[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2515 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2515

To promote the use of clean cookstoves and fuels to save lives, improve 
livelihoods, empower women, and combat harmful pollution by creating a 
   thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking 
                               solutions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 7, 2012

Ms. Collins (for herself and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To promote the use of clean cookstoves and fuels to save lives, improve 
livelihoods, empower women, and combat harmful pollution by creating a 
   thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking 
                               solutions.

    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 ``Clean Cookstoves Support Act of 
2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Nearly half the world's population cooks their food 
        over open fires or inefficient, polluting, and unsafe 
        cookstoves using firewood, dung, or coal. Smoke from the use of 
        these traditional cookstoves and open fires is associated with 
        a number of chronic and acute diseases, including respiratory 
        illnesses such as pneumonia, heart disease, and cancer, with 
        women and young children affected disproportionately.
            (2) It is estimated that smoke from cooking fuels accounts 
        for nearly 2,000,000 deaths annually in the developing world, 
        which is more than the deaths from malaria, tuberculosis, or 
        HIV. Millions more are sickened from the toxic smoke and 
        thousands suffer burns annually from open fires or unsafe 
        cookstoves.
            (3) The amount of biomass cooking fuel required each year 
        can reach up to 2 tons per family. Where demand for local 
        biomass outstrips the natural regrowth of resources, local 
        environmental problems can result.
            (4) Tremendous amounts of time--a burden shouldered 
        disproportionately by women and children--is spent collecting 
        and managing biomass cooking fuel resources.
            (5) As nearby fuel supplies dwindle, women are forced to go 
        farther to find fuel to cook their families' meals. In some 
        regions, women and girls risk rape and other forms of gender-
        based violence during the up to 20 hours per week they spend 
        away from their communities gathering firewood.
            (6) Recent studies show that black carbon created from 
        biomass cookstoves significantly contributes to regional air 
        pollution and climate change. Black carbon emissions from 
        residential cookstoves in developing countries account for an 
        estimated 21 percent of total global inventory, and mitigation 
        in this sector represents a large potential public health 
        benefit.
            (7) The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is an 
        innovative public-private partnership led by the United Nations 
        Foundation that was created to enable the adoption of clean and 
        efficient stoves in 100,000,000 homes by 2020. The Alliance 
        intends to work with public, private, and non-profit partners 
        to raise $250,000,000 towards overcoming market barriers that 
        currently impede the production, deployment, and use of clean 
        cookstoves in the developing world.
            (8) The United States Government has committed a total of 
        up to $105,000,000 over the first five years of the Alliance to 
        help it achieve its goal of spurring the adoption of clean 
        cookstoves in 100,000,000 households by 2020, as follows:
                    (A) The Department of State and the United States 
                Agency for International Development will commit 
                $11,570,000 to promote the adoption of clean 
                cookstoves, encourage foreign government support, and 
                further economic opportunities for women.
                    (B) The Department of Energy will commit 
                $12,500,000 for applied research to advance clean 
                cookstove technologies and designs.
                    (C) The Department of Health and Human Services 
                will commit $24,700,000 through the National Institutes 
                of Health and $2,180,000 through the Centers for 
                Disease Control and Prevention for health research and 
                implementation evaluation.
                    (D) The Environmental Protection Agency will commit 
                $6,000,000 to enhance stove testing and evaluation, 
                cookstove design innovation, and the assessment of 
                health benefits.
                    (E) The Overseas Private Investment Corporation 
                will commit up to $50,000,000 for debt financing or 
                insurance for projects that provide access to clean, 
                consistent, and affordable energy through the promotion 
                of clean cookstoves.

SEC. 3. ADVANCEMENT OF GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR CLEAN COOKSTOVES GOALS.

    The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of 
the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Energy, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development, and the heads of other 
relevant Federal agencies, and in coordination with relevant 
international nongovernmental organizations and private and 
governmental entities, shall work to advance the goals and work of the 
Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, including through--
            (1) applied research and development to improve design, 
        lower costs, promote technology adoption, conduct health 
        research and evaluation, and develop global industry standards 
        and testing protocols for cookstoves;
            (2) diplomatic engagement to encourage a commercial market 
        for clean stoves and fuels, reduce trade barriers, promote 
        consumer awareness, improve access to large-scale carbon 
        financing, and foster women-owned businesses along the entire 
        business chain;
            (3) international development projects to help build 
        commercial businesses to manufacture, market, distribute, sell, 
        and service clean stoves and fuels;
            (4) development efforts related to refugee camps, disaster 
        relief, and long-term programs aimed at assisting women and 
        girls; and
            (5) financing or insurance to support projects that provide 
        access to clean, affordable energy and energy savings through 
        the manufacture, sale, and purchase of cookstoves.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Department of State and United States Agency for International 
Development.--There is authorized to be appropriated out of funds 
available to the Department of State and the United States Agency for 
International Development not less than $11,570,000 for fiscal years 
2013 through 2017 to work with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves 
and foreign governments--
            (1) to address the harmful effects of smoke exposure from 
        traditional cookstoves;
            (2) to support applied and operational research into how 
        people use improved stove technology, and how indoor air 
        quality and sanitation interventions can improve household 
        environments and promote economic opportunities for women; and
            (3) to carry out other activities under this Act.
    (b) Department of Energy.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
to the Secretary of Energy out of available funds not less than 
$12,500,000 for fiscal years 2013 through 2017 to work with the Global 
Alliance for Clean Cookstoves to conduct research aimed at addressing 
the technical barriers to the development of low-emission, high-
efficiency cookstoves through activities in areas such as combustion, 
heat transfer, and materials development, and to carry out other 
activities under this Act.
    (c) National Institutes of Health.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services out of 
available funds not less than $24,700,000 for fiscal years 2013 through 
2017 for the National Institutes of Health to work with the Global 
Alliance for Clean Cookstoves--
            (1) to support ongoing research and research training 
        projects, including--
                    (A) studies on the cookstove-related effects of 
                cookstoves smoke on pulmonary, cancer, and cardiac 
                diseases;
                    (B) studies on the relationship between indoor air 
                pollution and low-birth weight; and
                    (C) studies on the most effective ways to introduce 
                and educate users on safety and the proper use of 
                cookstoves;
            (2) to support efforts to develop improved measuring 
        devices, expand epidemiologic studies, and conduct clinical 
        trials;
            (3) to support training programs designed to help prepare 
        scientists in low- and middle-income countries to engage in 
        related research and evaluation activities; and
            (4) to carry out other activities under this Act.
    (d) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.--There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services out of available funds not less than $2,180,000 for fiscal 
years 2013 through 2017 for the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention to work with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves--
            (1) to demonstrate the health benefits of implementing 
        clean cookstove programs;
            (2) to promote a better understanding of the relationship 
        between human exposures and health outcomes;
            (3) to integrate clean cookstoves and fuels implementation 
        with other public health programs;
            (4) to evaluate cookstove program implementation; and
            (5) to carry out other activities under this Act.
    (e) Environmental Protection Agency.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency out of available funds not less than $6,000,000 for fiscal years 
2013 through 2017 to work with the Global Alliance for Clean 
Cookstoves--
            (1) to conduct stove testing and evaluation in both the lab 
        and the field;
            (2) to promote cookstove design innovations, possibly 
        including a design competition and prize;
            (3) to perform assessments focused on health and exposure 
        benefits of clean cookstoves and fuels;
            (4) to use the expertise, lessons learned, and network 
        developed in launching and leading the Partnership for Clean 
        Indoor Air to help the Alliance meet its 2020 goal; and
            (5) to carry out other activities under this Act.
                                 <all>