[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 121 (Friday, September 5, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11167-S11169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. LANDRIEU:
  S. 1588. A bill to authorize the National Institute of Environmental 
Health Sciences to develop multidisciplinary research centers regarding 
women's health and disease prevention and conduct and coordinate a 
research program on hormone disruption, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the 
Environmental Health Research Act. Science has long since shown that 
the environment plays an important role in an individual's health. We 
have made the correlation between clean drinking water and a person's 
well being. We know that there is a link between childhood asthma and 
unclean air. Through scientific research we have been able to shed 
light on these findings, and as a society we are healthier form knowing 
how our environment affects our physical condition, as we are now able 
to take steps to ameliorate our environment so we can improve our 
health.
  With all of the advancements we have made in recent decades, we must 
still research further, especially in the area of how the environment 
affects women's health. There is evidence that shows that environmental 
factors contribute to numerous diseases in women. For example, there 
are synthetic chemicals in numerous regularly used pesticides and 
natural compounds in many plant products in our regular diet that 
produce compounds that mimic the female hormone estrogen. Many 
scientists believe that these `environmental estrogens'' may block the 
natural hormone. If this is true, then environmental estrogens may play 
a role in diseases such as cancers of the breast, uterus, and ovaries, 
endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and osteoporosis. As we come into 
contact with environmental estrogens everyday through eating, drinking, 
and breathing, it is very important that we have research dedicated to 
discovering how they may affect women's health.
  In addition, 12 million American kids suffer from developmental, 
learning, or behavioral disabilities. Attention deficit disorder 
affects three to six percent of our schoolchildren. Research shows that 
exposure to certain environmental factors during pregnancy may increase 
the risk of disabilities after birth. The research called for by this 
bill would help us to answer the many questions raised by the incidence 
of birth defects in certain environments.
  One in three women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in 
their lives. Uterine fibroids are present in between 20 and 30 percent 
of women over the age of 30. Endometriosis affects an estimated 10 to 
15 percent of pre-menopausal women. Millions of women are affected 
every year with diseases that are more than likely linked to the 
environment. We must further our scientific knowledge in this area. For 
this reason I ask for your support for the Environmental Health 
Research Act. Thank you.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1588

       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 ``Environmental Health 
     Research Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES; 
                   AWARDS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF 
                   MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTERS REGARDING 
                   WOMEN'S HEALTH AND DISEASE PREVENTION.

       Subpart 12 of part C of title IV of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285l et seq.) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following section:

[[Page S11168]]

   ``multidisciplinary research centers regarding women's health and 
                           disease prevention

       ``Sec. 463B. (a) In General.--The Director of the Institute 
     shall make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for 
     the development and operation of not more than 6 centers 
     whose purpose is conducting multidisciplinary research on 
     environmental factors that may be related to the development 
     of women's health conditions (as defined in section 486). The 
     Director of the Institute shall carry out this section in 
     consultation with the Director of the Office of Research on 
     Women's Health and with the advisory council for the 
     Institute.
       ``(b) Research, Training, and Information and Education.--
       ``(1) In general.--Each center under subsection (a) shall, 
     with respect to the purpose described in such subsection--
       ``(A) conduct basic and clinical research;
       ``(B) develop protocols for training physicians, 
     scientists, nurses, and other health and allied health 
     professionals;
       ``(C) conduct training programs for such individuals;
       ``(D) develop model continuing education programs for such 
     professionals; and
       ``(E) disseminate information to such professionals and the 
     public.
       ``(2) Priority for prevention activities.--In carrying out 
     the activities described in paragraph (1), each center under 
     subsection (a) shall give priority to activities that are 
     directed toward preventing the development in women of the 
     diseases and conditions involved.
       ``(3) Stipends for training of health professionals.--A 
     center under subsection (a) may use funds under such 
     subsection to provide stipends for health and allied health 
     professionals enrolled in programs described in paragraph 
     (1)(C).
       ``(c) Collaboration With Community.--Each center under 
     subsection (a) shall establish and maintain ongoing 
     collaborations with community organizations in the geographic 
     area served by the center, including those that represent 
     women with disorders that appear to stem from environmental 
     factors.
       ``(d) Coordination of Centers; Reports.--The Director of 
     the Institute shall, as appropriate, provide for the 
     coordination of information among centers under subsection 
     (a) and ensure regular communication between such centers.
       ``(e) Structure of Center.--Each center assisted under 
     subsection (a) shall use the facilities of a single 
     institution, or be formed from a consortium of cooperating 
     institutions, meeting such requirements as may be prescribed 
     by the Director of the Institute.
       ``(f) Duration of Support.--Support of a center under 
     subsection (a) may be for a period not exceeding 5 years. 
     Such period may be extended for 1 or more additional periods 
     not exceeding 5 years if the operations of such center have 
     been reviewed by an appropriate technical and scientific peer 
     review group established by the Director of the Institute and 
     if such group has recommended to the Director that such 
     period should be extended.
       ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 
     2004 through 2007.''.

     SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT TO PROVIDE 
                   FOR RESEARCH ON HORMONE DISRUPTION.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
       (1) Many compounds found or introduced into the environment 
     by human activity are capable of disrupting the hormone 
     system of humans and animals. The consequences of such 
     disruption can be profound because of the crucial role 
     hormones play in controlling development. No standardized and 
     validated screens or tests have been developed to routinely 
     and systematically assess chemicals for disruptive effects on 
     hormone systems.
       (2) In the last 30 years, the United States has experienced 
     an increase in the incidence of such human disorders as 
     childhood cancers, testicular cancer, hypospadias, juvenile 
     diabetes, attention deficit-like hyperactivity disorders, 
     autism, thyroid disorders, and auto-immune disorders. 
     Exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals may be contributing 
     to these increases. The impact on children's health as a 
     result of prenatal exposures in particular needs further 
     research.
       (3) In 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention's ``National Report on Human Exposure to 
     Environmental Chemicals'' reported on human exposure to 27 
     chemicals, and found unexpectedly high levels of certain 
     chemicals used in consumer products. The hazards to humans of 
     these chemicals, singly and in combination, are not well 
     understood.
       (4) Many wildlife populations have been affected by 
     hormone-disrupting substances, including birds, fish, 
     reptiles, and mammals. The effects vary among species and 
     compounds.
       (5) The effects in wildlife include thyroid dysfunction, 
     decreased fertility, decreased hatching success, gross birth 
     deformities, metabolic and behavioral abnormalities, 
     demasculinization and feminization of male organisms, 
     deformation and masculinization of female organisms, and 
     compromised immune systems. These effects may signal hazards 
     to human health.
       (6) Laboratory studies have corroborated studies of effects 
     in wildlife and have identified biological mechanisms to 
     explain the effects shown.
       (7) Since the chemicals found in wildlife are also found in 
     humans, humans are exposed to the same chemicals as wildlife.
       (8) Hormone disruption can occur at very low doses, 
     especially when exposure occurs in the womb or immediately 
     after birth, periods during which rapid development is 
     occurring.
       (9) In the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (21 U.S.C. 
     301 note), Congress recognized the special vulnerability of 
     infants and children to pesticides and requested that the 
     Environmental Protection Agency establish a program to screen 
     and test hormone-disrupting chemicals. The Environmental 
     Protection Agency has not yet required such screening or 
     tests.
       (10) In 1998, a research committee on hormone disrupters, 
     organized under the auspices of the Office of Science and 
     Technology Policy, concluded that ``scientific knowledge is 
     inadequate to fully inform public policy, and a government-
     wide coordinated research effort that addresses the key 
     scientific uncertainties . . . is needed''.
       (11) In 1999, in response to a request from Congress and 
     funded through the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
     Department of the Interior, the National Academy of Sciences 
     compiled a lengthy list of research, monitoring, and testing 
     priorities related to hormone disruption.
       (12) The National Institute of Environmental Health 
     Sciences conducts much of the Federal Government's research 
     on hormone disruption, often working in partnership with 
     other agencies.
       (13) While recognizing the many contributions of animal 
     testing to understanding toxic hazards, the Congress also 
     recognizes the desirability of speeding the use of validated 
     nonanimal screens and tests (to reduce animal suffering and 
     to reduce costs) and expediting judgments about hazards from 
     toxic chemicals.
       (14) The United States Geological Survey (referred to in 
     this section as the ``USGS'') has considerable experience 
     assessing the occurrence of chemicals in the environment, 
     ecological health, and the hazards to wildlife health and 
     associated human health posed by chemicals in the 
     environment, as a result of monitoring by the USGS of the 
     Nation's water resources and wildlife disease, and research 
     by the USGS on the effects of chemicals on wildlife.
       (15) The National Academy of Sciences has recognized the 
     expertise of the USGS in such areas as food web contamination 
     and water quality assessment and has encouraged more 
     coordinated work on human health between the USGS and the 
     National Institutes of Health.
       (b) Amendment.--Subpart 12 of part C of title IV of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 2851 et seq.), as 
     amended by section 2, is further amended by adding at the end 
     the following:


     ``directed national program of research on hormone disruption

       ``Sec. 463C. (a) Research.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Director of the Institute shall 
     establish within the Institute a comprehensive program to--
       ``(A) conduct research on the impact of chemicals that 
     affect human health through disruption of the hormone 
     systems;
       ``(B) conduct research on the occurrence of hormone-
     disrupting chemicals in the environment and their effects on 
     ecological and wildlife health, in cooperation with the 
     United States Geological Survey (referred to in this section 
     as the `USGS');
       ``(C) coordinate the design of a multiagency research 
     initiative on hormone disruption;
       ``(D) coordinate research on hormone disruption in the 
     United States with such research conducted in other nations; 
     and
       ``(E) report to the public every 2 years on the extent to 
     which hormone disruption by chemicals in the environment 
     poses a threat to human health and the environment.
       ``(2) Issues.--The program established under paragraph (1) 
     shall provide for the following:
       ``(A) Collection, compilation, publication, and 
     dissemination of scientifically valid information on--
       ``(i) possible human health effects of hormone-disrupting 
     chemicals, with emphasis on exposures to low doses of 
     individual chemicals and chemical mixtures during critical 
     life stages of development, particularly effects of prenatal 
     exposures on children's health;
       ``(ii) the extent of human exposure to hormone-disrupting 
     chemicals, with particular emphasis on exposures during 
     critical life stages of development and in residential and 
     occupational settings; and
       ``(iii) exposure of wildlife species to hormone-disrupting 
     chemicals and possible health effects associated with such 
     exposures.
       ``(B) Research on mechanisms by which hormone-disrupting 
     substances interact with biological systems.
       ``(C) Research on improved in vitro and in vivo methods to 
     screen and test hormone disruption.
       ``(D) Research on the identity, levels, transport, and fate 
     of hormone-disrupting chemicals in the environment.
       ``(b) Director's Duties.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Director of the Institute shall have 
     principal responsibility, in consultation with the Director 
     of the USGS, for conducting and coordinating research on

[[Page S11169]]

     the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals on human health 
     and the environment.
       ``(2) Agreement.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
     enactment of the Environmental Health Research Act of 2003, 
     the Director of the Institute and the Director of the USGS 
     shall enter into an agreement to carry out the research 
     program established under subsection (a).
       ``(3) Transfer of funds.--The Director of the Institute may 
     transfer funds to other Federal agencies to carry out the 
     Director's responsibilities under paragraph (1).
       ``(4) Report.--The Director of the Institute, in 
     consultation with the Director of the USGS, shall make 
     available to the public, every 2 years following the date of 
     enactment of the Environmental Health Research Act of 2003, 
     findings and conclusions on the extent to which hormone 
     disruption by chemicals in the environment poses a threat to 
     human health and the environment.
       ``(c) Interagency Commission.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
     commission to be known as the Hormone Disruption Research 
     Interagency Commission (referred to in this section as the 
     `Interagency Commission') to advise the Director of the 
     Institute and the Director of the USGS on the development of 
     a comprehensive agenda for conducting research on hormone 
     disruption.
       ``(2) Membership.--The Interagency Commission shall be 
     composed of 12 members, as follows:
       ``(A) The Director of the Institute, who shall serve as the 
     Chairperson.
       ``(B) The Director of the USGS, who shall serve as the Vice 
     Chairperson.
       ``(C) The Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
       ``(D) The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention.
       ``(E) The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration.
       ``(F) The Director of the National Institute for 
     Occupational Safety and Health.
       ``(G) The Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances 
     and Disease Registry.
       ``(H) The Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
       ``(I) The Secretary of Defense.
       ``(J) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
     Agency.
       ``(K) The Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety 
     Commission.
       ``(L) The Director of the National Science Foundation.
       ``(3) Staff.--Each department or agency represented by a 
     member on the Interagency Commission shall provide 
     appropriate staff to carry out the duties of the Interagency 
     Commission.
       ``(4) Recommendations.--Not later than 12 months after the 
     date of enactment of the Environmental Health Research Act of 
     2003, the Interagency Commission shall recommend to the 
     Director of the Institute and the Director of the USGS a 
     research program, including levels of funding for intramural 
     and extramural research.
       ``(5) Public comment.--The Director of the Institute, 
     through publication of notice in the Federal Register, shall 
     provide the general public with an opportunity to comment on 
     the recommendations of the Interagency Commission.
       ``(6) Report.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
     enactment of the Environmental Health Research Act of 2003, 
     the Interagency Commission shall conduct a review of the 
     program established under subsection (a) and submit a report 
     on the results of such review to the Director of the 
     Institute and to the Hormone Disruption Research Panel 
     established under subsection (e).
       ``(7) Termination.--The Interagency Commission shall 
     terminate not later than the end of the 5-year fiscal period 
     described in subsection (h)(1).
       ``(d) Financial Assistance.--The Director of the Institute 
     may provide financial assistance and enter into grants, 
     contracts, and interagency memoranda of understanding to 
     conduct activities under this section. Research conducted 
     pursuant to interagency memoranda of understanding may be 
     conducted through intramural and extramural agency 
     research programs, subject to appropriate scientific peer 
     review.
       ``(e) Hormone Disruption Research Panel.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Institute 
     a Hormone Disruption Research Panel (referred to in this 
     subsection as the `Panel').
       ``(2) Duties.--The Panel shall advise the Director of the 
     Institute concerning the scientific content of the program 
     established under subsection (a), the progress of such 
     program, and public outreach, and shall provide such other 
     advice as requested by the Director of the Institute.
       ``(3) Membership.--The Panel shall be composed of the 
     following:
       ``(A) 15 voting members to be appointed by the President, 
     in consultation with the Director of the Institute.
       ``(B) Such nonvoting, ex officio members as the Director of 
     the Institute determines to be appropriate.
       ``(4) Voting members.--Of the 15 voting members of the 
     Panel--
       ``(A) at least 2 members shall be from environmental 
     protection organizations;
       ``(B) at least 2 members shall be from public health and 
     consumer organizations;
       ``(C) at least 2 members shall be from industry;
       ``(D) at least 1 member shall be from an animal welfare 
     organization; and
       ``(E) a majority of the members shall be selected from 
     among scientists and environmental health professionals who--
       ``(i) are not officers or employees of the United States;
       ``(ii) represent multiple disciplines, including clinical, 
     basic, public, and ecological health sciences;
       ``(iii) represent different geographical regions of the 
     United States;
       ``(iv) are from practice settings, academic settings, and 
     for-profit or not-for-profit research settings; and
       ``(v) have experience in review of research on endocrine 
     disruption.
       ``(5) Terms.--The members of the Panel shall be appointed 
     for an initial term of 3 years and shall be eligible for 
     reappointment for 1 additional term of 2 years.
       ``(6) Chairperson.--The members of the Panel appointed 
     under paragraph (3) shall elect a chairperson from among such 
     members.
       ``(7) Meetings.--The Panel shall meet at the call of the 
     chairperson or upon the request of the Director of the 
     Institute, but in no case less often than once each year.
       ``(8) Administrative support.--The Institute shall provide 
     administrative support to the Panel.
       ``(9) Termination.--The Panel shall terminate not later 
     than the end of the 5-year fiscal period described in 
     subsection (h)(1).
       ``(f) Conflicts of Interest.--All grants and contracts 
     entered into under this section shall include conflict-of-
     interest provisions that require any person conducting a 
     project under this section to disclose any other source of 
     funding received by the person to conduct other related 
     projects.
       ``(g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
       ``(1) Hormone.--The term `hormone' means a substance 
     produced in a cell or tissue that triggers a biological 
     response. Hormone activity may be localized to the cell in 
     which the substance is produced, or may be in nearby or 
     distant tissues or organs.
       ``(2) Hormone disruption.--The term `hormone disruption' 
     means interference by a substance with the synthesis, 
     secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of 
     natural hormones in the body that are responsible for the 
     maintenance of homeostasis, reproduction, development, 
     function, or behavior.
       ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       ``(1) General authorization.--There are authorized to be 
     appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the 5-fiscal-
     year period beginning with fiscal year 2004 to carry out this 
     section. Amounts appropriated pursuant to this paragraph 
     shall remain available until expended.
       ``(2) Restrictions on use of funds.--
       ``(A) Construction and rehabilitation of facilities and 
     equipment.--Not more than 0.5 percent of the funds made 
     available under this section may be used for the construction 
     or rehabilitation of facilities or fixed equipment.
       ``(B) Administrative expenses of the director.--Of the 
     total amount of funds made available under this section for 
     any fiscal year, not more than 2 percent of such funds may be 
     used for administrative expenses of the Director of the 
     Institute in carrying out this section.
       ``(C) Public outreach.--Of the total amount of funds made 
     available under this section for any fiscal year, at least 1 
     percent, but not more than 5 percent, shall be used for 
     outreach to the public concerning the activities and results 
     of the program.''.

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