Title: Guaranteeing Equipment Safety for Firefighters Act of 2019
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Guaranteeing Equipment Safety for Firefighters Act of 2019
This bill requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to study and report on the contents and composition of certain firefighting equipment.
Such study shall examine perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, in new and unused personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by firefighters. PFAS are man-made substances that may have adverse human health effects, and which are contained in a variety of PPE. Specifically NIST must study (1) the identity, prevalence, and concentration of PFAS in such PPE; (2) the conditions and extent to which PFAS are released into the environment from the degradation of such PPE from normal use by firefighters; and (3) the relative risk of exposure to PFAS faced by firefighters.
NIST shall issue a solicitation for research proposals to carry out recommendations from its report and award grants to applicants that submit proposals to develop safe alternatives to PFAS in firefighters' PPE.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2525 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2525

  To require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to conduct a study of personal protective equipment worn by 
firefighters to determine the prevalence and concentration of per- and 
          polyfluoroalkyl substances, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 19, 2019

  Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Mr. Gardner) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to conduct a study of personal protective equipment worn by 
firefighters to determine the prevalence and concentration of per- and 
          polyfluoroalkyl substances, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Guaranteeing Equipment Safety for 
Firefighters Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY STUDY ON PER- 
              AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN PERSONAL PROTECTIVE 
              EQUIPMENT WORN BY FIREFIGHTERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the enactment of this 
Act, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
shall, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health, commence a study of the contents and 
composition of new and unused personal protective equipment worn by 
firefighters.
    (b) Contents of Study.--In carrying out the study required by 
subsection (a), the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology shall examine--
            (1) the identity, prevalence, and concentration of per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly known as ``PFAS'') in the 
        personal protective equipment worn by firefighters;
            (2) the conditions and extent to which per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances are released into the environment 
        over time from the degradation of personal protective equipment 
        from normal use by firefighters; and
            (3) the relative risk of exposure to per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances faced by firefighters from--
                    (A) their use of personal protective equipment; and
                    (B) degradation of personal protective equipment 
                from normal use by firefighters.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a report 
describing--
            (1) the findings of the Director with respect to the study 
        carried out under subsection (a); and
            (2) recommendations on what additional research or 
        technical improvements to personal protective equipment 
        materials or components should be pursued to avoid unnecessary 
        occupational exposure among firefighters to per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances through personal protective 
        equipment.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN PERSONAL 
              PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WORN BY FIREFIGHTERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 540 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall--
            (1) issue a solicitation for research proposals to carry 
        out the research recommendations identified in the report 
        submitted under section 2(c); and
            (2) award grants to applicants that submit research 
        proposals to develop safe alternatives to per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances in personal protective equipment.
    (b) Criteria.--The Director shall select research proposals to 
receive a grant under subsection (a) on the basis of merit, using 
criteria identified by the Director, including the likelihood that the 
research results will address the findings of the Director with respect 
to the study conducted under section 2(a).
    (c) Eligible Entities.--Any entity or group of 2 or more entities 
may submit to the Director a research proposal in response to the 
solicitation for research proposals under subsection (a), including--
            (1) State and local agencies;
            (2) public institutions, including public institutions of 
        higher education;
            (3) private corporations; and
            (4) nonprofit organizations.
    (d) Funding.--
            (1) Requests.--Beginning in the first full fiscal year 
        following the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less 
        frequently than once each year thereafter for 2 years, the 
        Director may request such funding as the Director considers 
        necessary to carry out this section.
            (2) Limitation.--In carrying out this section, the Director 
        may not expend or obligate more than $5,000,000 in any 1 fiscal 
        year.

SEC. 4. AUTHORITY FOR DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS 
              AND TECHNOLOGY TO CONSULT WITH EXPERTS ON MATTERS 
              RELATING TO PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES.

    In carrying out this Act, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology may consult with Federal agencies, 
nongovernmental organizations, State and local governments, and science 
and research institutions determined by the Director to have scientific 
or material interest in reducing unnecessary occupational exposure to 
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by firefighters.
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