(4) climate change disproportionately impacts 
communities of color and low-income communities; 
and 
(5) the Federal Government, in cooperation 
with international, State, Tribal, and local govern-
ments, concerned public, private, and Native Amer-
ican organizations, and citizens, should use all prac-
ticable means and measures— 
(A) to assist the efforts of public health 
and health care professionals, first responders, 
health care systems, States, the District of Co-
lumbia, territories, municipalities, and Native 
American and local communities to incorporate 
measures to prepare public health and health 
care systems to respond to the impacts of cli-
mate change; 
(B) to ensure— 
(i) that the Nation’s public health and 
health care professionals have sufficient in-
formation to prepare for and respond to 
the adverse health impacts of climate 
change; 
(ii) the application of scientific re-
search in advancing understanding of— 
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(I) the health impacts of climate 
change; and 
(II) strategies to prepare for and 
respond to the health impacts of cli-
mate change; 
(iii) the identification of communities 
and populations vulnerable to the health 
impacts of climate change, including in-
fants, children, pregnant women, the elder-
ly, individuals with disabilities or pre-
existing illnesses, low-income populations, 
and unhoused individuals, and the develop-
ment of strategic response plans to be car-
ried out by public health and health care 
professionals for those communities; 
(iv) the improvement of health status 
and health equity through efforts to pre-
pare for and respond to climate change; 
and 
(v) the inclusion of health impacts in 
the development of climate change re-
sponses; 
(C) to encourage further research, inter-
disciplinary 
partnership, 
and 
collaboration 
among stakeholders in order to— 
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(i) understand and monitor the health 
impacts of climate change; 
(ii) improve public health knowledge 
and response strategies to climate change; 
(iii) identify actions and policies that 
are beneficial to health and that mitigate 
climate health impacts; and 
(iv) develop strategies to address 
water-, food-, and vector-borne infectious 
diseases and other public health emer-
gencies; 
(D) to enhance preparedness activities, and 
health care and public health infrastructure, re-
lating to climate change and health; 
(E) to encourage each and every commu-
nity to learn about the impacts of climate 
change on health; and 
(F) to assist the efforts of developing na-
tions to incorporate measures to prepare public 
health and health care systems to respond to 
the impacts of climate change. 
SEC. 3. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS. 
Nothing in this Act limits the authority provided to 
or responsibility conferred on any Federal department or 
agency by any provision of any law (including regulations) 
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or authorizes any violation of any provision of any law (in-
cluding regulations), including any health, energy, envi-
ronmental, transportation, or any other law or regulation. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN AND PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’), on the basis of the best available science, 
and in consultation pursuant to paragraph (2), shall 
publish a strategic action plan and establish a pro-
gram to ensure the public health and health care 
systems are prepared for and can respond to the im-
pacts of climate change on health in the United 
States and other nations. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—In developing or making 
any revision to the national strategic action plan and 
program, the Secretary shall— 
(A) consult with the Director of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, the Director of the National Institutes 
of Health, the Under Secretary of Commerce 
for Oceans and Atmosphere, the Administrator 
of the National Aeronautics and Space Admin-
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istration, the Director of the Indian Health 
Service, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary 
of State, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
other appropriate Federal agencies, Indian 
Tribes, State and local governments, public 
health organizations, scientists, representatives 
of at-risk populations, and other interested 
stakeholders; and 
(B) provide opportunity for public input 
and consultation with Indian tribes and Native 
American organizations. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.—Not 
later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Director 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
and in collaboration with other Federal agencies as 
appropriate, shall, on the basis of the best available 
science, and in consultation with the entities de-
scribed in subsection (a)(2), publish a national stra-
tegic action plan under paragraph (2) to guide the 
climate and health program and assist public health 
and health care professionals in preparing for and 
responding to the impacts of climate change on pub-
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lic health in the United States and other nations, 
particularly developing nations. 
(2) ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH SYSTEM CAPAC-
ITY.—The national strategic action plan shall in-
clude an assessment of the health system capacity of 
the United States to address climate change includ-
ing— 
(A) identifying and prioritizing commu-
nities and populations vulnerable to the health 
impacts of climate change; 
(B) providing outreach and communication 
aimed at public health and health care profes-
sionals and the public to promote preparedness 
and response strategies; 
(C) providing for programs across Federal 
agencies to advance research related to the im-
pacts of climate change on health; 
(D) identifying and assessing existing pre-
paredness and response strategies for the health 
impacts of climate change; 
(E) prioritizing critical public health and 
health care infrastructure projects; 
(F) providing modeling and forecasting 
tools of climate change health impacts, includ-
ing local impacts where possible; 
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(G) establishing academic and regional 
centers of excellence; 
(H) providing technical assistance and sup-
port for preparedness and response plans for 
the health threats of climate change in States, 
municipalities, territories, Indian Tribes, and 
developing nations; and 
(I) developing, improving, integrating, and 
maintaining domestic and international disease 
surveillance systems and monitoring capacity to 
respond to health-related impacts of climate 
change, including on topics addressing— 
(i) water-, food-, and vector-borne in-
fectious diseases and climate change; 
(ii) pulmonary effects, including re-
sponses to aeroallergens and toxic expo-
sures; 
(iii) cardiovascular effects, including 
impacts of temperature extremes; 
(iv) air pollution health effects, includ-
ing heightened sensitivity to air pollution; 
(v) harmful algal blooms; 
(vi) mental and behavioral health im-
pacts of climate change; 
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(vii) the health of migrants, refugees, 
displaced persons, and vulnerable commu-
nities; 
(viii) the implications for communities 
and populations vulnerable to the health 
effects of climate change, as well as strate-
gies for responding to climate change with-
in these communities; 
(ix) Tribal, local, and community- 
based health interventions for climate-re-
lated health impacts; 
(x) extreme heat and weather events, 
including drought; 
(xi) decreased nutritional value of 
crops; and 
(xii) disruptions in access to routine 
and acute medical care. 
(3) CLIMATE
AND
HEALTH
PROGRAM.—The 
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, and in col-
laboration with other Federal agencies, as appro-
priate, shall ensure that the climate and health pro-
gram established under this section addresses pri-
ority health actions including the following: 
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(A) Serve as a credible source of informa-
tion on the physical, mental, and behavioral 
health consequences of climate change for the 
United States population and globally. 
(B) Track data on environmental condi-
tions, disease risks, and disease occurrence re-
lated to climate change. 
(C) Expand capacity for modeling and 
forecasting health effects that may be climate- 
related. 
(D) Enhance the science base to better un-
derstand the relationship between climate 
change and health outcomes. 
(E) Identify locations and population 
groups at greatest risk for specific health 
threats and effects, such as increased heat 
stress, degraded air and water quality, food- or 
water-related infections, vector-borne illnesses, 
pulmonary and cardiovascular effects, mental 
and behavioral health effects, and food, water, 
and nutrient insecurity. 
(F) Communicate the health-related as-
pects of climate change, including risks and as-
sociated costs and ways to reduce them, to the 
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public, decisionmakers, public health profes-
sionals, and health care providers. 
(G) Develop partnerships with other gov-
ernment agencies, the private sector, non-
governmental organizations, universities, and 
international organizations to more effectively 
address domestic and global health aspects of 
climate change. 
(H) Provide leadership to State and local 
governments, community leaders, health care 
professionals, nongovernmental organizations, 
environmental justice networks, faith-based 
communities, the private sector, and the public, 
domestically 
and 
internationally, 
regarding 
health protection from climate change effects. 
(I) Develop and implement preparedness 
and response plans for health threats such as 
heat waves, severe weather events, and infec-
tious diseases. 
(J) Provide technical advice and support to 
State and local health departments, the private 
sector, and others in developing and imple-
menting national and global preparedness meas-
ures related to the health effects of climate 
change. 
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(K) Promote workforce development by 
helping to ensure the training of a new genera-
tion of competent, experienced public health 
and health care professionals to respond to the 
health threats posed by climate change. 
(c) PERIODIC ASSESSMENT
AND REVISION.—Not 
later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
and every 4 years thereafter, the Secretary shall periodi-
cally assess, and revise as necessary, the national strategic 
action plan under subsection (b)(1) and the climate and 
health program under subsection (b)(1), to reflect new in-
formation collected pursuant to the implementation of the 
national strategic action plan and program and otherwise, 
including information on— 
(1) the status of critical environmental health 
indicators and related human health impacts; 
(2) the impacts of climate change on public 
health; and 
(3) advances in the development of strategies 
for preparing for and responding to the impacts of 
climate change on public health. 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) IMPLEMENTATION
THROUGH
HHS.—The 
Secretary shall exercise the Secretary’s authority 
under this Act and other Federal statutes to achieve 
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the goals and measures of the national strategic ac-
tion plan and climate and health program. 
(2) OTHER
PUBLIC
HEALTH
PROGRAMS
AND 
INITIATIVES.—The Secretary and Federal officials of 
other relevant Federal agencies shall administer 
public health programs and initiatives authorized by 
laws other than this Act, subject to the requirements 
of such laws, in a manner designed to achieve the 
goals of the national strategic action plan and cli-
mate and health program. 
SEC. 5. ADVISORY BOARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall, pursuant 
to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), 
establish a permanent science advisory board to be com-
prised of not less than 10 and not more than 20 members. 
(b) APPOINTMENT
OF MEMBERS.—The Secretary 
shall appoint the members of the science advisory board 
from among individuals who— 
(1) are recommended by the President of the 
National Academy of Sciences and the President of 
the National Academy of Medicine; and 
(2) have expertise in essential public health and 
health care services, including those related to vul-
nerable populations, climate change, and other rel-
evant disciplines. 
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(c) EXPERIENCE.—In appointing the members of the 
science advisory board, the Secretary shall ensure that the 
science advisory board includes members with practical or 
lived experience with relevant issues. 
(d) FUNCTIONS.—The science advisory board shall— 
(1) provide scientific and technical advice and 
recommendations to the Secretary on the domestic 
and international impacts of climate change on pub-
lic health, populations and regions particularly vul-
nerable to the effects of climate change, and strate-
gies and mechanisms to prepare for and respond to 
the impacts of climate change on public health; and 
(2) advise the Secretary regarding the best 
science available for purposes of issuing the national 
strategic action plan and conducting the climate and 
health program. 
SEC. 6. CLIMATE CHANGE HEALTH PROTECTION AND PRO-
MOTION REPORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall offer to enter 
into an agreement with the National Academies, under 
which the National Academies will prepare periodic re-
ports to aid public health and health care professionals 
in preparing for and responding to the adverse health ef-
fects of climate change that— 
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(1) review scientific developments on health im-
pacts of climate change; and 
(2) recommend changes to the national stra-
tegic action plan and climate and health program. 
(b) SUBMISSION.—The agreement under subsection 
(a) shall require a report to be submitted to Congress and 
the Secretary and made publicly available not later than 
2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 
4 years thereafter. 
Æ 
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