Strengthening Public Health Protections in Major Disasters and Emergencies Act

Bill: 109-hr-6399
Sponsor: Rep. Jefferson, William J. [D-LA-2]
Introduced: 2006-12-06 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Alabama
Block grants
Chemicals
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Disaster relief
Disasters
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Emergency Management
Environmental Protection
Environmental health
Environmental monitoring
Epidemiology
Fire fighters
Floods
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Health education
Health information systems
Health surveys
Higher education
Hurricane aftermath legislation
Hurricanes
Labor and Employment
Louisiana
Medical records
Medical research
Medical screening
Medical statistics
Medical tests
Mental health
Mental health services
Mississippi
Occupational health and safety
Paramedical personnel
Police
Preventive medicine
Rescue work
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Students
Texas
Toxicology
Volunteer workers

Summary:
action_date: 2006-12-06
text: 
Strengthening Public Health Protections in Major Disasters and Emergencies Act - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President, if one or more chemicals or substances associated with potential acute or chronic human health effects are being or have been released in a major disaster area, to carry out a program for the protection, assessment, monitoring, and study of the health and safety of workers or volunteers who responded to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita or who respond to a major disaster or emergency, residents in a disaster area, or persons who are employed in, or who attend school, child care, or adult day care in, a disaster area.
 
Authorizes the President to carry out such a program through a cooperative agreement with a medical institution or consortium of medical institutions, especially those located near the disaster area and any other area in which there reside groups of individuals that worked or volunteered in response to the disaster. Requires such institution to have appropriate experience in the areas of environmental or occupational health, toxicology, and safety.
 
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enter jointly into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study and report on disaster area health and environmental protection and monitoring.
 
Amends: (1) the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to extend to September 30, 2010, the authority for the predisaster hazard mitigation program; and (2) the Public Health Service Act to authorize the use of preventive health services block grants for community outreach and education programs and other activities designed to address and prevent health and health care disparities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-12-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-12-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-12-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-12-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-12-06
text: Introduced in House