[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20980]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE DISASTER AREA HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING 
                                  ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 2005

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Disaster Area 
Health and Environmental Monitoring Act with my colleagues 
Representatives Chris Shays and Tim Bishop.
  During a disaster our first responders heroically rush to the 
disaster area with little regard for their personal safety in hopes of 
saving others. We owe it to them to at least monitor their health when 
it has been put at risk. Unfortunately, no such program exists. There 
is no better example of this than what has happened in the aftermath of 
9/11.
  Today, more than 4 years after 9/11, there are literally thousands of 
individuals who are still sick as a direct result of their work in and 
around Ground Zero. Included in the sick are police officers, 
firefighters, volunteers, residents, and area workers. Despite a clear 
need, there is still no one in the Federal Government in charge of 
caring for these individuals, there is no coordination among programs 
established to screen these illnesses and there is no Federal program 
that provides anyone with any treatment. Now as we consider options to 
monitor the medical impacts of Hurricane Katrina, there is no Federal 
program in place to set up a medical monitoring program. This is why we 
are introducing the Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring 
Act--H.R. 5329 in the 108th Congress. This is the companion to 
legislation introduced in the Senate by Senators Voinovich and 
Clinton--S. 1279--and has passed the Senate by unanimous consent last 
Congress.
  The Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act would 
create a standard for a monitoring program following a disaster when 
the President determines a monitoring program is needed. This 
monitoring program would be set up to screen the health of affected 
individuals. By creating a coordinated monitoring program, we can 
provide valuable information to affected individuals and we can assure 
our first responders that we will continue to care about the health 
affects after the disaster. I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.

                          ____________________