[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6207 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6207

  To provide for the establishment of the Task Force on Environmental 
               Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2012

  Ms. Slaughter (for herself, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Grijalva, and Ms. Chu) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the establishment of the Task Force on Environmental 
               Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children.

    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 ``Children's Health Task Force Act of 
2012''.

SEC. 2. TASK FORCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISKS AND SAFETY RISKS TO 
              CHILDREN.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services and 
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, acting 
jointly, shall establish and maintain a permanent task force, to be 
known as the Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks 
to Children (in this Act referred to as the ``Task Force'').
    (b) Membership.--The Task Force shall be composed of the following 
officials (or their designees):
            (1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, who shall 
        serve as a Co-Chair of the Task Force.
            (2) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency, who shall serve as a Co-Chair of the Task Force.
            (3) The Secretary of Education.
            (4) The Secretary of Labor.
            (5) The Attorney General of the United States.
            (6) The Secretary of Energy.
            (7) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
            (8) The Secretary of Agriculture.
            (9) The Secretary of Transportation.
            (10) The Secretary of Defense.
            (11) The Secretary of the Interior.
            (12) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
            (13) The Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.
            (14) The Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
            (15) Such other officials of Federal departments and 
        agencies as the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, acting 
        jointly, may designate or invite (as appropriate) to serve on 
        the Task Force.
    (c) Stakeholders.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services and 
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, acting 
jointly, shall, as appropriate, invite representatives of stakeholders 
to attend meetings of the Task Force, appear before the Task Force, and 
file statements with the Task Force, subject to such requirements as 
the Secretary and Administrator may determine.
    (d) Functions.--The Task Force shall recommend to the President and 
the Congress Federal strategies for addressing environmental health 
risks and safety risks to children in the United States, within 
projected budgetary limits, including the following:
            (1) Adoption of action plans, including multiyear and 
        annual priorities, to address the principal environmental 
        health risks and safety risks to children.
            (2) Initiatives that the Federal Government has undertaken 
        or will undertake in addressing the principal environmental 
        health risks and safety risks to children.
            (3) Recommendations on how to improve cross-agency 
        implementation of actions, including cross-agency budgeting, to 
        address environmental health risks and safety risks to 
        children.
            (4) Recommendations for a coordinated research agenda for 
        the Federal Government to address environmental health risks 
        and safety risks to children.
            (5) Recommendations for appropriate partnerships among 
        Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and the private, 
        academic, and nonprofit sectors.
            (6) Proposed ways to enhance public outreach and 
        communication to assist families in evaluating environmental 
        health risks and safety risks to children and in making 
        informed consumer choices.
            (7) Proposed ways to strengthen the data system in order to 
        identify and track development of rulemakings and other actions 
        to ensure they comply with current policy on evaluating 
        environmental health risks and safety risks to children.
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) Biennial reports.--Not later than July 31, 2013, and 
        biennially thereafter, the Task Force shall submit to the 
        President and the Congress, make publicly available, and 
        disseminate widely a report including--
                    (A) the strategies developed and updated under 
                subsection (d);
                    (B) in the case of reports subsequent to the first 
                report, a description of the accomplishments of the 
                Task Force since the preceding report;
                    (C) current national priorities for addressing 
                environmental health risks and safety risks to children 
                in the United States and any related emerging issues;
                    (D) updates on Federal research findings and 
                research needs regarding environmental risks and safety 
                risks to children;
                    (E) information submitted to the Task Force by 
                Federal departments and agencies for inclusion in the 
                report;
                    (F) appropriate recommendations by the Children's 
                Health Protection Advisory Committee; and
                    (G) information submitted by stakeholders for 
                inclusion in the report.
            (2) Additional reporting.--In addition to the biennial 
        reports under paragraph (1), the Task Force--
                    (A) may, as appropriate, submit to the President 
                and the Congress such additional reports and updates as 
                necessary;
                    (B) shall make any such reports and updates 
                publicly available; and
                    (C) shall disseminate widely any such reports and 
                updates.
    (f) Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force shall meet at least 
        annually.
            (2) Notice.--The Task Force shall--
                    (A) publish in the Federal Register timely notice 
                of each upcoming meeting of the Task Force; and
                    (B) provide for other types of public notice to 
                ensure that all interested persons receive timely 
                notice of each upcoming meeting of the Task Force.
            (3) Minutes.--
                    (A) In general.--The Task Force shall record and 
                maintain detailed minutes of each meeting of the Task 
                Force, including--
                            (i) the meeting agenda;
                            (ii) a record of the persons present;
                            (iii) a complete and accurate description 
                        of matters discussed at the meeting and 
                        conclusions reached; and
                            (iv) copies of all reports received, 
                        issued, or approved by the Task Force in 
                        connection with the meeting.
                    (B) Public availability; copying.--The Task Force 
                shall make such minutes available for public inspection 
                and copying.
                    (C) Accuracy.--The Co-Chairs of the Task Force 
                shall certify the accuracy of all such minutes.
    (g) Termination of Existing Task Force.--The Task Force on 
Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children established by 
Executive Order 13045 (April 21, 1997) is hereby terminated.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this Act, there 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for 
fiscal year 2013 and each subsequent fiscal year.
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