[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1243 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1243

   To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a 
      national strategic action plan and program to assist health 
professionals and systems in preparing for and responding to the public 
       health effects of climate change, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2019

  Mr. Cartwright (for himself, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Engel, Mr. Khanna, Ms. 
Pingree, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Wild, Mr. Cohen, Ms. 
   Matsui, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Casten of 
 Illinois, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Rouda, Mr. Green 
  of Texas, and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a 
      national strategic action plan and program to assist health 
professionals and systems in preparing for and responding to the public 
       health effects of climate change, 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 ``Climate Change Health Protection and 
Promotion Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

    (a) Findings.--The United States Global Change Research Program 
Climate and Health Assessment states that--
            (1) the impacts of human-induced climate change are 
        increasing nationwide;
            (2) rising greenhouse gas concentrations result in 
        increases in temperature, changes in precipitation, increases 
        in the frequency and intensity of some extreme weather events, 
        and rising sea levels;
            (3) these climate change impacts endanger our health by 
        affecting our food and water sources, the air we breathe, the 
        weather we experience, and our interactions with the built and 
        natural environments; and
            (4) as the climate continues to change, the risks to human 
        health continue to grow.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) climate change is real;
            (2) human activity significantly contributes to climate 
        change;
            (3) climate change negatively impacts health;
            (4) climate change disproportionately impacts communities 
        of color and low-income communities; and
            (5) the Federal Government, in cooperation with 
        international, State, Tribal, and local governments, concerned 
        public, private, and Native American organizations, and 
        citizens, should use all practicable means and measures--
                    (A) to assist the efforts of public health and 
                health care professionals, first responders, health 
                care systems, States, the District of Columbia, 
                territories, municipalities, and Native American and 
                local communities to incorporate measures to prepare 
                public health and health care systems to respond to the 
                impacts of climate change;
                    (B) to ensure--
                            (i) that the Nation's public health and 
                        health care professionals have sufficient 
                        information to prepare for and respond to the 
                        adverse health impacts of climate change;
                            (ii) the application of scientific research 
                        in advancing understanding of--
                                    (I) the health impacts of climate 
                                change; and
                                    (II) strategies to prepare for and 
                                respond to the health impacts of 
                                climate change;
                            (iii) the identification of communities and 
                        populations vulnerable to the health impacts of 
                        climate change, including infants, children, 
                        pregnant women, the elderly, individuals with 
                        disabilities or preexisting illnesses, low-
                        income populations, and unhoused individuals, 
                        and the development of strategic response plans 
                        to be carried out by public health and health 
                        care professionals for those communities;
                            (iv) the improvement of health status and 
                        health equity through efforts to prepare for 
                        and respond to climate change; and
                            (v) the inclusion of health impacts in the 
                        development of climate change responses;
                    (C) to encourage further research, 
                interdisciplinary partnership, and collaboration among 
                stakeholders in order to--
                            (i) understand and monitor the health 
                        impacts of climate change;
                            (ii) improve public health knowledge and 
                        response strategies to climate change;
                            (iii) identify actions and policies that 
                        are beneficial to health and that mitigate 
                        climate health impacts; and
                            (iv) develop strategies to address water-, 
                        food-, and vector-borne infectious diseases and 
                        other public health emergencies;
                    (D) to enhance preparedness activities, and health 
                care and public health infrastructure, relating to 
                climate change and health;
                    (E) to encourage each and every community to learn 
                about the impacts of climate change on health; and
                    (F) to assist the efforts of developing nations to 
                incorporate measures to prepare public health and 
                health care systems to respond to the impacts of 
                climate change.

SEC. 3. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.

    Nothing in this Act limits the authority provided to or 
responsibility conferred on any Federal department or agency by any 
provision of any law (including regulations) or authorizes any 
violation of any provision of any law (including regulations), 
including any health, energy, environmental, transportation, or any 
other law or regulation.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN AND PROGRAM.

    (a) Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary''), on the basis of 
        the best available science, and in consultation pursuant to 
        paragraph (2), shall publish a strategic action plan and 
        establish a program to ensure the public health and health care 
        systems are prepared for and can respond to the impacts of 
        climate change on health in the United States and other 
        nations.
            (2) Consultation.--In developing or making any revision to 
        the national strategic action plan and program, the Secretary 
        shall--
                    (A) consult with the Director of the Centers for 
                Disease Control and Prevention, the Administrator of 
                the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of 
                the National Institutes of Health, the Under Secretary 
                of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, the 
                Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration, the Director of the Indian Health 
                Service, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
                State, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, other 
                appropriate Federal agencies, Indian Tribes, State and 
                local governments, public health organizations, 
                scientists, representatives of at-risk populations, and 
                other interested stakeholders; and
                    (B) provide opportunity for public input and 
                consultation with Indian tribes and Native American 
                organizations.
    (b) Activities.--
            (1) National strategic action plan.--Not later than 2 years 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting 
        through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention, and in collaboration with other Federal agencies as 
        appropriate, shall, on the basis of the best available science, 
        and in consultation with the entities described in subsection 
        (a)(2), publish a national strategic action plan under 
        paragraph (2) to guide the climate and health program and 
        assist public health and health care professionals in preparing 
        for and responding to the impacts of climate change on public 
        health in the United States and other nations, particularly 
        developing nations.
            (2) Assessment of health system capacity.--The national 
        strategic action plan shall include an assessment of the health 
        system capacity of the United States to address climate change 
        including--
                    (A) identifying and prioritizing communities and 
                populations vulnerable to the health impacts of climate 
                change;
                    (B) providing outreach and communication aimed at 
                public health and health care professionals and the 
                public to promote preparedness and response strategies;
                    (C) providing for programs across Federal agencies 
                to advance research related to the impacts of climate 
                change on health;
                    (D) identifying and assessing existing preparedness 
                and response strategies for the health impacts of 
                climate change;
                    (E) prioritizing critical public health and health 
                care infrastructure projects;
                    (F) providing modeling and forecasting tools of 
                climate change health impacts, including local impacts 
                where possible;
                    (G) establishing academic and regional centers of 
                excellence;
                    (H) providing technical assistance and support for 
                preparedness and response plans for the health threats 
                of climate change in States, municipalities, 
                territories, Indian Tribes, and developing nations; and
                    (I) developing, improving, integrating, and 
                maintaining domestic and international disease 
                surveillance systems and monitoring capacity to respond 
                to health-related impacts of climate change, including 
                on topics addressing--
                            (i) water-, food-, and vector-borne 
                        infectious diseases and climate change;
                            (ii) pulmonary effects, including responses 
                        to aeroallergens and toxic exposures;
                            (iii) cardiovascular effects, including 
                        impacts of temperature extremes;
                            (iv) air pollution health effects, 
                        including heightened sensitivity to air 
                        pollution;
                            (v) harmful algal blooms;
                            (vi) mental and behavioral health impacts 
                        of climate change;
                            (vii) the health of migrants, refugees, 
                        displaced persons, and vulnerable communities;
                            (viii) the implications for communities and 
                        populations vulnerable to the health effects of 
                        climate change, as well as strategies for 
                        responding to climate change within these 
                        communities;
                            (ix) Tribal, local, and community-based 
                        health interventions for climate-related health 
                        impacts;
                            (x) extreme heat and weather events, 
                        including drought;
                            (xi) decreased nutritional value of crops; 
                        and
                            (xii) disruptions in access to routine and 
                        acute medical care.
            (3) Climate and health program.--The Secretary, acting 
        through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention, and in collaboration with other Federal agencies, 
        as appropriate, shall ensure that the climate and health 
        program established under this section addresses priority 
        health actions including the following:
                    (A) Serve as a credible source of information on 
                the physical, mental, and behavioral health 
                consequences of climate change for the United States 
                population and globally.
                    (B) Track data on environmental conditions, disease 
                risks, and disease occurrence related to climate 
                change.
                    (C) Expand capacity for modeling and forecasting 
                health effects that may be climate-related.
                    (D) Enhance the science base to better understand 
                the relationship between climate change and health 
                outcomes.
                    (E) Identify locations and population groups at 
                greatest risk for specific health threats and effects, 
                such as increased heat stress, degraded air and water 
                quality, food- or water-related infections, vector-
                borne illnesses, pulmonary and cardiovascular effects, 
                mental and behavioral health effects, and food, water, 
                and nutrient insecurity.
                    (F) Communicate the health-related aspects of 
                climate change, including risks and associated costs 
                and ways to reduce them, to the public, decisionmakers, 
                public health professionals, and health care providers.
                    (G) Develop partnerships with other government 
                agencies, the private sector, nongovernmental 
                organizations, universities, and international 
                organizations to more effectively address domestic and 
                global health aspects of climate change.
                    (H) Provide leadership to State and local 
                governments, community leaders, health care 
                professionals, nongovernmental organizations, 
                environmental justice networks, faith-based 
                communities, the private sector, and the public, 
                domestically and internationally, regarding health 
                protection from climate change effects.
                    (I) Develop and implement preparedness and response 
                plans for health threats such as heat waves, severe 
                weather events, and infectious diseases.
                    (J) Provide technical advice and support to State 
                and local health departments, the private sector, and 
                others in developing and implementing national and 
                global preparedness measures related to the health 
                effects of climate change.
                    (K) Promote workforce development by helping to 
                ensure the training of a new generation of competent, 
                experienced public health and health care professionals 
                to respond to the health threats posed by climate 
                change.
    (c) Periodic Assessment and Revision.--Not later than 4 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and every 4 years thereafter, the 
Secretary shall periodically assess, and revise as necessary, the 
national strategic action plan under subsection (b)(1) and the climate 
and health program under subsection (b)(1), to reflect new information 
collected pursuant to the implementation of the national strategic 
action plan and program and otherwise, including information on--
            (1) the status of critical environmental health indicators 
        and related human health impacts;
            (2) the impacts of climate change on public health; and
            (3) advances in the development of strategies for preparing 
        for and responding to the impacts of climate change on public 
        health.
    (d) Implementation.--
            (1) Implementation through hhs.--The Secretary shall 
        exercise the Secretary's authority under this Act and other 
        Federal statutes to achieve the goals and measures of the 
        national strategic action plan and climate and health program.
            (2) Other public health programs and initiatives.--The 
        Secretary and Federal officials of other relevant Federal 
        agencies shall administer public health programs and 
        initiatives authorized by laws other than this Act, subject to 
        the requirements of such laws, in a manner designed to achieve 
        the goals of the national strategic action plan and climate and 
        health program.

SEC. 5. ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall, pursuant to the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), establish a permanent science 
advisory board to be comprised of not less than 10 and not more than 20 
members.
    (b) Appointment of Members.--The Secretary shall appoint the 
members of the science advisory board from among individuals who--
            (1) are recommended by the President of the National 
        Academy of Sciences and the President of the National Academy 
        of Medicine; and
            (2) have expertise in essential public health and health 
        care services, including those related to vulnerable 
        populations, climate change, and other relevant disciplines.
    (c) Experience.--In appointing the members of the science advisory 
board, the Secretary shall ensure that the science advisory board 
includes members with practical or lived experience with relevant 
issues.
    (d) Functions.--The science advisory board shall--
            (1) provide scientific and technical advice and 
        recommendations to the Secretary on the domestic and 
        international impacts of climate change on public health, 
        populations and regions particularly vulnerable to the effects 
        of climate change, and strategies and mechanisms to prepare for 
        and respond to the impacts of climate change on public health; 
        and
            (2) advise the Secretary regarding the best science 
        available for purposes of issuing the national strategic action 
        plan and conducting the climate and health program.

SEC. 6. CLIMATE CHANGE HEALTH PROTECTION AND PROMOTION REPORTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall offer to enter into an 
agreement with the National Academies, under which the National 
Academies will prepare periodic reports to aid public health and health 
care professionals in preparing for and responding to the adverse 
health effects of climate change that--
            (1) review scientific developments on health impacts of 
        climate change; and
            (2) recommend changes to the national strategic action plan 
        and climate and health program.
    (b) Submission.--The agreement under subsection (a) shall require a 
report to be submitted to Congress and the Secretary and made publicly 
available not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act, and every 4 years thereafter.
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