[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1661 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1661

 To establish a health registry to ensure that certain individuals who 
   may have been exposed to formaldehyde in a travel trailer have an 
opportunity to register for such registry and receive medical treatment 
               for such exposure, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 23, 2009

  Mr. Barrow introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a health registry to ensure that certain individuals who 
   may have been exposed to formaldehyde in a travel trailer have an 
opportunity to register for such registry and receive medical treatment 
               for such exposure, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Travel Trailer Residents' Health 
Registry Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF REGISTRY.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, shall--
            (1) establish and maintain a health registry for eligible 
        individuals who may have been exposed to formaldehyde in a 
        travel trailer;
            (2) include any information in such registry that the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services determines necessary to 
        ascertain and monitor the health effects of the exposure to 
        formaldehyde in a travel trailer by eligible individuals;
            (3) develop a public information campaign to inform 
        eligible individuals about the health registry, including how 
        and where to register and the benefits of registering; and
            (4) periodically notify eligible individuals of significant 
        developments in the study and treatment of conditions 
        associated with exposure to formaldehyde.

SEC. 3. TREATMENT AND STUDY OF HEALTH EFFECTS.

    (a) Examination of Eligible Individuals.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
        enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services to provide initial and ongoing health examinations, 
        consultations, and mental health counseling free of charge to 
        each eligible individual for the purposes of--
                    (A) assisting eligible individuals with any health 
                effects associated with exposure to formaldehyde in a 
                travel trailer;
                    (B) ascertaining and monitoring the health effects 
                on each eligible individual of exposure to formaldehyde 
                in such a trailer; and
                    (C) completing the epidemiological study required 
                under subsection (b).
            (2) Information feedback.--Such health consultation and 
        mental health counseling described in paragraph (1) shall 
        provide to each eligible individual information regarding the 
        examination results for such individual, as well as any 
        available information concerning ongoing developments in the 
        study and treatment of conditions associated with exposure to 
        formaldehyde.
    (b) Epidemiological Study.--Not later than 90 days after the 
establishment of the health registry under section 2, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall commence an epidemiological study of 
the immediate and long-term effects of exposure to formaldehyde in a 
travel trailer sufficient to further understand the immediate and long-
term medical needs of eligible individuals.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Report by Independent Scientific Organization.--The Secretary 
of Health and Human Services shall enter into an agreement with an 
independent scientific organization to submit a report to Congress, not 
later than 18 months after the establishment of the registry, 
containing the following:
            (1) Effectiveness of secretaries.--An assessment of the 
        effectiveness of actions taken by the Secretaries of the 
        Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health 
        and Human Services to collect and maintain information on the 
        health consequences of exposure to formaldehyde in a travel 
        trailer.
            (2) Collection and maintenance.--Recommendations to improve 
        the collection and maintenance of such information.
            (3) Medical needs.--Using the ongoing epidemiological study 
        under section 3(b), recommendations regarding the most 
        effective and prudent means of addressing the medical needs of 
        eligible individuals, as such needs relate to conditions likely 
        to result from exposure to formaldehyde in a travel trailer.

SEC. 5. FUNDING.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Travel Trailers.--For the purposes of this Act, the term 
``travel trailer'' means any temporary housing unit provided by the 
Federal Government to individuals displaced by a major disaster that 
occurred or occurs between August 29, 2005, and December 31, 2009.
    (b) Eligible Individuals.--For the purposes of this Act, the term 
``eligible individual'' means any individual who--
            (1) lawfully resided in a travel trailer; and
            (2) applied or applies for inclusion on the health registry 
        established pursuant to this Act.
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