PUBLIC LAW 110–354—OCT. 8, 2008 

BREAST CANCER AND ENVIRONMENTAL 

RESEARCH ACT OF 2008 


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122 STAT. 3984 PUBLIC LAW 110–354—OCT. 8, 2008 

Public Law 110–354 

110th Congress 

An Act 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National 

Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for the development 

and operation of research centers regarding environmental factors that may be 

related to the etiology of breast cancer. 

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 ‘‘Breast Cancer and Environmental 

Research Act of 2008’’. 

SEC. 2. EXPANDING COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ON BREAST CANCER 

AND THE ENVIRONMENT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart 1 of part C of title IV of the Public 

Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285 et seq.) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 417F. INTERAGENCY BREAST CANCER AND ENVIRONMENTAL 

RESEARCH COORDINATING COMMITTEE. 

‘‘(a) INTERAGENCY BREAST CANCER AND ENVIRONMENTAL

RESEARCH COORDINATING COMMITTEE.— 

‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after the 

date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a committee, to be known as the Interagency Breast Cancer 

and Environmental Research Coordinating Committee (in this 

section referred to as the ‘Committee’). 

‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Committee shall— 

‘‘(A) share and coordinate information on existing 

research activities, and make recommendations to the 

National Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies 

regarding how to improve existing research programs, that 

are related to breast cancer research; 

‘‘(B) develop a comprehensive strategy and advise the 

National Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies 

in the solicitation of proposals for collaborative, multidisciplinary research, including proposals to evaluate environmental and genomic factors that may be related to the 

etiology of breast cancer that would— 

‘‘(i) result in innovative approaches to study 

emerging scientific opportunities or eliminate knowledge gaps in research to improve the research portfolio; 

‘‘(ii) outline key research questions, methodologies, 

and knowledge gaps; 

Deadline. 

42 USC 285a–12. 

42 USC 201 note. 

Breast Cancer 

and 

Environmental 

Research 

Act of 2008. 

Oct. 8, 2008 

[H.R. 1157] 


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PUBLIC LAW 110–354—OCT. 8, 2008 122 STAT. 3985 

‘‘(iii) expand the number of research proposals that 

involve collaboration between 2 or more national 

research institutes or national centers, including proposals for Common Fund research described in section 

402(b)(7) to improve the research portfolio; and 

‘‘(iv) expand the number of collaborative, multidisciplinary, and multi-institutional research grants; 

‘‘(C) develop a summary of advances in breast cancer 

research supported or conducted by Federal agencies relevant to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer 

and other diseases and disorders; and 

‘‘(D) not later than 2 years after the date of the 

establishment of the Committee, make recommendations 

to the Secretary— 

‘‘(i) regarding any appropriate changes to research 

activities, including recommendations to improve the 

research portfolio of the National Institutes of Health 

to ensure that scientifically-based strategic planning 

is implemented in support of research priorities that 

impact breast cancer research activities; 

‘‘(ii) to ensure that the activities of the National 

Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies, 

including the Department of Defense, are free of 

unnecessary duplication of effort; 

‘‘(iii) regarding public participation in decisions 

relating to breast cancer research to increase the 

involvement of patient advocacy and community 

organizations representing a broad geographical area; 

‘‘(iv) on how best to disseminate information on 

breast cancer research progress; and 

‘‘(v) on how to expand partnerships between public 

entities, including Federal agencies, and private entities to expand collaborative, cross-cutting research. 

‘‘(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—For the purposes of the Committee, when focusing on research to evaluate environmental 

and genomic factors that may be related to the etiology of 

breast cancer, nothing in this section shall be construed to 

restrict the Secretary from including other forms of cancer, 

as appropriate, when doing so may advance research in breast 

cancer or advance research in other forms of cancer. 

‘‘(4) MEMBERSHIP.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall be composed 

of the following voting members: 

‘‘(i) Not more than 7 voting Federal representatives 

as follows: 

‘‘(I) The Director of the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention. 

‘‘(II) The Director of the National Institutes 

of Health and the directors of such national 

research institutes and national centers (which 

may include the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) as the Secretary determines appropriate. 

‘‘(III) One representative from the National 

Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors, 

appointed by the Director of the National Cancer 

Institute. 

Deadline. 


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122 STAT. 3986 PUBLIC LAW 110–354—OCT. 8, 2008 

‘‘(IV) The heads of such other agencies of the 

Department of Health and Human Services as the 

Secretary determines appropriate. 

‘‘(V) Representatives of other Federal agencies 

that conduct or support cancer research, including 

the Department of Defense. 

‘‘(ii) 12 additional voting members appointed under 

subparagraph (B). 

‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.—The Committee shall 

include additional voting members appointed by the Secretary as follows: 

‘‘(i) 6 members shall be appointed from among 

scientists, physicians, and other health professionals, 

who— 

‘‘(I) are not officers or employees of the United 

States; 

‘‘(II) represent multiple disciplines, including 

clinical, basic, and public health sciences; 

‘‘(III) represent different geographical regions 

of the United States; 

‘‘(IV) are from practice settings, academia, or 

other research settings; and 

‘‘(V) are experienced in scientific peer review 

process. 

‘‘(ii) 6 members shall be appointed from members 

of the general public, who represent individuals with 

breast cancer. 

‘‘(C) NONVOTING MEMBERS.—The Committee shall 

include such nonvoting members as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 

‘‘(5) CHAIRPERSON.—The voting members of the Committee 

shall select a chairperson from among such members. The 

selection of a chairperson shall be subject to the approval 

of the Director of NIH. 

‘‘(6) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall meet at the call of 

the chairperson of the Committee or upon the request of the 

Director of NIH, but in no case less often than once each 

year. 

‘‘(b) REVIEW.—The Secretary shall review the necessity of the 

Committee in calendar year 2011 and, thereafter, at least once 

every 2 years.’’. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the purpose of 

carrying out research activities under title IV of the Public Health 

Service Act, including section 417F of such Act as added by subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2012. Amounts authorized 

to be appropriated under the preceding sentence shall be in addition 


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PUBLIC LAW 110–354—OCT. 8, 2008 122 STAT. 3987 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1157 (S. 579): 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 110–889 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 154 (2008): 

Sept. 25, considered and passed House. 

Sept. 27, considered and passed Senate. 

Æ 

to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated for such purpose under section 402A of the Public Health Service Act (42 

U.S.C. 282a). 

Approved October 8, 2008. 


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