Cell Phone Right to Know Act

Bill: 112-hr-6358
Sponsor: Rep. Kucinich, Dennis J. [D-OH-10]
Introduced: 2012-08-03 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Aging
Child health
Consumer affairs
Department of Health and Human Services
Education programs funding
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental health
Environmental regulatory procedures
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Government information and archives
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Higher education
Medical research
Product safety and quality
Radiation
Research administration and funding
Science and engineering education
Sex and reproductive health
Student aid and college costs
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-03
text: 
Cell Phone Right to Know Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) conduct or support a comprehensive research program to determine whether exposure to electromagnetic fields from mobile communication devices causes adverse biological effects in humans, including vulnerable subpopulations such as children, pregnant women, those with compromised immune systems and hypersensitivity reactions, men and women of reproductive age, and the elderly; (2) disseminate research results to the general public; and (3) report findings and conclusions to Congress.
 
Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate regulations to allow a subscriber to access personally or to give consent to allow researchers with institutional review board approval to access specific usage data required to investigate the link between electromagnetic radiation exposure and potential adverse biological effects in humans. 
 
Directs the EPA to promulgate regulations establishing maximum exposure level goals and maximum exposure levels for exposure to electromagnetic fields generated by mobile communication devices. 
 
Directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (FDA) to promulgate regulations to provide for labeling (including exposure ratings and the maximum allowable exposure levels and goals) on mobile communication devices, packaging, instruction manuals, and at points of sale in stores and on websites.
 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase: (1) the number and size of grants to institutions for training scientists in the field of examining the relationship between electromagnetic fields and human health; and (2) the number of career development awards for such training for health professionals pursuing careers in pediatric basic and clinical research, including pediatric pharmacological research. 
 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a graduate educational loan repayment program and authorize national awards for researchers in such fields.
 
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 with respect to the prohibition on state or local government zoning regulation of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of radiofrequency emissions. Excludes from such prohibition state or local regulation based on the adverse human health effects of emissions of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2012-08-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2012-08-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2012-08-03
text: Introduced in House