Community Disease Cluster Assistance Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Community Disease Cluster Assistance 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.

SEC. 3. COMMUNITY DISEASE CLUSTER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator, in coordination with the 
Secretary may award grants in accordance with this Act to any 
individual or group of individuals that may be affected by a reported 
community-based disease cluster--
            (1) to pay the Federal share of the technical assistance 
        described in subsection (d);
            (2) to protect public health and the environment;
            (3) to promote healthy and safe environments; and
            (4) to prevent and address harmful exposures to hazardous 
        substances.
    (b) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible for a grant under this Act, 
        an individual or group of individuals shall submit to the 
        Administrator and the Secretary an application that contains a 
        description of the--
                    (A) need for technical assistance, including the 
                need to procure independent technical advisors to help 
                grant recipients interpret the information described in 
                subsection (d);
                    (B) expected outputs, including results, effects, 
                or consequences that will occur from the technical 
                assistance; and
                    (C) expected outcomes, including activity, effort, 
                or associated work products that will be produced or 
                provided over a period of time or by a specific date.
            (2) Response.--Not later than 120 days after the date on 
        which an application is submitted under paragraph (1), the 
        Administrator and the Secretary shall respond to each applicant 
        in writing and describe whether the application is approved, 
        denied, or will be considered after the applicant modifies the 
        application.
            (3) Criteria.--The Administrator, in coordination with the 
        Secretary, shall develop criteria that, if satisfied, would 
        result in the Administrator and the Secretary accepting an 
        application submitted under paragraph (1).
    (c) Amount.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), each 
        grant awarded under this Act shall not exceed $50,000.
            (2) Waiver.--The Administrator, in coordination with the 
        Secretary, may waive the limitation described in paragraph (1) 
        if the waiver is necessary to provide the technical assistance 
        described in subsection (d).
    (d) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this Act shall be used to 
obtain technical assistance in interpreting information regarding--
            (1) investigating reported community-based disease clusters 
        associated with 1 or more hazardous chemicals;
            (2) the potential hazardous chemicals associated with a 
        reported community-based disease cluster;
            (3) providing individuals or groups of individuals with 
        community-based tools to educate the individuals on the 
        mitigation of hazardous chemicals associated with reported 
        community-based disease clusters; or
            (4) other scientific and technical issues related to 
        reported community-based disease clusters.
    (e) Number of Grants.--No individual or group of individuals shall 
be awarded more than 1 grant under this Act.
    (f) Non-Federal Share.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        non-Federal share for each grant awarded under this Act is 20 
        percent.
            (2) Waiver.--The Administrator, in coordination with the 
        Secretary, may waive the non-Federal share described in 
        paragraph (1) if--
                    (A) the recipient of the grant demonstrates 
                financial need; and
                    (B) the waiver is necessary to provide the 
                technical assistance described in subsection (d).
    (g) Renewal of Grant.--
            (1) In general.--Any grant awarded under this Act may be 
        renewed to facilitate technical assistance to any group of 
        individuals that may be affected by a reported community-based 
        disease cluster.
            (2) Conditions.--Each renewal of a grant awarded under this 
        Act is subject to the same conditions that apply to an initial 
        grant.
    (h) Reports.--Any recipient of a grant awarded under this Act shall 
submit to the Administrator and the Secretary a report that describes 
the progress in addressing the needs and achieving the outputs and 
outcomes described in subsection (b).

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    For each of fiscal years 2013 through 2018, there are authorized to 
be appropriated to the Administrator and the Secretary from any funds 
made available to the Administrator and the Secretary for the purpose 
of providing community members with technical assistance and engagement 
on environmental health issues from the Hazardous Substance Superfund 
established under section 9507 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
such sums as are necessary to carry out section 3.

SEC. 5. EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.

    Nothing in this Act modifies, limits, or otherwise affects the 
application of, or obligation to comply with, any law, including any 
environmental or public health law.

Summary: Community Disease Cluster Assistance Act - Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to award grants to any individual or group of individuals that may be affected by a reported community-based disease cluster. Requires such grants to be used to obtain technical assistance in interpreting information regarding: (1) investigating such reported disease clusters associated with hazardous chemicals, (2) the potential hazardous chemicals associated with a reported disease cluster, (3) providing individuals or groups with community-based tools to educate them about the mitigation of hazardous chemicals associated with reported disease clusters, or (4) other scientific and technical issues related to reported disease clusters.