A bill to stimulate social policy and community environments to improve health by encouraging policies and programs to improve community health by policy and design, and for other purposes.

Summary: Health Impact Assessments Act of 2008 or the HIA Act of 2008 - Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study to determine the best practices, standardized tools, and models for using health impact assessments as a method to promote health and reduce health disparities through social policy, land use, the built environment, and other public policies and projects.

Requires the Comptroller General to review: (1) the positive and negative health consequences of federal policies and programs; and (2) how to consider health impact assessments for any federal, state, local project that involves federal funding or work performed by the federal government.

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award a grant to an institution of higher education to: (1) provide for expertise on health impact assessment to states, local health departments, metropolitan planning organizations, and local planning departments; (2) collect and disseminate best practices and provide technical assistance and training about the scope and uses of health impact assessments related to community planning and policy making; (3) develop necessary data and evidence to inform health impact assessments and land use and community design and other broad policy decisions; and (4) carry out a demonstration project to establish and implement effective processes and models for designing and administering health impact assessments.

Requires the Director to expand CDC's capacity to promote the health impact assessment processes, including by developing guidance for assessing the public participation and potential health effects of social policy decisions.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Health Impact Assessments Act of 
2008'' or the ``HIA Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. STUDIES BY THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE TO IDENTIFY 
              BEST PRACTICES OF ASSESSING THE PLANNING AND IMPACT OF 
              LAND USE, BUILDING DESIGN, AND SOCIAL POLICY ON COMMUNITY 
              HEALTH.

    (a) Study Regarding Health Impact Assessments.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall conduct a study to determine the best practices, 
        standardized tools, and models for using health impact 
        assessments as a method to promote health and reduce health 
        disparities through social policy, land use, the built 
        environment, and other public policies and projects which have 
        an impact on the public health. Such study shall specifically 
        examine the potential use of health impact assessments to link 
        social determinants of health to land use policies and social 
        policies.
            (2) Submission of report.--Not later than 1 year after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
        United States shall submit to Congress a report that describes 
        the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1).
    (b) Review of Federal Policies and Programs.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall conduct a study to review the positive and 
        negative health consequences of Federal policies and programs, 
        and how to consider health impact assessments for any Federal, 
        State or local project that involves Federal funding or work 
        performed by the Federal Government. In conducting such study, 
        the Comptroller General shall examine, and may use as a model, 
        the environmental impact statements process required by the 
        National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
        seq.).
            (2) Submission of report.--Not later than 1 year after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
        United States shall submit to Congress a report that describes 
        the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1).

SEC. 3. NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Center.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the Director 
        of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award 
        a grant to an institution of higher education to--
                    (A) provide technical assistance and grants for 
                States and localities to provide to States or local 
                health departments or metropolitan planning 
                organizations or local planning departments expertise 
                on health impact assessments;
                    (B) collect and disseminate best practices and 
                provide technical assistance and training about the 
                scope and uses of heath impact assessments related to 
                community planning and policy making;
                    (C) develop necessary data and evidence to inform 
                health impact assessments and land use and community 
                design and other broad policy decisions; and
                    (D) administer the demonstration grant program 
                described in subsection (b).
            (2) Consultation.--In carrying out the grant under 
        paragraph (1), the Center awarded such grant shall consult with 
        national organizations with advice and experience regarding 
        health impact assessments.
    (b) Demonstration Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Center awarded the grant under 
        subsection (a) shall award grants to eligible entities to carry 
        out a demonstration project to establish and implement 
        effective processes and models for designing and administering 
        health impact assessments.
            (2) Eligible entity.--For purposes of this subsection, the 
        term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a State government, a State health department, 
                or a State planning department; or
                    (B) a local government, a local health department, 
                or a local planning department.
            (3) Consultation among state entities and among local 
        entities.--An eligible entity described in subparagraph (A) or 
        (B) of paragraph (2) that receives a grant under this 
        subsection shall consult with the other eligible entities 
        described under such subparagraph (A) or (B), respectively, in 
        carrying out the activities under the grant.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated--
            (1) to carry out subsection (a), $1,000,000 for fiscal year 
        2009, and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 
        years 2010 through 2013; and
            (2) to carry out subsection (b), $4,000,000 for fiscal year 
        2009, and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 
        years 2010 and 2011.

SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF ACTIVITIES AT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND 
              PREVENTION.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention shall expand the capacity of such Centers to promote the 
health impact assessment processes to improve public health and health 
equity and reduce health disparities in land use, the physical 
environment, social policies, and exposure to health risks. Such 
expansion shall include developing guidance for assessing the public 
participation and potential health effects of land use and design, 
housing and transportation policy and plans, and other social policy 
decisions as appropriate, the expansion of training efforts, and the 
development and dissemination of training tools.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 
2013.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Built environment.--The term ``built environment'' 
        means an environment consisting of all buildings, spaces, and 
        products that are created or modified by individuals, 
        including--
                    (A) homes, schools, workplaces, parks and 
                recreation areas, greenways, business areas, and 
                transportation systems;
                    (B) electric transmission lines;
                    (C) waste disposal sites; and
                    (D) land-use planning and policies that impact 
                urban, rural, and suburban communities.
            (2) Health impact assessment.--The term ``health impact 
        assessment'' means any combination of procedures, methods, 
        tools, and means used to analyze the actual or potential 
        effects of a policy, program, or project on the health of a 
        population (including the distribution of those effects within 
        the population), and that identifies appropriate actions to 
        manage those effects. Such term may include assessments that 
        can objectively evaluate the potential health effects of a 
        project or policy and provide recommendations to improve health 
        outcomes through collaboration, public transparency, and 
        accountability in policy making about the societal dimensions 
        of health.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.