I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4161 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the National Institute 

of Environmental Health Sciences to develop multidisciplinary research 

centers regarding women’s health and disease prevention, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 1, 2009 

Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. 

MCCOLLUM, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 

MCGOVERN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. 

DOGGETT, and Mr. STARK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 

the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the 

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to 

develop multidisciplinary research centers regarding 

women’s health and disease prevention, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4161 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women’s Environ3 mental Health and Disease Prevention Act of 2009’’. 

4 SEC. 2. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL 

5 HEALTH SCIENCES; AWARDS FOR DEVELOP6 MENT AND OPERATION OF MULTIDISCI7 PLINARY RESEARCH CENTERS REGARDING 

8 WOMEN’S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND 

9 DISEASE PREVENTION. 

10 Subpart 12 of part C of title IV of the Public Health 

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

12 at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘SEC. 463C. MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTERS RE14 GARDING WOMEN’S ENVIRONMENTAL 

15 HEALTH AND DISEASE PREVENTION. 

16 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Institute 

17 shall make grants to public or nonprofit private entities 

18 for the development and operation of at least 1 and not 

19 more than 6 centers whose purpose is conducting multi20 disciplinary research on environmental factors that may 

21 be related to the development of women’s health conditions 

22 (as defined in section 486). The Director of the Institute 

23 shall carry out this section in consultation with the Direc24 tor of the Office of Research on Women’s Health and with 

25 the advisory council for the Institute. 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4161 IH

1 ‘‘(b) RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND INFORMATION AND

2 EDUCATION.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each center under sub4 section (a) shall, with respect to the purpose de5 scribed in such subsection— 

6 ‘‘(A) conduct basic or clinical research; 

7 ‘‘(B) develop protocols for training physi8 cians, scientists, nurses, and other health and 

9 allied health professionals; 

10 ‘‘(C) conduct training programs in accord11 ance with such protocols; and 

12 ‘‘(D) disseminate information to such pro13 fessionals and the public. 

14 ‘‘(2) EMPHASIS ON PREVENTION ACTIVITIES.— 

15 In carrying out the activities described in paragraph 

16 (1), each center under subsection (a) shall empha17 size activities that are directed toward preventing 

18 the development in women of the diseases and condi19 tions involved. 

20 ‘‘(3) STIPENDS FOR TRAINING OF HEALTH PRO21 FESSIONALS.—A center under subsection (a) may 

22 use funds under such subsection to provide stipends 

23 for health and allied health professionals enrolled in 

24 programs described in paragraph (1)(C). 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4161 IH

1 ‘‘(c) COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY.—Each 

2 center under subsection (a) shall establish and maintain 

3 ongoing collaborations with community organizations in 

4 the geographic area served by the center, including those 

5 that represent women or children with disorders that ap6 pear to stem from environmental factors. 

7 ‘‘(d) COORDINATION OF CENTERS; REPORTS.—The 

8 Director of the Institute shall, as appropriate, provide for 

9 the coordination of information among centers under sub10 section (a) and ensure regular communication between 

11 such centers. 

12 ‘‘(e) STRUCTURE OF CENTER.—Each center assisted 

13 under subsection (a) may use the facilities of a single insti14 tution, or be formed from a consortium of cooperating in15 stitutions, meeting such requirements as may be pre16 scribed by the Director of the Institute. 

17 ‘‘(f) DURATION OF SUPPORT.—Support of a center 

18 under subsection (a) may be for a period not exceeding 

19 5 years. Such period may be extended for 1 or more addi20 tional periods not exceeding 5 years if the operations of 

21 such center have been reviewed by an appropriate tech22 nical and scientific peer review group established by the 

23 Director of the Institute and if such group has rec24 ommended to the Director that such period should be ex25 tended. 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4161 IH

1 ‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

2 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 

3 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fis4 cal years 2010 through 2014.’’. 

5 SEC. 3. COMMITTEE HEARING ON IMPLEMENTATION. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Committee on Energy and 

7 Commerce of the House of Representatives shall hold a 

8 hearing on the implementation by the Director of the Na9 tional Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of sec10 tion 463C of the Public Health Service Act, as added by 

11 section 2 of this Act. 

12 (b) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.—Sub13 section (a)— 

14 (1) is enacted as an exercise of the rulemaking 

15 power of the House of Representatives and, as 

16 such— 

17 (A) shall be considered as part of the rules 

18 of the House; and 

19 (B) shall supersede any other rule of the 

20 House only to the extent that rule is incon21 sistent therewith; and 

22 (2) is enacted with full recognition of the con23 stitutional right of the House to change such rules 

24 (so far as relating to the procedure in the House) 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 4161 IH

1 at any time, in the same manner, and to the same 

2 extent as in the case of any other rule of the House. 

Æ 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS