Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2008
PL 110-354 (H.R.1157), enacted 10/08/2008

122 STAT. 3984 
PUBLIC LAW 110–354—OCT. 8, 2008 
Public Law 110–354 
110th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National 
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for the development 
and operation of research centers regarding environmental factors that may be 
related to the etiology of breast cancer. 
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 ‘‘Breast Cancer and Environmental 
Research Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. EXPANDING COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ON BREAST CANCER 
AND THE ENVIRONMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart 1 of part C of title IV of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 417F. INTERAGENCY BREAST CANCER AND ENVIRONMENTAL 
RESEARCH COORDINATING COMMITTEE. 
‘‘(a) INTERAGENCY
BREAST
CANCER
AND
ENVIRONMENTAL 
RESEARCH COORDINATING COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall estab-
lish a committee, to be known as the Interagency Breast Cancer 
and Environmental Research Coordinating Committee (in this 
section referred to as the ‘Committee’). 
‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Committee shall— 
‘‘(A) share and coordinate information on existing 
research activities, and make recommendations to the 
National Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies 
regarding how to improve existing research programs, that 
are related to breast cancer research; 
‘‘(B) develop a comprehensive strategy and advise the 
National Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies 
in the solicitation of proposals for collaborative, multidisci-
plinary research, including proposals to evaluate environ-
mental and genomic factors that may be related to the 
etiology of breast cancer that would— 
‘‘(i) result in innovative approaches to study 
emerging scientific opportunities or eliminate knowl-
edge gaps in research to improve the research portfolio; 
‘‘(ii) outline key research questions, methodologies, 
and knowledge gaps; 
Deadline. 
42 USC 285a–12. 
42 USC 201 note. 
Breast Cancer 
and 
Environmental 
Research 
Act of 2008. 
Oct. 8, 2008 
[H.R. 1157] 
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122 STAT. 3985 
PUBLIC LAW 110–354—OCT. 8, 2008 
‘‘(iii) expand the number of research proposals that 
involve collaboration between 2 or more national 
research institutes or national centers, including pro-
posals for Common Fund research described in section 
402(b)(7) to improve the research portfolio; and 
‘‘(iv) expand the number of collaborative, multi-
disciplinary, and multi-institutional research grants; 
‘‘(C) develop a summary of advances in breast cancer 
research supported or conducted by Federal agencies rel-
evant to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer 
and other diseases and disorders; and 
‘‘(D) not later than 2 years after the date of the 
establishment of the Committee, make recommendations 
to the Secretary— 
‘‘(i) regarding any appropriate changes to research 
activities, including recommendations to improve the 
research portfolio of the National Institutes of Health 
to ensure that scientifically-based strategic planning 
is implemented in support of research priorities that 
impact breast cancer research activities; 
‘‘(ii) to ensure that the activities of the National 
Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies, 
including the Department of Defense, are free of 
unnecessary duplication of effort; 
‘‘(iii) regarding public participation in decisions 
relating to breast cancer research to increase the 
involvement of patient advocacy and community 
organizations representing a broad geographical area; 
‘‘(iv) on how best to disseminate information on 
breast cancer research progress; and 
‘‘(v) on how to expand partnerships between public 
entities, including Federal agencies, and private enti-
ties to expand collaborative, cross-cutting research. 
‘‘(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—For the purposes of the Com-
mittee, when focusing on research to evaluate environmental 
and genomic factors that may be related to the etiology of 
breast cancer, nothing in this section shall be construed to 
restrict the Secretary from including other forms of cancer, 
as appropriate, when doing so may advance research in breast 
cancer or advance research in other forms of cancer. 
‘‘(4) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall be composed 
of the following voting members: 
‘‘(i) Not more than 7 voting Federal representatives 
as follows: 
‘‘(I) The Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention. 
‘‘(II) The Director of the National Institutes 
of Health and the directors of such national 
research institutes and national centers (which 
may include the National Institute of Environ-
mental Health Sciences) as the Secretary deter-
mines appropriate. 
‘‘(III) One representative from the National 
Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors, 
appointed by the Director of the National Cancer 
Institute. 
Deadline. 
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122 STAT. 3986 
PUBLIC LAW 110–354—OCT. 8, 2008 
‘‘(IV) The heads of such other agencies of the 
Department of Health and Human Services as the 
Secretary determines appropriate. 
‘‘(V) Representatives of other Federal agencies 
that conduct or support cancer research, including 
the Department of Defense. 
‘‘(ii) 12 additional voting members appointed under 
subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL
MEMBERS.—The Committee shall 
include additional voting members appointed by the Sec-
retary as follows: 
‘‘(i) 6 members shall be appointed from among 
scientists, physicians, and other health professionals, 
who— 
‘‘(I) are not officers or employees of the United 
States; 
‘‘(II) represent multiple disciplines, including 
clinical, basic, and public health sciences; 
‘‘(III) represent different geographical regions 
of the United States; 
‘‘(IV) are from practice settings, academia, or 
other research settings; and 
‘‘(V) are experienced in scientific peer review 
process. 
‘‘(ii) 6 members shall be appointed from members 
of the general public, who represent individuals with 
breast cancer. 
‘‘(C) NONVOTING
MEMBERS.—The Committee shall 
include such nonvoting members as the Secretary deter-
mines to be appropriate. 
‘‘(5) CHAIRPERSON.—The voting members of the Committee 
shall select a chairperson from among such members. The 
selection of a chairperson shall be subject to the approval 
of the Director of NIH. 
‘‘(6) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall meet at the call of 
the chairperson of the Committee or upon the request of the 
Director of NIH, but in no case less often than once each 
year. 
‘‘(b) REVIEW.—The Secretary shall review the necessity of the 
Committee in calendar year 2011 and, thereafter, at least once 
every 2 years.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the purpose of 
carrying out research activities under title IV of the Public Health 
Service Act, including section 417F of such Act as added by sub-
section (a), there are authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2012. Amounts authorized 
to be appropriated under the preceding sentence shall be in addition 
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122 STAT. 3987 
PUBLIC LAW 110–354—OCT. 8, 2008 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1157 (S. 579): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 110–889 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 154 (2008): 
Sept. 25, considered and passed House. 
Sept. 27, considered and passed Senate. 
to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated for such pur-
pose under section 402A of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 282a). 
Approved October 8, 2008. 
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