I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5897 
To establish a health registry to ensure that certain individuals who may 
have been exposed to formaldehyde in a travel trailer have an opportunity 
to register for such registry and receive medical treatment for such 
exposure, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 24, 2008 
Mr. BARROW (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, and Mr. TOWNS) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To establish a health registry to ensure that certain individ-
uals who may have been exposed to formaldehyde in 
a travel trailer have an opportunity to register for such 
registry and receive medical treatment for such exposure, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Travel Trailer Resi-
dents’ Health Registry Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF REGISTRY. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices, shall— 
(1) establish and maintain a health registry for 
eligible individuals who may have been exposed to 
formaldehyde in a travel trailer; 
(2) include any information in such registry 
that the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
determines necessary to ascertain and monitor the 
health effects of the exposure to formaldehyde in a 
travel trailer by eligible individuals; 
(3) develop a public information campaign to 
inform eligible individuals about the health registry, 
including how and where to register and the benefits 
of registering; and 
(4) periodically notify eligible individuals of sig-
nificant developments in the study and treatment of 
conditions associated with exposure to formaldehyde. 
SEC. 3. TREATMENT AND STUDY OF HEALTH EFFECTS. 
(a) EXAMINATION OF ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall enter into an agreement with the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services to provide ini-
tial and ongoing health examinations, consultations, 
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and mental health counseling free of charge to each 
eligible individual for the purposes of— 
(A) assisting eligible individuals with any 
health effects associated with exposure to form-
aldehyde in a travel trailer; 
(B) ascertaining and monitoring the health 
effects on each eligible individual of exposure to 
formaldehyde in such a trailer; and 
(C) completing the epidemiological study 
required under subsection (b). 
(2) INFORMATION
FEEDBACK.—Such health 
consultation and mental health counseling described 
in paragraph (1) shall provide to each eligible indi-
vidual information regarding the examination results 
for such individual, as well as any available informa-
tion concerning ongoing developments in the study 
and treatment of conditions associated with exposure 
to formaldehyde. 
(b) EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY.—Not later than 90 
days after the establishment of the health registry under 
section 2, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall commence an epidemiological study of the immediate 
and long-term effects of exposure to formaldehyde in a 
travel trailer sufficient to further understand the imme-
diate and long-term medical needs of eligible individuals. 
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SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
(a) REPORT BY INDEPENDENT SCIENTIFIC ORGANI-
ZATION.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall enter into an agreement with an independent sci-
entific organization to submit a report to Congress, not 
later than 18 months after the establishment of the reg-
istry, containing the following: 
(1) EFFECTIVENESS OF SECRETARIES.—An as-
sessment of the effectiveness of actions taken by the 
Secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security 
and the Department of Health and Human Services 
to collect and maintain information on the health 
consequences of exposure to formaldehyde in a travel 
trailer. 
(2) COLLECTION
AND
MAINTENANCE.—Rec-
ommendations to improve the collection and mainte-
nance of such information. 
(3) MEDICAL NEEDS.—Using the ongoing epi-
demiological study under section 3(b), recommenda-
tions regarding the most effective and prudent 
means of addressing the medical needs of eligible in-
dividuals, as such needs relate to conditions likely to 
result from exposure to formaldehyde in a travel 
trailer. 
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SEC. 5. FUNDING. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) TRAVEL TRAILERS.—For the purposes of this 
Act, the term ‘‘travel trailer’’ means any temporary hous-
ing unit provided by the Federal Government to individ-
uals displaced by a major disaster that occurred between 
August 29, 2005, and January 1, 2008. 
(b) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.—For the purposes of 
this Act, the term ‘‘eligible individual’’ means any indi-
vidual who— 
(1) lawfully resided in a travel trailer; and 
(2) applied or applies for inclusion on the 
health registry established pursuant to this Act. 
Æ 
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