[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1494 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1494

 To establish a national policy prohibiting the location of new public 
       schools and child care centers on real property where the 
electromagnetic field exceeds an average 2 milligauss per day, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 25, 1993

   Mr. Miller of California introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

                           December 17, 1993

Additional sponsors: Mrs. Maloney, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, 
          Mrs. Clayton, Ms. Furse, and Mr. Smith of New Jersey

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a national policy prohibiting the location of new public 
       schools and child care centers on real property where the 
electromagnetic field exceeds an average 2 milligauss per day, 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 ``Children's Electromagnetic Field 
Risk Reduction Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) According to reputable medical and scientific studies, 
        exposure to weak low-frequency electromagnetic fields can 
        affect living cells and systems and produce biological changes.
            (2) Although experts disagree on the extent of the danger 
        posed by electromagnetic fields, a growing body of scientific 
        evidence suggests that there may be a connection between 
        cancer, particularly childhood cancer, and exposure to 
        electromagnetic fields from high current lines.
            (3) Studies have shown that the greater the dose of 
        electromagnetic field exposure, the greater the incidence of 
        cancer, particularly in children. Scientific evidence has 
        demonstrated that children with prolonged exposure to the 
        weakest electromagnetic field, calculated at less than 1 
        milligauss, had the lowest incidence of cancer, while those 
        exposed to fields of 2 milligauss were three times as likely to 
        develop cancer, and children exposed to fields of 3 milligauss 
        were four times as likely to develop cancer.
            (4) Until the scientific effect of the bioeffects of 
        electromagnetic fields is conclusively determined, it is 
        prudent to take actions to reduce the potential risk of 
        electromagnetic fields to children.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    (a) In General.--It is the policy of the United States that any 
public school or child care facility constructed, accredited, or opened 
after the date of the enactment of this Act shall be located on real 
property where the electromagnetic field is less than an average 2 
milligauss per day.
    (b) Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to prohibit the establishment by any State of more stringent 
requirements with respect to electromagnetic fields near schools and 
child care facilities.

SEC. 4. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.

    The Secretary of Education shall develop and disseminate to State 
and local educational agencies advisory medical and scientific 
information concerning the potential health risk to children of 
electromagnetic fields.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) The term ``school'' means--
                    (A) any elementary or secondary school (as such 
                terms are defined in sections 1471(8) and 1471(21) of 
                the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) 
                owned and operated by 1 or more nonprofit corporations 
                or associations no part of the net earnings of which 
                inures, or may lawfully inure, to the benefit of any 
                private shareholder or individual; and
                    (B) any school of the United States.
            (2) The term ``child care facility'' means a facility that 
        is licensed, regulated, or registered under State or local law 
        for the provision of child care services.

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