[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1279 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 360
108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1279

                          [Report No. 108-183]

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act to authorize the President to carry out a program for 
    the protection of the health and safety of residents, workers, 
               volunteers, and others in a disaster area.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 18, 2003

Mr. Voinovich (for himself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. Schumer) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Environment and Public Works

                            November 3, 2003

               Reported by Mr. Inhofe, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act to authorize the President to carry out a program for 
    the protection of the health and safety of residents, workers, 
               volunteers, and others in a disaster area.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Disaster Area Health and 
Environmental Monitoring Act of 2003''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS IN A 
              DISASTER AREA.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act is amended by inserting after section 408 (42 
U.S.C. 5174) the following:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``SEC. 409. PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS IN 
              A DISASTER AREA.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) Individual.--The term `individual' 
        includes--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) a worker or volunteer who responds 
                to a disaster, including--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) a police officer;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) a firefighter;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) an emergency medical 
                        technician;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iv) any participating member of 
                        an urban search and rescue team; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(v) any other relief or rescue 
                        worker or volunteer that the President 
                        determines to be appropriate;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) a worker who responds to a disaster 
                by assisting in the cleanup or restoration of critical 
                infrastructure in and around a disaster area;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) a person whose place of residence is 
                in a disaster area;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(D) a person who is employed in or 
                attends school, child care, or adult day care in a 
                building located in a disaster area; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(E) any other person that the President 
                determines to be appropriate.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Program.--The term `program' means a program 
        described in subsection (b) that is carried out for a disaster 
        area.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Substance of concern.--The term `substance 
        of concern' means any chemical or substance associated with 
        potential acute or chronic human health effects, the risk of 
        exposure to which could potentially be increased as the result 
        of a disaster.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(b) Program.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) In general.--If the President determines 
        that 1 or more substances of concern are being, or have been, 
        released in an area declared to be a disaster area under this 
        Act, the President may carry out a program for the protection, 
        assessment, monitoring, and study of the health and safety of 
        individuals to ensure that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) the individuals are adequately 
                informed about and protected against potential health 
                impacts of the substance of concern and potential 
                mental health impacts in a timely manner;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) the individuals are monitored and 
                studied over time, including through baseline and 
                follow-up clinical health examinations, for--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) any short- and long-term 
                        health impacts of any substance of concern; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) any mental health 
                        impacts;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) the individuals receive health care 
                referrals as needed and appropriate; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(D) information from any such monitoring 
                and studies is used to prevent or protect against 
                similar health impacts from future disasters.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Activities.--A program under paragraph (1) 
        may include such activities as--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) collecting and analyzing 
                environmental exposure data;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) developing and disseminating 
                information and educational materials;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) performing baseline and follow-up 
                clinical health and mental health examinations and 
                taking biological samples;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(D) establishing and maintaining an 
                exposure registry;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(E) studying the long-term human health 
                impacts of any exposures through epidemiological and 
                other health studies; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(F) providing assistance to individuals 
                in determining eligibility for health coverage and 
                identifying appropriate health services.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Timing.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
        a program under paragraph (1) shall be established, and 
        activities under the program shall be commenced (including 
        baseline health examinations), in a timely manner that will 
        ensure the highest level of public health protection and 
        effective monitoring.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) Participation in registries and studies.--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--Participation in any 
                registry or study that is part of a program under 
                paragraph (1) shall be voluntary.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Protection of privacy.--The 
                President shall take appropriate measures to protect 
                the privacy of any participant in a registry or study 
                described in subparagraph (A).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(5) Cooperative agreements.--The President may 
        carry out a program under paragraph (1) through a cooperative 
        agreement with a medical institution, or a consortium of 
        medical institutions, that is--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) located near the disaster area, and 
                near groups of individuals that worked or volunteered 
                in response to the disaster in the disaster area, with 
                respect to which the program is carried out; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) experienced in the area of 
                environmental or occupational health, toxicology, and 
                safety, including experience in--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) developing clinical 
                        protocols and conducting clinical health 
                        examinations, including mental health 
                        assessments;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) conducting long-term health 
                        monitoring and epidemiological 
                        studies;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) conducting long-term 
                        mental health studies; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iv) establishing and 
                        maintaining medical surveillance programs and 
                        environmental exposure or disease 
                        registries.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(6) Involvement.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--In establishing and 
                maintaining a program under paragraph (1), the 
                President shall ensure the involvement of interested 
                and affected parties, as appropriate, including 
                representatives of--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) Federal, State, and local 
                        government agencies;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) labor 
                        organizations;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) local residents, 
                        businesses, and schools (including parents and 
                        teachers);</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iv) health care providers; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(v) other organizations and 
                        persons.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Committees.--Involvement under 
                subparagraph (A) may be provided through the 
                establishment of an advisory or oversight committee or 
                board.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(c) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the 
establishment of a program under subsection (b)(1), and every 5 years 
thereafter, the President, or the medical institution or consortium of 
such institutions having entered into a cooperative agreement under 
subsection (b)(5), shall submit to the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and appropriate 
committees of Congress a report on programs and studies carried out 
under the program.''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. BLUE RIBBON PANEL ON DISASTER AREA HEALTH PROTECTION 
              AND MONITORING.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency shall jointly establish a Blue Ribbon 
Panel on Disaster Area Health Protection and Monitoring (referred to in 
this section as the ``Panel'').</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Membership.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Panel shall be composed of--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) 15 voting members, to be appointed by 
                the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of 
                Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the 
                Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with 
                paragraph (2); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) officers or employees of the 
                Department of Health and Human Services, the Department 
                of Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection 
                Agency, and other Federal agencies, as appropriate, to 
                be appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human 
                Services, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the 
                Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency as 
                nonvoting, ex officio members of the Panel.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Background and expertise.--The voting members 
        of the Panel shall be individuals who--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) are not officers or employees of the 
                Federal Government; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) have expertise in--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) environmental health, safety, 
                        and medicine;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) occupational health, safety, 
                        and medicine;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) clinical medicine, including 
                        pediatrics;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) toxicology;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (v) epidemiology;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (vi) mental health;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (vii) medical monitoring and 
                        surveillance;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (viii) environmental monitoring 
                        and surveillance;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ix) environmental and industrial 
                        hygiene;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (x) emergency planning and 
                        preparedness;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (xi) public outreach and 
                        education;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (xii) State and local health 
                        departments;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (xiii) State and local 
                        environmental protection departments;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (xiv) functions of workers that 
                        respond to disasters, including first 
                        responders; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (xv) public health and family 
                        services.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Duties.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Panel shall provide advice 
        and recommendations regarding protecting and monitoring the 
        health and safety of individuals potentially exposed to any 
        chemical or substance associated with potential acute or 
        chronic human health effects as the result of a disaster, 
        including advice and recommendations regarding--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the implementation of programs under 
                section 409 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
                and Emergency Assistance Act (as added by section 2); 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the establishment of protocols for the 
                monitoring of and response to releases of substances of 
                concern (as defined in section 409(a) of the Robert T. 
                Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
                (as added by section 2)) in a disaster area for the 
                purpose of protecting public health and safety, 
                including--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) those substances of concern 
                        for which samples should be collected in the 
                        event of a disaster, including a terrorist 
                        attack;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) chemical-specific methods of 
                        sample collection, including sampling 
                        methodologies and locations;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) chemical-specific methods of 
                        sample analysis;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) health-based threshold levels 
                        to be used and response actions to be taken in 
                        the event that thresholds are exceeded for 
                        individual chemicals or substances;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (v) procedures for providing 
                        monitoring results to--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (I) appropriate Federal, 
                                State, and local government 
                                agencies;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (II) appropriate response 
                                personnel; and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (III) the 
                                public;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (vi) responsibilities of Federal, 
                        State and local agencies for--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (I) collecting and 
                                analyzing samples;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (II) reporting results; 
                                and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (III) taking appropriate 
                                response actions; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (vii) capabilities and capacity 
                        within the Federal Government to conduct 
                        appropriate environmental monitoring and 
                        response in the event of a disaster, including 
                        a terrorist attack; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) other issues as specified by the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health 
                and Human Services, and the Administrator of the 
                Environmental Protection Agency.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        of establishment of the Panel, the Panel shall submit to the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services, and the Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency a report of the findings and recommendations 
        of the Panel under this section, including recommendations for 
        such legislative and administrative actions as the Panel 
        considers to be appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Powers.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Hearings.--The Panel may hold such hearings, 
        sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and 
        receive such evidence as the Panel considers necessary to carry 
        out this section.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Information from federal agencies.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--The Panel may secure 
                directly from any Federal department or agency such 
                information as the Panel considers necessary to carry 
                out this section.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Furnishing of information.--On request 
                of the Panel, the head of the department or agency 
                shall furnish the information to the Panel.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Postal services.--The Panel may use the United 
        States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 
        as other departments and agencies of the Federal 
        Government.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Personnel.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Travel expenses.--The members of the Panel 
        shall not receive compensation for the performance of services 
        for the Panel, but shall be allowed travel expenses, including 
        per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for 
        employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 
        5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
        places of business in the performance of services for the 
        Panel.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Voluntary and uncompensated services.--
        Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, 
        the Secretary may accept the voluntary and uncompensated 
        services of members of the Panel.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal 
        Government employee may be detailed to the Panel without 
        reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or 
        loss of civil service status or privilege.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Staff, information, and other assistance.--The 
        Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services, and the Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency shall provide to the Panel such staff, 
        information, and other assistance as may be necessary to carry 
        out the duties of the Panel.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this 
section.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Termination of Authority.--This section, the authority 
provided under this section, and the Panel shall terminate on the date 
that is 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Disaster Area Health and 
Environmental Monitoring Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS IN A DISASTER 
              AREA.

    Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act is amended by inserting after section 408 (42 U.S.C. 
5174) the following:

``SEC. 409. PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS IN A 
              DISASTER AREA.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Individual.--The term `individual' includes--
                    ``(A) a worker or volunteer who responds to a 
                disaster, including--
                            ``(i) a police officer;
                            ``(ii) a firefighter;
                            ``(iii) an emergency medical technician;
                            ``(iv) any participating member of an urban 
                        search and rescue team; and
                            ``(v) any other relief or rescue worker or 
                        volunteer that the President determines to be 
                        appropriate;
                    ``(B) a worker who responds to a disaster by 
                assisting in the cleanup or restoration of critical 
                infrastructure in and around a disaster area;
                    ``(C) a person whose place of residence is in a 
                disaster area;
                    ``(D) a person who is employed in or attends 
                school, child care, or adult day care in a building 
                located in a disaster area; and
                    ``(E) any other person that the President 
                determines to be appropriate.
            ``(2) Program.--The term `program' means a program 
        described in subsection (b) that is carried out for a disaster 
        area.
            ``(3) Substance of concern.--The term `substance of 
        concern' means a chemical or other substance that is associated 
        with potential acute or chronic human health effects, the risk 
        of exposure to which could potentially be increased as the 
        result of a disaster, as determined by the President.
    ``(b) Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--If the President determines that 1 or 
        more substances of concern are being, or have been, released in 
        an area declared to be a disaster area under this Act, the 
        President may carry out a program for the protection, 
        assessment, monitoring, and study of the health and safety of 
        individuals to ensure that--
                    ``(A) the individuals are adequately informed about 
                and protected against potential health impacts of any 
                substance of concern and potential mental health 
                impacts in a timely manner;
                    ``(B) the individuals are monitored and studied 
                over time, including through baseline and followup 
                clinical health examinations, for--
                            ``(i) any short- and long-term health 
                        impacts of any substance of concern; and
                            ``(ii) any mental health impacts;
                    ``(C) the individuals receive health care referrals 
                as needed and appropriate; and
                    ``(D) information from any such monitoring and 
                studies is used to prevent or protect against similar 
                health impacts from future disasters.
            ``(2) Activities.--A program under paragraph (1) may 
        include such activities as--
                    ``(A) collecting and analyzing environmental 
                exposure data;
                    ``(B) developing and disseminating information and 
                educational materials;
                    ``(C) performing baseline and followup clinical 
                health and mental health examinations and taking 
                biological samples;
                    ``(D) establishing and maintaining an exposure 
                registry;
                    ``(E) studying the short- and long-term human 
                health impacts of any exposures through epidemiological 
                and other health studies; and
                    ``(F) providing assistance to individuals in 
                determining eligibility for health coverage and 
                identifying appropriate health services.
            ``(3) Timing.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
        activities under any program established under paragraph (1) 
        (including baseline health examinations) shall be commenced in 
        a timely manner that will ensure the highest level of public 
        health protection and effective monitoring.
            ``(4) Participation in registries and studies.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Participation in any registry or 
                study that is part of a program under paragraph (1) 
                shall be voluntary.
                    ``(B) Protection of privacy.--The President shall 
                take appropriate measures to protect the privacy of any 
                participant in a registry or study described in 
                subparagraph (A).
            ``(5) Cooperative agreements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The President may carry out a 
                program under paragraph (1) through a cooperative 
                agreement with a medical institution or a consortium of 
                medical institutions.
                    ``(B) Selection criteria.--To the maximum extent 
                practicable, the President shall select to carry out a 
                program under paragraph (1) a medical institution or a 
                consortium of medical institutions that--
                            ``(i) is located near--
                                    ``(I) the disaster area with 
                                respect to which the program is carried 
                                out; and
                                    ``(II) any other area in which 
                                there reside groups of individuals that 
                                worked or volunteered in response to 
                                the disaster; and
                            ``(ii) has appropriate experience in the 
                        areas of environmental or occupational health, 
                        toxicology, and safety, including experience 
                        in--
                                    ``(I) developing clinical protocols 
                                and conducting clinical health 
                                examinations, including mental health 
                                assessments;
                                    ``(II) conducting long-term health 
                                monitoring and epidemiological studies;
                                    ``(III) conducting long-term mental 
                                health studies; and
                                    ``(IV) establishing and maintaining 
                                medical surveillance programs and 
                                environmental exposure or disease 
                                registries.
            ``(6) Involvement.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In establishing and maintaining 
                a program under paragraph (1), the President shall 
                involve interested and affected parties, as 
                appropriate, including representatives of--
                            ``(i) Federal, State, and local government 
                        agencies;
                            ``(ii) groups of individuals that worked or 
                        volunteered in response to the disaster in the 
                        disaster area;
                            ``(iii) local residents, businesses, and 
                        schools (including parents and teachers);
                            ``(iv) health care providers; and
                            ``(v) other organizations and persons.
                    ``(B) Committees.--Involvement under subparagraph 
                (A) may be provided through the establishment of an 
                advisory or oversight committee or board.
    ``(c) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the establishment of a 
program under subsection (b)(1), and every 5 years thereafter, the 
President, or the medical institution or consortium of such 
institutions having entered into a cooperative agreement under 
subsection (b)(5), shall submit to the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and appropriate 
committees of Congress a report on programs and studies carried out 
under the program.''.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REPORT ON DISASTER AREA HEALTH AND 
              ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND MONITORING.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency shall jointly enter into a contract 
with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and prepare a 
report on disaster area health and environmental protection and 
monitoring.
    (b) Expertise.--The report under subsection (a) shall be prepared 
with the participation of individuals who have expertise in--
            (1) environmental health, safety, and medicine;
            (2) occupational health, safety, and medicine;
            (3) clinical medicine, including pediatrics;
            (4) toxicology;
            (5) epidemiology;
            (6) mental health;
            (7) medical monitoring and surveillance;
            (8) environmental monitoring and surveillance;
            (9) environmental and industrial hygiene;
            (10) emergency planning and preparedness;
            (11) public outreach and education;
            (12) State and local health departments;
            (13) State and local environmental protection departments;
            (14) functions of workers that respond to disasters, 
        including first responders; and
            (15) public health and family services.
    (c) Contents.--The report under subsection (a) shall provide advice 
and recommendations regarding protecting and monitoring the health and 
safety of individuals potentially exposed to any chemical or other 
substance associated with potential acute or chronic human health 
effects as the result of a disaster, including advice and 
recommendations regarding--
            (1) the establishment of protocols for the monitoring of 
        and response to chemical or substance releases in a disaster 
        area for the purpose of protecting public health and safety, 
        including--
                    (A) chemicals or other substances for which samples 
                should be collected in the event of a disaster, 
                including a terrorist attack;
                    (B) chemical- or substance-specific methods of 
                sample collection, including sampling methodologies and 
                locations;
                    (C) chemical- or substance-specific methods of 
                sample analysis;
                    (D) health-based threshold levels to be used and 
                response actions to be taken in the event that 
                thresholds are exceeded for individual chemicals or 
                other substances;
                    (E) procedures for providing monitoring results 
                to--
                            (i) appropriate Federal, State, and local 
                        government agencies;
                            (ii) appropriate response personnel; and
                            (iii) the public;
                    (F) responsibilities of Federal, State and local 
                agencies for--
                            (i) collecting and analyzing samples;
                            (ii) reporting results; and
                            (iii) taking appropriate response actions; 
                        and
                    (G) capabilities and capacity within the Federal 
                Government to conduct appropriate environmental 
                monitoring and response in the event of a disaster, 
                including a terrorist attack; and
            (2) other issues as specified by the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.




                                                       Calendar No. 360

108th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1279

                          [Report No. 108-183]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act to authorize the President to carry out a program for 
    the protection of the health and safety of residents, workers, 
               volunteers, and others in a disaster area.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            November 3, 2003

                       Reported with an amendment