[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 41 (Tuesday, April 4, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2801-S2805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. THOMAS (for himself, Mr Schumer, and Mr. Enzi):
S. 2498. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to
prohibit the disclosure of tax return information by tax return
preparers to third parties; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce a taxpayer
privacy bill.
Much attention has been focused recently on IRS-proposed changes to
regulations regarding taxpayer privacy. Interestingly, these proposed
changes have been widely--and incorrectly--reported as changing the law
to allow tax preparers to sell taxpayer information to third parties
for marketing purposes. In fact, an IRS regulation put into place more
than 30 years ago already allows confidential taxpayer information to
be shared in this manner, as long as the taxpayer consents.
The public uproar that has surrounded the proposed changes to this
regulation makes it clear that taxpayers are not aware of this fact and
expect that their return information will be kept confidential.
Confidentiality of taxpayer information is a key underpinning of our
voluntary tax system, encouraging taxpayers to provide complete and
honest returns.
The complexity of the tax code has resulted in 60 percent of all
returns being completed by paid preparers. The process is a very
intimidating one for most. Given the stress and vulnerability of
taxpayers during the process, and the high dollar value of confidential
taxpayer information, I am concerned that financially-motivated tax
preparers may present the taxpayer with a stack of papers for the
taxpayer to sign, including, unbeknownst to the taxpayer, a consent
form to share the information with third parties. The taxpayer could
easily be under the impression that all of the papers are required to
be signed in order to have the return prepared, completely undermining
the requirement of signed, informed consent.
In an era of lightning-fast electronic communication--in which
information can travel around the world and back in a matter of
seconds--and the proliferation of identity theft, it seems to me that
we ought to bring the law in line with taxpayer expectations. When this
regulation was promulgated back in 1974, our citizens weren't anywhere
nearly as vulnerable to this crime as they are today. We have made
changes with regard to credit reports and individuals' access to them,
we have removed Social Security numbers from drivers' licenses and
medical ID cards, and we need to similarly remove the threat of
taxpayer information being shared in ways that are not condoned by the
individual taxpayer. This bill would do just that by prohibiting tax
preparers from both soliciting consent and sharing tax return
information with third parties.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2498
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PROHIBITION OF TAX PREPARERS DISCLOSING TAX RETURN
INFORMATION.
(a) In General.--Paragraph (3) of section 7216(b) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to regulations) is
amended to read as follows:
``(3) Regulations.--
``(A) In general.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to a
disclosure or use of information which is permitted by
regulations prescribed by the Secretary under this section.
[[Page S2802]]
``(B) Peer reviews.--The regulations under this section
shall permit (subject to such conditions as such regulations
shall provide) the disclosure or use of information for
quality or peer reviews.
``(C) Disclosure to third parties.--
``(i) In general.--The regulations under this section shall
not permit the disclosure or use of information for purposes
of facilitating the solicitation of the taxpayer's use of any
services provided or facilities furnished by a person
unless--
``(I) such person is a person described in subsection (a)
or a person who is a member of the same affiliated group
(within the meaning of section 1504) as such person, and
``(II) the taxpayer has granted consent to such disclosure
or use.
``(ii) Solicitation of consent.--The regulations under this
section shall not permit any person described in clause
(i)(I) to request the consent of a taxpayer to disclose or
use information for any purpose other than a purpose
described in clause (i).''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section
shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
______
By Mr. KERRY:
S. 2499. A bill to provide for the expeditious disclosure of records
relevant to the life and assassination of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther
King, Jr.; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs.
Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, today, on the anniversary of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, I am pleased to join with my
colleague in the House, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney to introduce the
Martin Luther King, Jr., Record Collections Act. This act will ensure
the expeditious disclosure and preservation of records relevant to Dr.
King's life and death. Fully releasing these records--many of which are
not subject to disclosure until 2038--will shed significant light on a
turning point in American history. My friend, Representative John
Lewis, explained its necessity quite eloquently:
I, too, was the subject of unwarranted FBI surveillance
during the Civil Rights Movement. Because we do not know this
part of our history, it is clear that we are beginning to
repeat it. Recently, we became aware of the administration's
domestic spying program that has targeted peace groups that
are carrying on the nonviolent action of Dr. King. It is time
that we know our history, and passage of the Rev. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Records Act will take us one step closer to
uncovering that history.
Judge Joseph Brown, the last presiding judge in James Earl Ray's
post-conviction relief proceedings, also supports this legislation. He
believes that it is important to:
. . . fully release the still classified historical record
surrounding the life and death of the late Dr. King. In light
of the disturbing records and documents that came to light in
James Earl Ray's petition before me and in consideration of
the recent furor over the power and authority granted to
certain officials under the guise of the Homeland Security
Act, it might prove most illuminating to review the
historical record relative to the exercise of purportedly
similar power and authority by the U.S. officials 40 years
ago. The American public, the citizens of the Land of the
Free and Home of the Brave deserve this access to the
historic record surrounding the life and death of Dr. King.
Our legislation will create a Martin Luther King Records Collection
at the National Archives. This will include all records--public and
private--related to the life and death of Dr. King, including any
investigations or inquiries by Federal, State, or local agencies. The
records will be organized in a central directory to allow the public to
access them online from anywhere in the world. The documents will be
overseen by a review board consisting of at least one professional
historian, one attorney, one researcher, and one representative of the
civil rights community.
The MLK Records Review Board, a five-member independent agency, will
be responsible for facilitating the review and transmission of all
related records to the Archivist for public disclosure. Members will be
nominated by the President and approved with the advice and consent of
the Senate. It will have the power to direct government offices to
locate and organize related records and transmit them for review or
release. It will also have the power to investigate the facts
surrounding the transmission or possession of records, take testimony
of individuals in order to fulfill their responsibilities, request the
Attorney General to subpoena private persons or government employees to
compel testimony or records and require agencies to account in writing
for any previous or current destruction of related records. In
addition, the Board can request that the Attorney General petition any
court in the U.S. or abroad to release any sealed information or
physical evidence relevant to the life or death of Dr. King, and to
subpoena such evidence if it is no longer in the possession of the
government. The MLK Records Review Board will also be required to
provide annual reports to Congress, the President, the Archivist, and
all government agencies whose records have been reviewed, and to the
public. The Board must terminate its work no later than 5 years from
the passage of the Act unless it votes to extend for an additional 2-
year term.
The reason for having such a Board is to ensure that someone is
responsible for finding all relevant records and that the records do
not disclose any sensitive information. It is particularly important to
have a Board like this given recent revelations by the New York Times
that the government has begun removing thousands of declassified
documents on a wide range of historical subjects from public access at
the National Archives. There has perhaps never been a more urgent time
to bring the records on Dr. King into the light of day. According to
the National Archives, about 9,500 records totaling more than 55,000
pages have been withdrawn from the public shelves and reclassified
since 1999. We need to ensure that the records relating to the life and
death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., do not suffer the same fate. They
are too important to us at this point in American history.
Dr. King challenged the conscience of my generation, and his words
and his legacy continue to move generations to action today. His love
and faith is alive in the millions of Americans who volunteer each day
in soup kitchens or in schools, and those who refused to ignore the
suffering of thousands they'd never met when Hurricane Katrina
destroyed lives and communities. His vision and his passion are alive
in churches and on campuses when millions stand up against the
injustice of discrimination or the indifference that leaves too many
behind.
The best way to honor the memory of Dr. King is to finish his work at
home and around the world. And the first step to furthering his legacy
is to know the full body of it. I hope that my colleagues will join me
in this very important effort: to preserve and learn from records
relating to the life and death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
______
By Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr.
Kerry):
S. 2500. A bill to enhance the counseling and readjustment services
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes;
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise proudly today on behalf of our
Nation's veterans and returning servicemembers to introduce the Healing
the Invisible Wounds Act of 2006. This legislation will enhance the
counseling and readjustment services provided by the Department of
Veterans' Affairs (VA). And it will protect the rights of veterans to
receive PTSD compensation--now or in the future.
Many of the men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are
suffering from some of the most severe physical injuries. However, even
more of these brave servicemembers have invisible wounds--difficulties
with adjusting to not being on the battlefield or dealing with long-
lasting visions and experiences that they encountered. My bill is
intended to ensure that these men and women receive the readjustment
counseling and mental health services necessary to transition into what
we hope to be a full and productive life after combat.
This issue is especially relevant following the release of a mental
health care study conducted by the Army Institute of Research which
revealed that as many as 35 percent of Iraq war veterans received
mental health care services in the year after their return home. The
study concluded that the high rate of using of mental health care
services among Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans after deployment
highlights challenges in ensuring that there be adequate resources to
meet the mental health needs of returning veterans.
As we all know, the transition period for these soldiers is extremely
critical. So critical that it can, in some cases, mean the difference
between short-
[[Page S2803]]
term readjustment issues and severely chronic psychological conditions.
This bill supports and encourages greater cooperation between VA and
the Department of Defense, DoD, through the expansion of innovative
Reunion and Re-entry activities carried out by Vet Center staff. These
activities provide members of the National Guard and Reserves with
counseling services during the transition from their deployment
overseas to civilian life.
Demobilization often occurs so rapidly for these returning
servicemembers that they sometimes do not receive or are overwhelmed by
the benefits information they need. It is understandable that our
servicemembers are much more focused on being reunited with their loved
ones than caring about what benefits they are eligible to receive. My
bill provides a comprehensive approach by providing group session
counseling, a one-hour private counseling session, a presentation to
family members about counseling-related matters, and other services
that are deemed appropriate by the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and
Defense. My bill ensures that these services are provided no later than
14 days upon return and that servicemembers be retained on active duty
until they receive these crucial counseling services.
In order to provide feedback and reflection about how to better serve
veterans in this capacity, my bill requires a report from VA. The
report would detail the costs associated with the provision of
counseling services, an assessment of the efficacy of the services
provided to meet the readjustment needs of veterans, and a survey-based
assessment regarding the satisfaction of veterans receiving these
services, that would include the manner in which these services are
provided.
Servicemembers have paid a great price in defending freedom. Access
to treatment and counseling to heal invisible wounds must be considered
a continuing cost of war. In that spirit, this legislation would
authorize $180 million for the provision of readjustment counseling
services. Colleagues, if there's one lesson we've learned thus far, it
is that the earlier we provide these services, the better chance we
have of preventing more serious mental health conditions. We need to
invest in our future now. If we don't provide these services, we will
be paying a much, much higher price in the future.
The safe counseling havens of VA include Vet Centers, which are great
conduits for the delivery of these types of transition activities. All
Vet Centers are staffed by veterans who can relate to the experiences
that these OIF/OEF veterans commonly share.
In 2005, Vet Centers cared for more than 44,900 veterans of the
Global War on Terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition, Vet
Centers provided bereavement counseling to more than 800 surviving
family members of over 525 servicemembers who were killed while on
active duty serving their country. Despite increases in the number of
veterans coming to Vet Centers for care, the budget for the program has
remained relatively stagnant.
My bill would also address PTSD benefits for veterans. Instead of
being proactive and allocating resources to address these challenges
while at the same time caring for older veterans, a fear of rising
costs prompted a reactionary response from many in Washington. Some
policy makers believe that reducing veterans' compensation for PTSD by
reexamining 72,000 previously awarded claims might be a good way to
save money. This is a bad idea.
Many times, VA compensation is the only source of income for severely
disabled veterans and their families. I am thankful that VA set aside
its plan to move forward with the PTSD Review late last year. However,
there are ongoing efforts to re-evaluate how PTSD is compensated. The
Institute of Medicine and Disability Benefits Commission are currently
reviewing veterans' disability compensation. This bill requires the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a report to Congress 6 months
prior to modifying how PTSD is compensated under the disability
compensation rating system. Veterans will no longer have to worry that
the administration will cut disability compensation in order to save
money.
Through budget shortfalls and constraints, we must remain steadfast
in ensuring that our servicemembers and their families do not suffer in
silence from the invisible wounds that they receive in the name of
freedom. Many of us fail to give invisible wounds the attention they
require. I urge my colleagues to join me in taking another step towards
healing our veterans by enacting this important measure.
I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the bill be printed in
the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2500
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 ``Healing the Invisible Wounds
Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. NOTICE AND WAIT ON MODIFICATION OF HANDLING OF POST-
TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER UNDER DISABILITY
COMPENSATION RATING SYSTEM.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not implement any
modification in the manner in which Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) is handled in the rating of service-connected
disabilities for purposes of the payment of compensation
under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, until the
date that is six months after the date on which the Secretary
submits to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate
and House of Representatives a report on such proposed
modification.
SEC. 3. COUNSELING FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND
RESERVES RETURNING FROM DEPLOYMENT IN A COMBAT
THEATER.
(a) Expansion of Reunion and Re-Entry From Combat
Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall provide to
each member of the National Guard and Reserves described in
subsection (b) the counseling services described in
subsection (c) upon the return of such member from a
deployment in a combat theater.
(2) Purpose of services.--The purpose of the counseling
services provided under this section is to assist members of
the National Guard and Reserves described in subsection (b)
in making the readjustment to civilian life in the United
States upon their return from a combat theater.
(b) Covered Members of the National Guard and Reserves.--A
member of the National Guard and Reserves described in this
subsection is any member of the National Guard or the
Reserves who serves on active duty in a combat theater.
(c) Counseling To Be Provided.--The counseling services to
be provided under this subsection shall include the
following:
(1) A session of group counseling provided to such member
together with such other number of members as the Secretary
determines appropriate for the purpose of this section.
(2) A session, of not less than one hour duration, of
private counseling provided to such member.
(3) A presentation on counseling-related matters, including
on the readjustment counseling and related mental health
services available under section 1712A of title 38, United
States Code, provided to the family of such member.
(4) Such other counseling services as the Secretary
determines appropriate for the purpose of this section.
(d) Means of Providing Counseling.--Counseling services
shall be provided under this section through the personnel of
the centers (commonly referred to as ``vet centers'')
providing readjustment counseling and related mental health
services for veterans under section 1712A of title 38, United
States Code.
(e) Timing of Counseling.--The counseling provided to a
member of the National Guard and Reserves under paragraphs
(1) and (2) of subsection (c) shall be provided not later
than 14 days after the date of the return of the member to
the member's home following a deployment to a combat theater.
(f) Retention on Active Duty Pending Counseling.--A member
of the National Guard and Reserves described in subsection
(a) shall be retained on active duty in the Armed Forces
until the provision of the counseling required to be provided
under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (c).
(g) Additional Counseling.--The Secretary shall ensure that
the centers referred to in subsection (d), as part of the
discharge of their functions under section 1712A of title 38,
United States Code, provide, and have sufficient resources to
provide, such follow-up and additional counseling services to
veterans described in subsection (a) as such veterans shall
request from such centers, in accordance with applicable law.
(h) Report.--
(1) Report required.--Not later than one year after the
date of the commencement of the provision of counseling
services under this section, the Secretary shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the
provision of such services under this section.
[[Page S2804]]
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include information as follows:
(A) The cost of the provision of counseling services under
this section.
(B) An assessment of the efficacy of such services in
meeting the readjustment needs of veterans described in
subsection (a).
(C) An assessment (based on surveys or such information as
the Secretary considers appropriate) of the satisfaction of
veterans described in subsection (a) with the services
provided under this section, including the manner in which
such services are provided.
(D) The number of followup visits for counseling and
services of veterans described in subsection (a) and the
number of visits of family members of such veterans for
counseling and services.
(E) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers
appropriate in order to enhance the services provided under
this section, including the manner in which such services are
provided.
(i) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(1) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services
of the Senate; and
(2) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services
of the House of Representatives.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs for
fiscal year 2007, such sums as may be necessary for the
provision of counseling services under this section.
SEC. 4. FUNDING FOR VET CENTERS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2007, $180,000,000 for the
provision of readjustment counseling and related mental
health services through centers (commonly referred to as
``vet centers'') under section 1712A of title 38, United
States Code.
______
By Mr. SMITH (for himself and Mr. Wyden):
S. 2502. A bill to provide for the modification of an amendatory
repayment contract between the Secretary of the Interior and the North
Unit Irrigation District, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation that
will provide a win-win for the environment and for the farmers and
ranchers who receive their irrigation water from the North Unit
Irrigation District in central Oregon. My colleague, Senator Ron Wyden,
joins me in cosponsoring this bill. Companion legislation is also being
introduced today in the House of Representatives by Congressman Greg
Walden.
This legislation represents an opportunity to benefit nearly nine
hundred farm and ranch families as well as the fish and wildlife
resources of the Deschutes and Crooked Rivers. It will do so by
removing a limitation in North Unit's Federal water contract with the
Bureau of Reclamation. This limitation prevents the Distict and its
patrons from participating in a conserved water project pursuant to the
laws of the State of Oregon.
Removing this contract restriction will enable North Unit to conserve
its water supplies further through the implementation of conserved
water projects. In order to comply with State law, the District would
return a specific percentage of the ``conserved'' water back to the
Deschutes River permanently as instream flows for fish, wildlife, or
other purposes. A related change would enable the District to use
Deschutes Project water on acreage in its service area that is
currently irrigated with Crooked River water. The savings from these
two changes could ultimately allow the District to reduce its reliance
on its privately developed Crooked River supplies.
Located in central Oregon's Deschutes Basin, the farm and ranch
families of the North Unit Irrigation District are the embodiment of
the Federal Reclamation program. Working small and medium parcels of
land, they raise grass seed, carrot seed, and alfalfa hay, as well as
cattle, sheep, and horses. The overriding limitation to their ability
to compete successfully in the international marketplace is a shortage
or water. For these families, conservation is the most efficient means
to alleviate their shortage and succeed in the market.
After self-financing over eight million dollars in canal lining and
other measures to increase the efficiency of their limited water
supplies, North Unit would like to participate in a state water
conservation program. Unfortunately, the District's Federal contract
prevents it from doing so. This point has been confirmed to me by
officials with the Bureau of Reclamation, an agency of the Department
of the Interior. Therefore, North Unit's contract must be amended.
Since Congress actually legislatively executed the District's contract
in a 1954 statute, it is Congress, and not the Department of the
Interior, that must remove this contract restriction.
These targeted contract changes are specific to the North Unit
Irrigation District's contract. For the landowners served by the
District, these changes will enable them to use their water resources
more efficiently, maintain their competitiveness in the market, and
benefit the fish and wildlife resources of both the Deschutes and
Crooked Rivers. Our efforts are supported by the Oregon Water Resources
Department, which has jurisdiction over State water rights issues. I
urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I will press for
its timely consideration.
______
By Mrs. LINCOLN (for herself and Mr. Thomas):
S. 2503. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide
for an extension of the period of limitation to file claims for refunds
on account of disability determinations by the Department of Veterans
Affairs; to the Committee on Finance.
Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague, Senator
Craig Thomas, to introduce the Disabled Veterans Tax Fairness Act. This
much-needed legislation would protect disabled veterans from being
unfairly taxed on the benefits to which they are entitled, simply
because their disability claims were not processed in a timely manner.
This legislation is supported by the Military Coalition, a group
representing more than 5.5 million members of the uniformed services
and their families.
While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) resolves most of its
filed disability claims in less than a year, there are also instances
of lost paperwork, administrative errors, and appeals of rejected
claims that often delay thousands of disability awards for years on
end. When this occurs, disability compensation is awarded retroactively
and for tax purposes, a disabled veteran's previously received taxable
military retiree pay is re-designated as nontaxable disability
compensation. Thereby, the disabled veteran is entitled to a refund of
taxes paid and must file an amended tax return for each applicable
year.
Unfortunately, under current law the IRS Code bars the filing of
amended returns beyond the last three tax years. As a result, many of
our disabled veterans are denied the opportunity to file a claim for
repayment of additional years of back taxes already paid--through no
fault of their own--even though the IRS owes them a refund for the
taxes that were originally paid on their retiree pay.
The Disabled Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2006 would add an exception
to the IRS statute of limitations for amending returns. This exception
would allow disabled military retirees whose disability claims have
been pending for more than 3 years to receive refunds on previous taxes
paid for all the years their claim was pending. Specifically, the bill
would extend the IRS three year period of limitation for amending
returns to one year from the date a VA determination is issued.
My father and grandfather both served our Nation in uniform and they
taught me from an early age about the sacrifices our troops and their
families have made to keep our Nation free. This is particularly true
for our disabled veterans. During a time when a grateful Nation should
be doing everything it can to honor those who have sacrificed so
greatly on our behalf, the very least it can do is ensure they and
their families are not unjustly penalized simply because of
bureaucratic inefficiencies or administrative delays which are beyond
their control. This situation is unacceptable and our veterans deserve
better.
That is why I am proud to introduce this legislation today to provide
relief to our Nation's veterans. It is the least we can do for those
whom we owe so much, and it is the least we can do to reassure future
generations that a grateful Nation will not forget them when their
military service is complete.
[[Page S2805]]
______
By Mr. OBAMA (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Clinton, and Mr.
Kerry):
S. 2506. A bill to require Federal agencies to support health impact
assessments and take other actions to improve health and the
environmental quality of communities, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, this is National Public Health Week, and
the American Public Health Association and its over 200 partner
organizations and sponsors have organized events to raise awareness
about the importance of public health in this nation. This year, the
theme of National Public Health Week, ``Designing Healthy Communities:
Raising Healthy Kids,'' focuses on building healthy communities to
promote and protect the health of our children.
This focus on building healthy communities is both timely and
critical. We are losing ground with respect to the health of our
Nation's children. Studies have found that the percentage of overweight
children and adolescents has more than doubled in the last few decades;
without intervention, 1 in 3 children born in 2000 can expect to
develop diabetes in their lifetime. My home State of Illinois has the
unfortunate distinction of having the highest number of lead-poisoned
children. And other diseases and conditions, including high blood
pressure and asthma, are on the rise in young populations.
As bleak as the health situation is for so many children, there is
good news. Many of these diseases and health conditions are completely
preventable or can be delayed for many, many years. The American Public
Health Association and countless other expert organizations have told
us, and shown us, that if we make a real commitment to and investment
in building healthy communities, we can substantially improve the
health of our children and adults. Today I am introducing the Healthy
Places Act of 2006, which will do just that.
The Healthy Places Act of 2006 focuses on the built environment,
which includes our homes, schools, workplaces, parks and recreation
areas, business areas, and transportation systems. Where we work, live,
and play has tremendous implications for our health, and improvements
to these environments will lead to: greater opportunities for physical
activity and a reduction in injuries because of safe sidewalks, biking
paths, and parks; less reliance on personal automobiles which reduces
toxic emissions; better access to fresh fruits and vegetables which
leads to healthier nutrition; and the planning and building of
``green'' homes and buildings which decreases energy consumption.
Like many other States, Illinois has already begun to take steps to
improve the environment. City leaders in Chicago have recognized that
many low-income families have no access to fresh foods and medicine
because there are no grocery stores and pharmacies in their
neighborhoods. Retail Chicago, an initiative of the city's Department
of Planning and Development, is now using redevelopment funds to entice
local developers to bring grocery stores and pharmacies into these
neighborhoods.
The Lieutenant Governor's initiative ``Six Weeks to a Greener
Illinois'' is another fine example. Now in its 4th week, this effort
has encouraged Illinoisans to participate in making the State a
healthier place to live, and rewarded those communities that are
already taking steps to do so.
The Healthy Places Act of 2006 would expand these and other efforts
to improve the planning and design of communities that can promote
healthier living. It establishes and supports health impact assessment
programs, which would assist States and local communities in examining
potential health effects of major health policy or programmatic
changes. The newly created Interagency Working Group on Environmental
Health would facilitate communication and collaboration on projects
among the agencies in order to better address environmental health
issues. In addition, the bill creates a grant program to address
environmental health hazards, particularly those that contribute to
health disparities. Finally, the Healthy Places Act provides additional
support for research on the relationship between the built environment
and the health status of residents as recommended by two Institute of
Medicine's reports: ``Does the Built Environment Influence Physical
Activity?'' and ``Rebuilding the Unity of Health and the Environment: A
New Vision of Environmental Health for the 21st Century''.
As the health of our children continues to decline, and our health
expenditures continue to soar, it is imperative that the Congress take
action, and focusing on building healthier communities is a necessary
step in this regard. I encourage all of my colleagues to join me and
support passage of this bill.
____________________