[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1524 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1524

  To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct an 
   ongoing study of the health consequences of nuclear weapons tests.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 12, 1997

  Mr. Harkin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct an 
   ongoing study of the health consequences of nuclear weapons tests.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ONGOING STUDY ON HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS 
              TESTS.

    (a) Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        shall conduct an ongoing study of the health consequences of 
        nuclear weapons tests.
            (2) Covered tests.--In conducting the study, the Secretary 
        shall, to the maximum extent practicable, consider nuclear 
        weapons tests (including above ground tests and below ground 
        tests) by the United States, France, Great Britain, India, the 
        People's Republic of China, the Soviet Union and its successor 
        states, and any other foreign nation that has conducted nuclear 
        weapons tests.
            (3) Particular exposures.--In conducting the study, the 
        Secretary shall consider, in particular, the following:
                    (A) The health consequences of exposure to 
                plutonium, strontium-90, iodine-131, radioactive 
                cesium, and any other radioactive element produced by a 
                nuclear weapon test.
                    (B) The health consequences of exposure to such 
                elements for high-risk populations and for the general 
                population.
            (4) Review.--The Secretary shall provide on an ongoing 
        basis for guidance and review of the conduct of the study, and 
        review of the results of the study, by the Advisory Committee 
        on Energy-Related Epidemiologic Research of the Department of 
        Health and Human Services and by such other entities engaged in 
        the review of governmental studies relating to nuclear weapons 
        activities as the Secretary considers appropriate.
    (b) Reports.--
            (1) Preliminary plan.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
        Congress a report setting forth the Secretary's plan for the 
        conduct of the study under this section. The report shall set 
        forth an estimate of the annual costs of the study.
            (2) Annual reports.--Not later than one year after the date 
        of the submittal of the report under paragraph (1), and 
        annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report on the results of the study during the one-year period 
        preceding the date of the report.
    (c) Funding.--The Secretary of Energy shall transfer to the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services each fiscal year, from amounts 
appropriated for the Department of Energy for such fiscal year for 
weapons activities, such amounts as the Secretary of Energy and the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services jointly determine appropriate to 
permit the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct activities 
relating to the study under this section during such fiscal year.
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