[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2525 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 493
116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2525

  To require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to conduct a study of personal protective equipment worn by 
firefighters to determine the prevalence and concentration of per- and 
          polyfluoroalkyl substances, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 19, 2019

  Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Mr. Gardner) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

                             July 22, 2020

               Reported by Mr. Wicker, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to conduct a study of personal protective equipment worn by 
firefighters to determine the prevalence and concentration of per- and 
          polyfluoroalkyl substances, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Guaranteeing Equipment 
Safety for Firefighters Act of 2019''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY STUDY 
              ON PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN PERSONAL 
              PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WORN BY FIREFIGHTERS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall, in consultation with the Director of 
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, commence a 
study of the contents and composition of new and unused personal 
protective equipment worn by firefighters.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Contents of Study.--In carrying out the study required 
by subsection (a), the Director of the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology shall examine--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the identity, prevalence, and concentration of 
        per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly known as 
        ``PFAS'') in the personal protective equipment worn by 
        firefighters;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the conditions and extent to which per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances are released into the environment 
        over time from the degradation of personal protective equipment 
        from normal use by firefighters; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the relative risk of exposure to per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances faced by firefighters from--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) their use of personal protective 
                equipment; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) degradation of personal protective 
                equipment from normal use by firefighters.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a report 
describing--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the findings of the Director with respect to 
        the study carried out under subsection (a); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) recommendations on what additional research or 
        technical improvements to personal protective equipment 
        materials or components should be pursued to avoid unnecessary 
        occupational exposure among firefighters to per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances through personal protective 
        equipment.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN 
              PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WORN BY 
              FIREFIGHTERS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 540 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) issue a solicitation for research proposals to 
        carry out the research recommendations identified in the report 
        submitted under section 2(c); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) award grants to applicants that submit 
        research proposals to develop safe alternatives to per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances in personal protective 
        equipment.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Criteria.--The Director shall select research 
proposals to receive a grant under subsection (a) on the basis of 
merit, using criteria identified by the Director, including the 
likelihood that the research results will address the findings of the 
Director with respect to the study conducted under section 
2(a).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Eligible Entities.--Any entity or group of 2 or more 
entities may submit to the Director a research proposal in response to 
the solicitation for research proposals under subsection (a), 
including--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) State and local agencies;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) public institutions, including public 
        institutions of higher education;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) private corporations; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) nonprofit organizations.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Funding.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Requests.--Beginning in the first full fiscal 
        year following the date of the enactment of this Act, and not 
        less frequently than once each year thereafter for 2 years, the 
        Director may request such funding as the Director considers 
        necessary to carry out this section.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Limitation.--In carrying out this section, the 
        Director may not expend or obligate more than $5,000,000 in any 
        1 fiscal year.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. AUTHORITY FOR DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 
              STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY TO CONSULT WITH EXPERTS ON 
              MATTERS RELATING TO PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL 
              SUBSTANCES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In carrying out this Act, the Director of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology may consult with Federal 
agencies, nongovernmental organizations, State and local governments, 
and science and research institutions determined by the Director to 
have scientific or material interest in reducing unnecessary 
occupational exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by 
firefighters.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Guaranteeing Equipment Safety for 
Firefighters Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY STUDY ON PER- 
              AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN PERSONAL PROTECTIVE 
              EQUIPMENT WORN BY FIREFIGHTERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall, in partnership with the Director of the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, complete a study 
of the contents and composition of new and unused personal protective 
equipment worn by firefighters.
    (b) Contents of Study.--In carrying out the study required by 
subsection (a), the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology shall examine--
            (1) the identity, prevalence, and concentration of per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly known as ``PFAS'') in the 
        personal protective equipment worn by firefighters;
            (2) the conditions and extent to which per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances are released into the environment 
        over time from the degradation of personal protective equipment 
        from normal use by firefighters; and
            (3) the relative risk of exposure to per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances faced by firefighters from--
                    (A) their use of personal protective equipment; and
                    (B) degradation of personal protective equipment 
                from normal use by firefighters.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) Progress reports.--Not less frequently than once each 
        year for the duration of the study conducted under subsection 
        (a), the Director shall submit to Congress a report on the 
        progress of the Director in conducting such study.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
        which the Director completes the study required by subsection 
        (a), the Director shall submit to Congress a report 
        describing--
                    (A) the findings of the Director with respect to 
                the study; and
                    (B) recommendations on what additional research or 
                technical improvements to personal protective equipment 
                materials or components should be pursued to avoid 
                unnecessary occupational exposure among firefighters to 
                per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances through personal 
                protective equipment.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN PERSONAL 
              PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WORN BY FIREFIGHTERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
submittal of the report required by section 2(c)(2), the Director of 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall--
            (1) issue a solicitation for research proposals to carry 
        out the research recommendations identified in the report 
        submitted under section 2(c); and
            (2) award grants to applicants that submit research 
        proposals to develop safe alternatives to per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances in personal protective equipment.
    (b) Criteria.--The Director shall select research proposals to 
receive a grant under subsection (a) on the basis of merit, using 
criteria identified by the Director, including the likelihood that the 
research results will address the findings of the Director with respect 
to the study conducted under section 2(a).
    (c) Eligible Entities.--Any entity or group of 2 or more entities 
may submit to the Director a research proposal in response to the 
solicitation for research proposals under subsection (a), including--
            (1) State and local agencies;
            (2) public institutions, including public institutions of 
        higher education;
            (3) private corporations; and
            (4) nonprofit organizations.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Director such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 
        section.
            (2) Supplement not supplant.--Funds made available to carry 
        out this section shall supplement and not supplant funds made 
        available to the Director for other purposes.

SEC. 4. AUTHORITY FOR DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS 
              AND TECHNOLOGY TO CONSULT WITH EXPERTS ON MATTERS 
              RELATING TO PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES.

    In carrying out this Act, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology may consult with Federal agencies, 
nongovernmental organizations, State and local governments, and science 
and research institutions determined by the Director to have scientific 
or material interest in reducing unnecessary occupational exposure to 
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by firefighters.
                                                       Calendar No. 493

116th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2525

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to conduct a study of personal protective equipment worn by 
firefighters to determine the prevalence and concentration of per- and 
          polyfluoroalkyl substances, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             July 22, 2020

                       Reported with an amendment