[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4610 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4610

 To require the Food and Drug Administration to conduct a study of the 
  health effects of radiofrequency emissions from wireless telephones.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2000

Mr. Markey (for himself and Mr. Tierney) introduced the following bill; 
            which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Food and Drug Administration to conduct a study of the 
  health effects of radiofrequency emissions from wireless telephones.

    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 ``Wireless Phone Health Risk 
Assessment Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) there is a growing international body of scientific 
        knowledge on electromagnetic energy and wireless telephones;
            (2) the United States should add to this body of knowledge 
        through the conduct of appropriate research; and
            (3) representatives of the scientific community and the 
        industry can provide information and expertise that would be 
        valuable to the research authorized by this subsection.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Food and Drug 
Administration $5,000,000 for the purpose of implementing this Act in 
each of fiscal years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.

SEC. 4. STUDY.

    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
Food and Drug Administration shall conduct an animal bioassay of 
radiofrequency emissions from wireless telephones operating on 
frequencies between 825 and 1900 megahertz, inclusive.
    (b) Coordination.--To the maximum extent practicable, the study 
described in subsection (a) shall be consistent with the global 
research needs on such matters as set forth by the International 
Electromagnetic Frequency Project of the World Health Organization.

SEC. 5. ADVISORY PANEL.

    The Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration shall, after 
consultation with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and 
representatives of the scientific community and the wireless industry, 
designate a panel of scientific and industry experts to advise the Food 
and Drug Administration, on an ongoing basis, on the preparation, 
conduct, and evaluation of the study described in section 4(a). Such 
panel shall provide advice on--
            (1) the scope of the investigation;
            (2) the appropriate transmission modalities to be studied;
            (3) dosimetry techniques and measurements;
            (4) other relevant scientific studies;
            (5) engineering and properties of radiofrequency 
        transmissions from wireless telephones; and
            (6) other matters relevant to such study.

SEC. 5. ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS.

    Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Food and Drug 
Administration may use funds appropriated pursuant to the authorization 
of appropriations in this Act to provide for attendance by Food and 
Drug Administration personnel at scientific symposia and other meetings 
related to the subject matter of the study described in section 4(a), 
including such meetings convened under the auspices of the 
International Electromagnetic Frequency Project of the World Health 
Organization, to ensure full participation by the United States in the 
international research in such matters.
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