Strengthening Public Health Protections in Major Disasters and Emergencies Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-1805
Sponsor: Rep. Jefferson, William J. [D-LA-2]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Alabama
Block grants
Chemicals
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Crime and Law Enforcement
Directories
Disaster relief
Emergency Management
Environmental Protection
Environmental health
Environmental justice
Environmental monitoring
Epidemiology
Fire fighters
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Health education
Health surveys
Hurricanes
Labor and Employment
Law enforcement officers
Louisiana
Medical records
Medical research
Medical screening
Medical tests
Mental health
Mississippi
Occupational health and safety
Paramedical personnel
Physical examinations
Police
Preventive medicine
Rescue work
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Terrorism
Texas
Toxicology

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Strengthening Public Health Protections in Major Disasters and Emergencies Act of 2007 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to carry out a program for the protection, assessment, monitoring, and study of the health and safety of individuals who responded to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita or who respond to a major disaster or emergency, if chemicals or substances associated with potential acute or chronic human health effects were or are released in a major disaster area.

Makes participation voluntary. Requires the President to take appropriate measures to protect the privacy of registry or study participants. Authorizes the President to carry out such a program through a cooperative agreement with a medical institution (including a local health department) or a consortium of medical institutions. Requires the President to carry out such a program in accordance with certain privacy regulations.

Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enter jointly into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study and report on disaster area health and environmental protection and monitoring.

 Extends through September 30, 2010, the President's authority to establish a program to provide technical and financial assistance to state and local governments for the implementation of cost-effective predisaster hazard mitigation measures.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize payments from allotments made to a state for community outreach and education programs and other activities designed to prevent health and health care disparities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-03-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2007-03-29
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: 2007-03-29
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: 2007-03-29
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: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in House