I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2023 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national 
strategic action plan to assist health professionals in preparing for and 
responding to the public health effects of climate change, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2013 
Mrs. CAPPS (for herself, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. MARKEY, and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
develop a national strategic action plan to assist health 
professionals in preparing for and responding to the pub-
lic health effects of climate change, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Climate Change Health 
Protection and Promotion Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND CLI-
MATE CHANGE. 
It is the sense of the Congress that the Federal Gov-
ernment, in cooperation with international, State, tribal, 
and local governments, concerned public and private orga-
nizations, and citizens, should use all practicable means 
and measures— 
(1) to assist the efforts of public health and 
health care professionals, first responders, States, 
tribes, municipalities, and local communities to in-
corporate measures to prepare health systems to re-
spond to the impacts of climate change; 
(2) to ensure— 
(A) that the Nation’s health professionals 
have sufficient information to prepare for and 
respond to the adverse health impacts of cli-
mate change; 
(B) the utility and value of scientific re-
search in advancing understanding of— 
(i) the health impacts of climate 
change; and 
(ii) strategies to prepare for and re-
spond to the health impacts of climate 
change; 
(C) the identification of communities vul-
nerable to the health effects of climate change 
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and the development of strategic response plans 
to be carried out by health professionals for 
those communities; 
(D) the improvement of health status and 
health equity through efforts to prepare for and 
respond to climate change; and 
(E) the inclusion of health policy in the de-
velopment of climate change responses; 
(3) to encourage further research, interdiscipli-
nary partnership, and collaboration among stake-
holders in order to— 
(A) understand and monitor the health im-
pacts of climate change; and 
(B) improve public health knowledge and 
response strategies to climate change; 
(4) to enhance preparedness activities, and pub-
lic health infrastructure, relating to climate change 
and health; 
(5) to encourage each and every American to 
learn about the impacts of climate change on health; 
and 
(6) to assist the efforts of developing nations to 
incorporate measures to prepare health systems to 
respond to the impacts of climate change. 
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