioral health
effects, and food, water, and nutrient insecurity.
(F) Communicate the health-related aspects of
climate change, including risks and associated costs
and ways to reduce them, to the public, decision-
makers, public health professionals, and health care
providers.
(G) Develop partnerships with other government
agencies, the private sector, nongovernmental
organizations, universities, and international
organizations to more effectively address domestic and
global health aspects of climate change.
(H) Provide leadership to State and local
governments, community leaders, health care
professionals, nongovernmental organizations,
environmental justice networks, faith-based
communities, the private sector and the public,
domestically and internationally, regarding health
protection from climate change effects.
(I) Develop and implement preparedness and response
plans for health threats, such as heat waves, severe
weather events, and infectious diseases.
(J) Provide technical advice and support to State
and local health departments, the private sector, and
others in developing and implementing national and
global preparedness measures related to the health
effects of climate change.
(K) Promote workforce development by helping to
ensure the training of a new generation of competent,
experienced public health and health care professionals
to respond to the health threats posed by climate
change.
(c) Periodic Assessment and Revision.--Not later than 1 year after
the date of first publication of the national strategic action plan
under subsection (a)(1), and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall
periodically assess, and revise as necessary, the national strategic
action plan under subsection (a)(1) and the climate and health program
under subsection (a)(1), to reflect new information collected pursuant
to the implementation of the national strategic action plan and program
and otherwise, including information on--
(1) the status of and trends in critical environmental
health indicators and related human health impacts;
(2) the trends in and impacts of climate change on public
health;
(3) advances in the development of strategies for preparing
for and responding to the impacts of climate change on public
health; and
(4) the effectiveness of the implementation of the national
strategic action plan in protecting against climate change
health threats.
(d) Implementation.--
(1) Implementation through hhs.--The Secretary shall
exercise the Secretary's authority under this Act and other
Federal statutes to achieve the goals and measures of the
national strategic action plan and climate and health program.
(2) Other public health programs and initiatives.--The
Secretary and Federal officials of other relevant Federal
agencies shall administer public health programs and
initiatives authorized by laws other than this Act, subject to
the requirements of such laws, in a manner designed to achieve
the goals of the national strategic action plan and climate and
health program.
(3) Health impact assessment.--The heads of all Federal
agencies shall, on a regular basis, assess the impacts that
proposed and current laws, policies, and programs in their
jurisdiction have or may have on protection against climate
change health threats and shall assist State, Tribal, local,
and territorial governments to conduct such assessments.
SEC. 5. ADVISORY BOARD.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall, pursuant to the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), establish a permanent science
advisory board to be comprised of not less than 10 and not more than 20
members.
(b) Appointment of Members.--The Secretary shall appoint the
members of the science advisory board from among individuals who--
(1) are recommended by the President of the National
Academy of Sciences and the President of the National Academy
of Medicine; and
(2) have expertise in essential public health and health
care services, including with respect to vulnerable
populations, climate change, environmental and climate justice,
and other relevant disciplines.
The Secretary shall ensure that the science advisory board includes
members with practical or lived experience with relevant issues.
(c) Functions.--The science advisory board shall--
(1) provide scientific and technical advice and
recommendations to the Secretary on the domestic and
international impacts of climate change on public health,
populations, and regions particularly vulnerable to the effects
of climate change, and strategies and mechanisms to prepare for
and respond to the impacts of climate change on public health;
(2) advise the Secretary regarding the best science
available for purposes of issuing the national strategic action
plan and conducting the climate and health program; and
(3) submit a report to Congress on its activities and
recommendations not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act and not later than every year thereafter.
(d) Support.--The Secretary shall provide financial and
administrative support to the board.
SEC. 6. CLIMATE CHANGE HEALTH PROTECTION AND PROMOTION REPORTS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall offer to enter into an
agreement, including the provision of such funding as may be necessary,
with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,
under which such National Academies will prepare periodic reports to
aid public health and health care professionals in preparing for and
responding to the adverse health effects of climate change that--
(1) review scientific developments on health impacts of
climate change; and
(2) recommend changes to the national strategic action plan
and climate and health program.
(b) Submission.--The agreement under subsection (a) shall require a
report to be submitted to Congress and the Secretary and made publicly
available not later than 1 year after the first publication of the
national strategic action plan, and every 4 years thereafter.
<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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