1.This Act may be cited as the
Children’s Health Task Force Act of
2012
.
2.Task Force on
Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children
(a)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)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)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)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)
(1)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)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)
(1)The Task Force shall meet at least annually.
(2)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)
(A)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; copyingThe Task Force shall make such minutes
available for public inspection and copying.
(C)The
Co-Chairs of the Task Force shall certify the accuracy of all such
minutes.
(g)Termination of
existing task forceThe 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
appropriationsTo 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.