SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVID-
UALS IN A DISASTER AREA. 
Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act is amended by inserting after 
section 408 (42 U.S.C. 5174) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 409. PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDI-
VIDUALS IN A DISASTER AREA. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘individual’ in-
cludes— 
‘‘(A) a worker or volunteer who responds 
to a disaster, including— 
‘‘(i) a police officer; 
‘‘(ii) a firefighter; 
‘‘(iii) an emergency medical techni-
cian; 
‘‘(iv) any participating member of an 
urban search and rescue team; and 
‘‘(v) any other relief or rescue worker 
or volunteer that the President determines 
to be appropriate; 
‘‘(B) a worker who responds to a disaster 
by assisting in the cleanup or restoration of 
critical infrastructure in and around a disaster 
area;
‘‘(C) a person whose place of residence is 
in a disaster area; 
‘‘(D) a person who is employed in or at-
tends school, child care, or adult day care in a 
building located in a disaster area; and 
‘‘(E) any other person that the President 
determines to be appropriate. 
‘‘(2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means a 
program described in subsection (b) that is carried 
out for a disaster area. 
‘‘(3) SUBSTANCE
OF
CONCERN.—The term 
‘substance of concern’ means a chemical or other 
substance that is associated with potential acute or 
chronic human health effects, the risk of exposure to 
which could potentially be increased as the result of 
a disaster, as determined by the President. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If the President determines 
that 1 or more substances of concern are being, or 
have been, released in an area declared to be a dis-
aster area under this Act, the President may carry 
out a program for the protection, assessment, moni-
toring, and study of the health and safety of individ-
uals to ensure that—
‘‘(A) the individuals are adequately in-
formed about and protected against potential 
health impacts of any substance of concern and 
potential mental health impacts in a timely 
manner; 
‘‘(B) the individuals are monitored and 
studied over time, including through baseline 
and followup clinical health examinations, for— 
‘‘(i) any short- and long-term health 
impacts of any substance of concern; and 
‘‘(ii) any mental health impacts; 
‘‘(C) the individuals receive health care re-
ferrals as needed and appropriate; and 
‘‘(D) information from any such moni-
toring and studies is used to prevent or protect 
against similar health impacts from future dis-
asters. 
‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—A program under paragraph 
(1) may include such activities as— 
‘‘(A) collecting and analyzing environ-
mental exposure data; 
‘‘(B) developing and disseminating infor-
mation and educational materials;
‘‘(C) performing baseline and followup clin-
ical health and mental health examinations and 
taking biological samples; 
‘‘(D) establishing and maintaining an ex-
posure registry; 
‘‘(E) studying the short- and long-term 
human health impacts of any exposures through 
epidemiological and other health studies; and 
‘‘(F) providing assistance to individuals in 
determining eligibility for health coverage and 
identifying appropriate health services. 
‘‘(3) TIMING.—To the maximum extent prac-
ticable, activities under any program established 
under paragraph (1) (including baseline health ex-
aminations) shall be commenced in a timely manner 
that will ensure the highest level of public health 
protection and effective monitoring. 
‘‘(4) PARTICIPATION IN REGISTRIES AND STUD-
IES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Participation in any 
registry or study that is part of a program 
under paragraph (1) shall be voluntary. 
‘‘(B) 
PROTECTION
OF
PRIVACY.—The 
President shall take appropriate measures to
protect the privacy of any participant in a reg-
istry or study described in subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(5) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The President may 
carry out a program under paragraph (1) 
through a cooperative agreement with a medical 
institution, including a local health department, 
or a consortium of medical institutions. 
‘‘(B) SELECTION CRITERIA.—To the max-
imum extent practicable, the President shall se-
lect to carry out a program under paragraph 
(1) a medical institution or a consortium of 
medical institutions that— 
‘‘(i) is located near— 
‘‘(I) the disaster area with re-
spect to which the program is carried 
out; and 
‘‘(II) any other area in which 
there reside groups of individuals that 
worked or volunteered in response to 
the disaster; and 
‘‘(ii) has appropriate experience in the 
areas of environmental or occupational 
health, toxicology, and safety, including ex-
perience in—
‘‘(I) developing clinical protocols 
and conducting clinical health exami-
nations, including mental health as-
sessments; 
‘‘(II) conducting long-term health 
monitoring and epidemiological stud-
ies; 
‘‘(III) conducting long-term men-
tal health studies; and 
‘‘(IV) establishing and maintain-
ing medical surveillance programs and 
environmental exposure or disease 
registries. 
‘‘(6) INVOLVEMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In establishing and 
maintaining a program under paragraph (1), 
the President shall involve interested and af-
fected parties, as appropriate, including rep-
resentatives of— 
‘‘(i) Federal, State, and local govern-
ment agencies; 
‘‘(ii) groups of individuals that worked 
or volunteered in response to the disaster 
in the disaster area;