118 HR 9982 IH: Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024 U.S. House of Representatives 2024-10-11 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I118th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 9982IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESOctober 11, 2024Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Norton, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Moulton, Ms. Bush, and Mr. Goldman of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceA BILLTo require the Office of Children’s Health Protection to be maintained within the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024.

2.

Office of Children’s Health Protection

(a)

In general

The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall maintain, within the Agency, the Office of Children’s Health Protection.(b)

Director

(1)

In general

The Office shall be headed by a director.(2)

Appointment

The Director of the Office shall be appointed by, and report to, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. In making such appointment, the Administrator shall take into consideration the recommendations of the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee.(3)

Co-Chair of President’s Task Force

The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall delegate to the Director of the Office responsibility to serve as Co-Chair, on behalf of the Administrator, of the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children established by Executive Order 13045 (62 Fed. Reg. 19885 et seq.).(c)

Duties

The Director of the Office shall—(1)identify and assess environmental health risks and safety risks that may disproportionately affect infants, children, and adolescents;(2)work to ensure that Federal policies, programs, activities, and standards address disproportionate risks to infants, children, and adolescents that result from environmental health risks or safety risks, including consideration of the unique environmental justice concerns affecting infants, children, and adolescents;(3)coordinate Federal research and programs, including grant programs, to advance the activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2); and(4)carry out national activities to—(A)reduce negative environmental impacts on infants, children, and adolescents through involvement in rulemaking, policy, enforcement actions, research, and applications of science that focuses on prenatal and childhood vulnerabilities;(B)help protect infants, children, and adolescents through promoting and issuing guidance for safe chemicals management;(C)coordinate community-based programs to eliminate threats to infants’, children’s, and adolescents’ health;(D)increase the environmental health literacy of health care providers through support of pediatric environmental health specialty units;(E)evaluate and communicate trends in environmental contaminants that may contribute to childhood disease; (F)develop and publish resources for local educational agencies to establish, maintain, or enhance a school environmental health program; and(G)otherwise protect infants, children, and adolescents from environmental health risks or safety risks.(d)

Transition

The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall make such changes to the Office of Children’s Health Protection of the Environmental Protection Agency, as in existence on the day before the date of enactment of this Act, as may be necessary for such Office to become the Office required by subsection (a).(e)

Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $7,842,000 for fiscal year 2025 and each subsequent fiscal year.

3.

Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee

(a)

Establishment

The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall maintain an advisory committee, to be known as the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee, to—(1)provide advice and recommendations to the Administrator and other officials of the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the programs and activities of the Office;(2)advise the Administrator and other officials of the Environmental Protection Agency on regulations, research, and communications related to infant’s, children’s and adolescent’s health; and(3)support the Environmental Protection Agency, including the Office, in implementing under Executive Order 13045 and other issues related to infants’, children’s, and adolescents’ health protection as deemed appropriate by the Administrator.(b)

Applicability of FACA

The Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee shall be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), except that the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee shall be a permanent advisory committee and shall not terminate under section 14 of such Act.(c)

Transition

The President, acting through the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall make such changes to the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee established pursuant to Executive Order 13045 (62 Fed. Reg. 19885; April 23, 1997) as may be necessary for such Advisory Committee to become the advisory committee required by this section.

4.

Definitions

In this Act:(1)The term Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee means the advisory committee maintained pursuant to section 3.(2)The term local educational agency has the meaning given to such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).(3)The term Office means the Office of Children’s Health Protection maintained pursuant to section 2.

5.

Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this Act, there is authorized to be appropriated $13,200,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.