[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H7248-H7251]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FIREFIGHTER CANCER REGISTRY ACT OF 2017
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 931) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to develop a voluntary registry to collect data on cancer incidence
among firefighters, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 931
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 ``Firefighter Cancer Registry
Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. POPULATION-BASED REGISTRY FOR FIREFIGHTER CANCER
INCIDENCE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, shall develop and maintain,
directly or through a grant or cooperative agreement, a
voluntary registry of firefighters (referred to in this
section as the ``Firefighter Registry'') to collect relevant
history and occupational information of such firefighters
that can be linked to available cancer registry data
collected by existing State cancer registries.
(b) Use of Firefighter Registry.--The Firefighter Registry
shall be used for the following purposes:
(1) To establish and improve collection infrastructure and
activities related to the nationwide monitoring of the
incidence of cancer among firefighters.
(2) To collect, consolidate, store, and make publicly
available epidemiological information related to cancer
incidence and trends among firefighters.
(c) Relevant Data.--
(1) In general.--In carrying out the voluntary data
collection for purposes of inclusion under the Firefighter
Registry, the Secretary should seek to include the following
information:
(A) Identifiable information from a representative sample
size, as determined by the Secretary under subsection
(d)(2)(A), of volunteer, paid-on-call, and career
firefighters, independent of cancer status or diagnosis.
(B) With respect to individual risk factors and work
history of firefighters, available information on--
(i) basic demographic information, including the age of the
firefighter involved;
(ii) a listing of status of the firefighter as either
volunteer, paid-on-call, or career firefighter;
(iii) the number of years on the job and a detailing of
additional employment experience that was either performed
concurrently alongside firefighting service, before, or
anytime thereafter;
(iv)(I) a measure of the number of fire incidents attended
as well as the type of fire incidents (such as residential
house fire or commercial fire); or
(II) in the case of a firefighter for whom information on
such number and type is not available, an estimate of such
number and type based on the method developed under
subsection (d)(2);
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(v) a list of additional risk factors, including smoking or
drug use, as determined relevant by the Secretary; and
(vi) other physical examination and medical history
information relevant to a cancer incidence study or general
health of firefighters not available in existing cancer
registries.
(C) Any additional information that is deemed necessary by
the Secretary.
(2) Diagnoses and treatment.--In carrying out the data
collection for purposes of inclusion under the Firefighter
Registry, with respect to diagnoses and treatment of
firefighters diagnosed with cancer, the Secretary shall
enable the Firefighter Registry to link to State-based cancer
registries, for a purpose described by clause (vi) or (vii)
of section 399B(c)(2)(D) of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 280e(c)(2)(D)), to obtain information on--
(A) administrative information, including date of diagnoses
and source of information; and
(B) pathological data characterizing the cancer, including
cancer site, state of disease (pursuant to Staging Guide),
incidence, and type of treatment.
(d) Methods.--
(1) In general.--For the purposes described in subsection
(b), the Secretary is authorized to incorporate questions
into public health surveys, questionnaires, and other
databases.
(2) Required strategy.--The Secretary shall develop a
strategy, working in consultation with the stakeholders
identified in subsection (e), to maximize participation in
the Firefighter Registry established under this Act. At
minimum, the strategy shall include the following:
(A) Identified minimum participation targets for volunteer,
paid-on-call, and career firefighters.
(B) A strategy for increasing awareness of the Firefighter
Registry and maximizing participation among volunteer, paid-
on-call, and career firefighters to meet minimum
participation targets.
(C) Additional steps that may be required to ensure the
equitable representation of groups identified in paragraph
(5).
(D) Information on how the Secretary will store data
described in subsection (c)(1) and provide links to relevant
health information described in subsection (c)(2).
(E) Working in consultation with the experts described in
subsection (e), a reliable and standardized method for
estimating the number of fire incidents attended by a
firefighter as well as the type of fire incident so attended
in the case such firefighter is unable to provide such
information.
(3) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall submit the
strategy described in paragraph (2) to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate not later than 30 days after the date of the
completion of the strategy.
(4) Guidance for inclusion and maintenance of data on
firefighters.--The Secretary shall develop, in consultation
with the stakeholders identified in subsection (e), State
health agencies, State departments of homeland security, and
volunteer, paid-on-call, combination, and career firefighting
agencies, a strategy for inclusion of firefighters in the
registry that are representative of the general population of
firefighters, that outlines the following:
(A) How new information about firefighters will be
submitted to the Firefighter Registry for inclusion.
(B) How information about firefighters will be maintained
and updated in the Firefighter Registry over time.
(C) A method for estimating the number of fire incidents
attended by a firefighter as well as the type of fire
incident so attended in the case such firefighter is unable
to provide such information.
(D) Further information, as deemed necessary by the
Secretary.
(5) Ensuring representation of underrepresented groups in
registry.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall
take such measures as the Secretary deems appropriate to
encourage the inclusion of data on minority, female, and
volunteer firefighters in the Firefighter Registry
established under this section.
(e) Consultation.--The Secretary shall, on a regular basis,
seek feedback regarding the utility of the Firefighter
Registry established under this section and ways the
Firefighter Registry can be improved from non-Federal experts
in the following areas:
(1) Public health experts with experience in developing and
maintaining cancer registries.
(2) Epidemiologists with experience in studying cancer
incidence.
(3) Clinicians with experience in diagnosing and treating
cancer incidence.
(4) Active and retired volunteer, paid-on-call, and career
firefighters as well as relevant national fire and emergency
response organizations.
(f) Research Availability.--The Secretary shall develop and
make public a process for de-identifying data from the
Firefighter Registry and making such data available without a
fee for research or other purposes. Such process shall
provide that such data shall be made available for such
research purposes only if there is an agreement to make
findings, journal articles, or other print or web-based
publications derived from such research public or available
to the relevant stakeholders identified in subsection (e).
(g) Privacy.--In carrying out this Act, the Secretary shall
apply to the Firefighter Registry developed under subsection
(a) data security provisions and privacy standards that
comply with the best practices of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and provide for data privacy and
security standards similar to those in the HIPAA privacy
regulation, as defined in section 1180(b)(3) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d-9(b)(3)).
(h) Authorization of Funds.--To carry out this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for each
of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022.
SEC. 3. CUT-GO COMPLIANCE.
Subsection (f) of section 319D of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-4) is amended by striking ``through
2018'' and inserting ``through 2017, and $128,300,000 for
fiscal year 2018''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Walden) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.
{time} 1330
General Leave
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Oregon?
There was no objection.
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 931, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2017, introduced by
my friend and colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee,
Representative Chris Collins from New York, who we will hear from
shortly, will create a national registry to collect information to
better understand cancer incidence in firefighters.
These heroic first responders experience occupational health risks
every day. In my district, it is oftentimes from forest fires, like we
are having all summer long. This past weekend I saw firsthand what our
firefighters face as they battle a number of fires raging in Oregon,
putting themselves in harm's way to save property, infrastructure,
lives, watersheds, habitats, and our forests.
I was deeply reminded yesterday morning, as I watched some of the
news coverage that took us back 16 years ago to 9/11, and seeing the
scenes of the buildings collapsing and burning and the people emerging,
individual citizens, first responders, caked in dust and toxins and
dealing with smoke, you realize just the peril that our first
responders often find themselves in. They rush into buildings to save
lives, and we deeply appreciate what they do. That is why this
legislation is an important step to help them.
Nationwide, we have this problem with our firefighters. They came to
us and said: We need this registry.
Again, going back to the West and what we face, and I saw it when I
flew across the country to come here, not only are there fires and
smoke throughout Oregon, but also all across the West: Colorado,
Montana, Wyoming, hill and valley choked with smoke.
Close to 8 million acres burned in wildfires so far this year; more
than half a million in Oregon on both public and mostly private lands.
Thousands of residents have had to be evacuated. Firefighters, of
course, stayed behind. They do what they do.
Multiple studies have shown a correlation between firefighting and
cancer. However, the reasons behind this are not fully understood. We
owe it to these first responders to understand the causal link to
cancer. Having better data to identify why firefighters are at an
increased risk for some cancers will hopefully lead to better
protective measures and ultimately reduce some of the hazards that they
face when putting their lives on the line.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from New York (Mr. Collins) for his
good work on this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 931, the Firefighter Cancer
Registry Act of 2017. Yesterday we recognized the sixteenth anniversary
of the September 11 terror attacks. The tragic
[[Page H7250]]
events on that day exhibited the heroism our firefighters and other
first responders display as they run toward disaster while everyone
else runs away.
The long-term health consequences on September 11, including several
forms of cancer and chronic respiratory conditions among first
responders, also serve as a reminder of the unique health risks
firefighters face. As firefighters run into burning buildings and other
environments, they often do not know whether carcinogens or hazardous
materials are present. Such exposures have resulted in cancer becoming
the leading cause of line of duty death among firefighters. My
grandfather was a captain in the Houston Fire Department and died of
cancer.
We still do not fully understand the relationship between
firefighters and cancer risk. That is why a more comprehensive approach
is needed to understand this relationship. H.R. 931, the Firefighter
Cancer Registry Act, will create a voluntary cancer registry of
firefighters to collect data on their cancer risks and outcomes related
to their job exposures. This registry will inform research into the
health risks facing firefighters, as well as ways to mitigate such
risks. That evidence will allow us to implement new practices and
develop new tools to protect the health of individuals who courageously
put their lives at risk to protect the public.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Collins), the author of this very important legislation and
an important member of our committee.
Mr. COLLINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I come before you in support of
my bill, H.R. 931, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act.
Sixteen years ago yesterday, on September 11, 2001, we witnessed a
horrible tragedy that will leave an impression on generations of
Americans forever. Through this tragedy, we witnessed the heroic
actions of America's brave first responders working and volunteering in
the days and weeks that followed.
We lost many first responders during those attacks of 9/11, and we
continue to lose more every year from ongoing health effects.
All firefighters across our Nation sacrifice their health every day
to face the dangers of smoke inhalation and toxic chemicals. These
dangers cannot be entirely avoided, which is why this bill, H.R. 931,
is so important. This bipartisan legislation takes an important first
step towards addressing the detrimental health impacts faced by our
Nation's firefighters.
The career of firefighting is a dangerous one. There are nearly 1.2
million men and women serving as firefighters in the United States.
With every single fire they fight, these heroes take their lives into
their own hands. Firefighters bravely risk their safety to protect our
families, our homes, and our communities.
Unfortunately, the risks of firefighting surpass the scene of the
fire. These men and women are exposed to dangerous smoke and chemicals
that often result in a lifetime of health trouble. We see firefighters
all across the United States with higher rates of cancer than the
general population, and it is vital that we learn more about this
correlation.
That is why I, along with my colleague, Representative Bill Pascrell,
introduced the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act. This bill will require
the CDC to establish a registry to track cancer incidence in the
firefighting community. This comprehensive registry will work with fire
departments across our Nation to include the important variables of a
firefighter's career, including years of service, number of fires
attended, and the types of fires attended. This information is
essential to the development of future protocols, safeguards, and the
development of equipment that will better protect these men and women.
Firefighters put their lives at risk every day, and Congress should
do all it can to shed light and reduce the health hazards they face. I
would like to commend Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Pallone of the
full committee, and Chairman Burgess and Ranking Member Green of the
Health Subcommittee for a bipartisan showing of support during both
markups of this legislation. I cannot think of a more relevant week to
bring this legislation to the House floor. I urge the rest of my
colleagues to support the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, as we honor
tragic losses of September 11.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may
consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), a cosponsor of
the bill.
Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R.
931, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act. I want to thank my partner,
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Collins), for introducing this bill. I
thank as well Chairman Walden, Ranking Member Pallone, Dr. Burgess, and
Mr. Green for helping to shepherd our bill through the Energy and
Commerce Committee and onto the floor day.
As co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and lead
Democratic sponsor of this bill, I am proud to stand up for the brave
men and women of our fire service. It is these individuals who put
their lives on the line day in and day out to keep our communities
safe.
In addition to ensuring that our first responders are prepared in
advance of disasters and other emergencies, we must also ensure that
they receive the necessary medical care and services after answering
the call of duty.
When the courageous men and women in the fire services enter
dangerous situations, they do not stop to ask whether they are
subjecting themselves to long-term health risks.
Yesterday, across this Nation, we honored the first responders that
answered the call of duty after the terrorists attacked us on September
11. Many of those brave men and women gave their lives, and many more
are living with long-term health problems stemming from the time they
spent at toxic Ground Zero.
As evidenced on that day, many before and since, our first responders
do whatever is necessary to keep our communities safe. That is why we
must have their backs.
While we know that firefighters are routinely exposed to a variety of
known carcinogens in chaotic and uncontrolled environments, we do not
have a good sense of the full picture of the negative impacts of the
exposure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters are
at higher risk for certain kinds of cancer, including brain cancer,
leukemia, lung cancer, and kidney cancer, when compared with the
general population.
Despite the knowledge we have gained through these studies, many have
been limited by small sample sizes and an underrepresentation of key
demographic groups.
The first step to finding solutions is understanding the nature of
the problem. Further public health research on this topic is needed so
we can start working to find ways to alleviate this risk.
I am pleased that H.R. 931 is on the floor today. It would create a
national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with this deadly
disease. The creation of a specialized firefighter cancer registry will
provide scientists and medical professionals with the detailed national
data that will allow them to study the relationships between
firefighters' exposure to dangerous fumes and harmful toxins and the
increased risk for several major cancers. In the future, this
information could also allow for better protective equipment and
prevention techniques to be developed.
This bill enjoys strong support from major fire organizations across
our Nation, including the International Association of Firefighters,
the Congressional Fire Services Institute, the National Volunteer Fire
Council, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National
Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the New Jersey State Firefighters'
Mutual Benevolent Association, and the International Fire Service
Training Association.
Taking care of the brave men and women of the fire service is an
important task. We cannot delay in getting them the help they need. Mr.
Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this bill swiftly so
we can work on getting it through the Senate and onto the President's
desk.
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Burgess), the chairman of the
[[Page H7251]]
Subcommittee on Health, the gentleman who helped move this legislation
forward, and leads our committee on matters of health.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 931, the
Firefighter Cancer Registry Act.
In 2015, a 5-year study of nearly 30,000 firefighters found that
these individuals had a greater number of cancer diagnoses and cancer-
related deaths than matched controls in the general population.
While this built upon prior studies that have examined the link
between firefighting and cancer, our understanding of this connection
is still limited. To improve our ability to alleviate the health risks
that these public servants face, Representatives Collins and Pascrell
introduced H.R. 931. This will authorize funding for the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to create a national registry for the
collection of data pertaining to cancer incidence among firefighters.
This national registry will fill the void in our understanding of the
health risks that our firefighters face and better prepare us to care
for them.
Yesterday did mark the 16th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
We are reminded of the firefighters' willingness to run toward danger
to help anyone who is in harm's way. Across our country, firefighters
answer the call whenever our families or our communities are in need.
Supporting these important public health bills is one way we can give
back to these heroes, and I urge all Members to join me in supporting
H.R. 931.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Lance), another very important member of our Energy and
Commerce Committee, who I know had many constituents horribly affected
by the tragic events of 9/11.
Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of the
Firefighter Cancer Registry Act sponsored by my close friends,
Congressman Collins and Congressman Pascrell.
Congressman Collins has been involved in this issue for many years,
including as an Erie County executive in western New York. Congressman
Pascrell has spent his entire public career in defense of firefighters
as mayor of Paterson, as a member of the State legislature, and for
more than two decades as a Member of Congress.
{time} 1345
This bill will direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
to collect data on cancer incidence among firefighters. We need this
data to help save the lives of the brave heroes who put their lives on
the line every day.
The CDC will compile critical information like risk factors and the
dangers to which firefighters are exposed. This information collected
on a voluntary basis will help develop better protective equipment and
prevention techniques that can be disseminated across the country.
It is fitting that we consider this legislation this week as our
Nation mourns the somber anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This
country can never forget the images of firefighters, police, EMS, and
other first responders initiating rescues and putting themselves in
grave danger, both during and after the attacks.
Many lives were lost that day and, in the years that have followed,
from the rescue and recovery work. Let's do all we can to make sure
this information and best practices are shared so that we can protect
as many lives as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Faso), who also had constituents who were very affected by
the events of 9/11.
Mr. FASO. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chairman's yielding of time.
As we take this week to somberly remember those who lost their lives
on September 11, 2001, it is equally important that we remember the
first responders who bravely ran towards the tragedy of 16 years ago,
who woke up the next day, on September 12, 2001, still beaten, tired,
and bruised but, again, walked towards those tragedies. Still, today,
these first responders heroically risk life and limb to run toward
tragedies.
As Americans, we owe our first responders a great debt. For this
reason, I ask my colleagues to support Mr. Collins' bill, H.R. 931, the
Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, which makes important first steps in
lifesaving cancer research and future medical advancements for
firefighters, who have disproportionately higher cancer risks.
I would like to thank all of our first responders and urge passage of
this important legislation, and I thank the bipartisan cosponsors of
this legislation as well.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we have no more speakers, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, we all join in thanking our first
responders. This is the least of the things we can do to show how much
we care about our firefighters, and I would encourage our colleagues in
the House to support this very important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McClintock). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 931, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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