I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3782 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national 
strategic action plan and program to assist health professionals in pre-
paring for and responding to the public health effects of climate change, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 
Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. SCHNEIDER, 
Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. COHEN, 
Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. EVANS, Mr. GRIJALVA, 
Mr. HECK, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KILMER, Mr. LANGEVIN, 
Ms. LEE, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. POLIS, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. 
RASKIN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. TONKO, Ms. TSONGAS, Ms. WASSERMAN 
SCHULTZ, and Ms. HANABUSA) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
develop a national strategic action plan and program 
to assist health professionals in preparing for and re-
sponding to the public health effects of climate change, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Climate Change Health 
Protection and Promotion Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND CLI-
MATE CHANGE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The United States Global Change 
Research Program Climate and Health Assessment states 
that— 
(1) the impacts of human-induced climate 
change are increasing nationwide; 
(2) rising greenhouse gas concentrations result 
in increases in temperature, changes in precipitation, 
increases in the frequency and intensity of some ex-
treme weather events, and rising sea levels; 
(3) these climate change impacts endanger our 
health by affecting our food and water sources, the 
air we breathe, the weather we experience, and our 
interactions with the built and natural environments; 
and 
(4) as the climate continues to change, the risks 
to human health continue to grow. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) climate change is real; 
(2) human activity significantly contributes to 
climate change; 
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(3) climate change negatively impacts health; 
and 
(4) 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, 
States, Tribes, 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 utility and value of scientific 
research in advancing understanding of— 
(I) the health impacts of climate 
change; and 
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(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, and low-income popu-
lations, the development of strategic re-
sponse plans to be carried 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— 
(i) understand and monitor the health 
impacts of climate change; 
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(ii) improve public health knowledge 
and response strategies to climate change; 
and 
(iii) identify actions and policies that 
are beneficial to health and contribute to 
climate solutions; 
(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 American 
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) 
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. 
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scientists, and other interested stakeholders; 
and 
(B) provide opportunity for public input 
and consultation with Tribes and Native Amer-
ican 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-
lic health in the United States and other nations, 
particularly developing nations. 
(2) NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN.—The national 
strategic plan shall include an assessment of the 
health system capacity of the United States to ad-
dress climate change including— 
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(A) the identification and prioritization of 
communities 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) the identification and assessment of 
existing preparedness and response strategies 
for the health impacts of climate change; 
(E) the prioritization of critical public 
health and health care infrastructure projects; 
(F) providing modeling and forecasting 
tools of climate change health impacts; 
(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 
and developing nations; and 
(I) developing, improving, integrating, and 
maintaining domestic and international disease 
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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; 
(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; 
(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; and 
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(x) extreme heat and weather events. 
(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: 
(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, such as increased heat stress, degraded 
air and water quality, food, or water-related in-
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fections, vector-borne illnesses, pulmonary and 
cardiovascular effects, mental and behavioral 
health effects and food, water, and nutrient in-
security. 
(F) Communicate the health-related as-
pects of climate change, including risks and 
ways to reduce them, to the public, decision-
makers, public health professionals, 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 United States and global health aspects 
of climate change. 
(H) Provide leadership to State and local 
governments, community leaders, health care 
professionals, nongovernmental organizations, 
the 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 
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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. 
(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)(2), 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 
parameters and related human health impacts; 
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(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 
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 (Public Law 92– 
463), establish a permanent science advisory board to be 
comprised of not less than 10 and not more than 20 mem-
bers. 
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(b) APPOINTMENT
OF MEMBERS.—The Secretary 
shall appoint the members of the science advisory board 
(referred to in this subsection as the ‘‘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. 
(c) 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. 
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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 Research Council, 
under which the National Research Council will prepare 
periodic reports to aid public health and health care pro-
fessionals in preparing for and responding to the adverse 
health effects of climate change that— 
(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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