[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 631 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 631

   To provide for expanded research concerning the environmental and 
              genetic susceptibilities for breast cancer.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 23, 1997

    Mr. Torricelli (for himself and Mr. Lautenberg) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                       Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for expanded research concerning the environmental and 
              genetic susceptibilities for breast cancer.

    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 ``New Jersey Women's Environmental 
Health Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The American Cancer Society estimates 6,400 new cases 
        of breast cancer will be diagnosed in New Jersey in 1997 with 
        an estimated 1,800 deaths.
            (2) In New Jersey, from 1989 to 1993, 8,378 women died from 
        breast cancer. The average mortality rate per 100,000 was 31.1 
        for white women and 34.4 for African American women.
            (3) New Jersey has the second highest breast cancer 
        mortality rate (31.1) of any State in the United States. New 
        Jersey also has more superfund sites (107) than any other 
        State.
            (4) During the period from 1988 to 1992--
                    (A) New Jersey's incidence rate (110.8) of breast 
                cancer was 11 percent higher than the national 
                incidence rate (105.6);
                    (B) 19 of New Jersey's 21 counties had a higher 
                incidence rate of breast cancer than the national 
                average; and
                    (C) two-thirds of the counties described in 
                subparagraph (B) have a 10 percent or higher incidence 
                rate of breast cancer than the national average.
            (5) The State's University of the Health Sciences is one of 
        only 7 joint centers in the United States, and the only such 
        center in New Jersey, that house a National Cancer Institute 
        designated research center and a National Institute of 
        Environmental Health Sciences research center.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH CONCERNING BREAST CANCER.

    (a) Grant.--The Secretary of Defense is authorized to award one or 
more grants to the University of the Health Sciences of New Jersey 
(hereafter referred to in this Act as the ``University'') to enable the 
University and affiliates of the University to conduct research, in 
collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior 
Services, concerning environmental, lifestyle, and genetic 
susceptibilities for breast cancer in the State of New Jersey.
    (b) Study and Report.--
            (1) Study.--The University shall use amounts received under 
        the grant under subsection (a) to conduct a study to assess 
        biological markers, exposure to carcinogens, and other 
        potential risk factors contributing to the incidence of breast 
        cancer in the State of New Jersey.
            (2) Epidemiological study.--The New Jersey Department of 
        Health and Senior Services shall be the co-investigator with 
        the University for any population based epidemiologic studies 
        under paragraph (1) that attempt to explore associations 
        between environmental and other risk factors and breast cancer.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the University 
        (and the affiliates of the University conducting the study 
        under this subsection) shall prepare and submit to the 
        appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the 
        findings and progress made as a result of the studies conducted 
        under paragraphs (1) and (2).
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated--
            (1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1998; and
            (2) $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 2001.
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