I 108th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4215 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 22, 2004 Ms. Velázquez (for herself, Mr. Acevedo-Vilá, Mr. Gutierrez, and Ms. Lee) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit discrimination regarding exposure to hazardous substances, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the &short-title1;.
2.
Discrimination regarding exposure to hazardous substances
The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following title: <enum>XXIX</enum><header>Discrimination regarding exposure to covered substances</header> <section id="HEA80883E8C8644439DD38384DC00ABFE"><enum>2901.</enum><header>Definitions</header> <subsection id="H629047CC86324E31ADE6B342DC0047EB"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Covered substances</header><text>For purposes of this title, the term <term>covered substance</term> means each of the following:</text> <paragraph id="HA986EF00DC6749538200E7FDF7A56CF3"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Any contaminant identified under the Safe Drinking Water Act (title XIV of this Act).</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H888B8002E539428AA634000261F5C843"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Any substance described in section 201(q) of the <act-name parsable-cite="FFDCA">Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act</act-name>, and any material registered pursuant to the Act referred to in paragraph (1) of such section.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HB4E2C18087404BEC9745F06B7703BD9D"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Any chemical listed by the National Toxicology Program of the Department of Health and Human Services as a known or probable human carcinogen.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H4C76FF75435C435299DEB835462B91ED"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Any substance defined in section 101(14) of the <act-name parsable-cite="CERCL">Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980</act-name> and any chemical subject to section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H3D53E21187814E4DB9D52F749086B517"><enum>(5)</enum><text>Any material subject to the requirements concerning material safety data sheets for chemicals under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HC03596C51BAB4038B340D75D49F01280"><enum>(6)</enum><text>Any chemical substance or mixture regulated under the Toxic Substance Control Act.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H0121E7206012471A9CBF009453148C22"><enum>(7)</enum><text>Any hazardous waste identified under the <act-name parsable-cite="SWDA">Solid Waste Disposal Act</act-name>.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H912C4F5A72DA4B1B84CEC988CAC7C328"><enum>(8)</enum><text>Such other contaminants, chemicals, materials, wastes, and substances as the President, acting through the head of the appropriate agency, determines to be appropriate for purposes of this title.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H6A3747DCEDEF43FC8545CCA975F52103"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Covered entities</header><text>For purposes of this title, the term <term>covered entity</term> means any entity which handles, manages, treats, releases, discharges, disposes, stores, transports, removes, moves, or delivers covered substances.</text></subsection></section> <section id="HB3BF7043D67245D29ED0FBD8DC08698D"><enum>2902.</enum><header>Prohibition against discrimination</header> <subsection id="HD46EBC71621F4FEDB3FA62E50006978D"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A covered entity under section 2901 shall not, on the ground of race, color, national origin, or economic status, disproportionately expose any person or community to any covered substance.</text></subsection> <subsection id="H990D0EA82D59432FACABAF0681801D89"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Compliance</header> <paragraph id="H3A55CB6867A44F238B0169A1238869C"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Identification</header><text>Any entity under subsection (a) shall consult and work in partnership with the States and local government officials and the Federal Government to comply with subsection (a).</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H2E2F6AA7BA2D47B696EFD6F532131D7"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Addressing disproportionate exposure</header><text>Any entity under subsection (a) shall address the actual or potential disproportionate exposure to covered substances of individuals or communities, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, when pursuing State and local administrative proceedings for the authorized handling, management, treatment, release, discharge, disposal, storage, transport, removal, movement, or delivery of covered substances.</text></paragraph></subsection></section> <section id="HCA01B5E856AD4598B3F1D200F957C800"><enum>2903.</enum><header>Regulations</header> <subsection id="H614C5559199448A5B24500D31462D102"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The President shall require the appropriate Federal officials to issue regulations to implement section 2902 consistent with section 602 of the <act-name parsable-cite="CRA64">Civil Rights Act of 1964</act-name> that relate to compliance.</text></subsection> <subsection id="H20FD86404E664B1CA87ED3954B84CF75"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Enforcement</header><text>Compliance with any requirement adopted pursuant to this section may be effected (1) by the termination of or refusal to grant authorization to any covered entity to handle, manage, treat, release, discharge, dispose, store, transport, remove, move, or deliver covered substances, or (2) by any other means authorized by law. With respect to any covered entity that is a recipient of Federal financial assistance, compliance may also be effectuated pursuant to section 602 of the <act-name parsable-cite="CRA64">Civil Rights Act of 1964</act-name>.</text></subsection> <subsection id="HDF4DAB8336094C6C9C97117CAE919988"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Dates certain regarding regulations</header><text>For purposes of regulations under this section, all proposed rules shall be issued not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the &short-title1;, all final rules shall be issued not later than 18 months after such date, and all the final rules shall take effect not later than one year after such date.</text></subsection> <subsection id="HFA3D6F89F67C493A94144699C4DBAF56"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Biennial report</header><text>Not later than 2 years after the date on which final rules are issued under this section, and every 2 years thereafter, the Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Working Group (established under Executive Order 12898 (February 11, 1994)) shall submit to the Congress a report on activities carried out under this title.</text></subsection></section>.