text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Public Health 
  Protections in Major Disasters and Emergencies Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS IN A DISASTER 
                AREA.
  
      Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
  Assistance Act is amended by inserting after section 408 (42 U.S.C. 
  5174) the following:
  
  ``SEC. 409. PROTECTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS IN DISASTER 
                AREA.
  
      ``(a) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions 
  apply:
              ``(1) Individual.--The term `individual' includes--
                      ``(A) a worker or volunteer who responded to 
                  Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita or responds to a 
                  major disaster or emergency, including--
                              ``(i) a police officer;
                              ``(ii) a firefighter;
                              ``(iii) an emergency medical technician;
                              ``(iv) any participating member of an urban 
                          search and rescue team; and
                              ``(v) any other relief or rescue worker or 
                          volunteer that the President determines to be 
                          appropriate;
                      ``(B) a worker who responds to a disaster by 
                  assisting in the cleanup or restoration of critical 
                  infrastructure in and around a disaster area;
                      ``(C) a person whose place of residence is in a 
                  disaster area;
                      ``(D) a person who is employed in or attends 
                  school, child care, or adult day care in a building 
                  located in a disaster area; and
                      ``(E) any other person that the President 
                  determines to be appropriate.
              ``(2) Medical institution.--The term `medical institution' 
          includes a hospital facility (as such term is defined in 
          section 391 of the Energy Policy Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 
          6371) and an accredited public or nonprofit school of medicine.
              ``(3) Program.--The term `program' means a program 
          described in subsection (b) that is carried out for a disaster 
          area.
              ``(4) Substance of concern.--The term `substance of 
          concern' means a chemical or other substance that is associated 
          with potential acute or chronic human health effects, the risk 
          of exposure to which could potentially be increased as the 
          result of a disaster, as determined by the President.
      ``(b) Program.--
              ``(1) In general.--If the President determines that 1 or 
          more substances of concern are being, or have been, released in 
          an area declared to be a major disaster area under this Act, 
          the President may carry out a program for the protection, 
          assessment, monitoring, and study of the health and safety of 
          individuals to ensure that--
                      ``(A) the individuals are adequately informed about 
                  and protected against potential health impacts of any 
                  substance of concern and potential mental health 
                  impacts in a timely manner;
                      ``(B) the individuals are monitored and studied 
                  over time, including through baseline and follow-up 
                  clinical health examinations, for--
                              ``(i) any short- and long-term health 
                          impacts of any substance of concern; and
                              ``(ii) any mental health impacts;
                      ``(C) the individuals receive health care referrals 
                  as needed and appropriate; and
                      ``(D) information from any such monitoring and 
                  studies is used to prevent or protect against similar 
                  health impacts from future disasters.
              ``(2) Activities.--A program under paragraph (1) may 
          include such activities as--
                      ``(A) collecting and analyzing environmental 
                  exposure data;
                      ``(B) developing and disseminating information and 
                  educational materials;
                      ``(C) performing baseline and follow-up clinical 
                  health and mental health examinations and taking 
                  biological samples;
                      ``(D) establishing and maintaining an exposure 
                  registry;
                      ``(E) studying the short- and long-term human 
                  health impacts of any exposures through epidemiological 
                  and other health studies; and
                      ``(F) providing assistance to individuals in 
                  determining eligibility for health coverage and 
                  identifying appropriate health services.
              ``(3) Timing.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
          activities under any program established under paragraph (1) 
          (including baseline health examinations) shall be commenced in 
          a timely manner that will ensure the highest level of public 
          health protection and effective monitoring.
              ``(4) Participation in registries and studies.--
                      ``(A) In general.--Participation in any registry or 
                  study that is part of a program under paragraph (1) 
                  shall be voluntary.
                      ``(B) Protection of privacy.--The President shall 
                  take appropriate measures to protect the privacy of any 
                  participant in a registry or study described in 
                  subparagraph (A).
              ``(5) Cooperative agreements.--
                      ``(A) In general.--The President may carry out a 
                  program under paragraph (1) through a cooperative 
                  agreement with a medical institution, including a local 
                  health department, or a consortium of medical 
                  institutions.
                      ``(B) Selection criteria.--To the maximum extent 
                  practicable, the President shall select to carry out a 
                  program under paragraph (1) a medical institution or a 
                  consortium of medical institutions that--
                              ``(i) is located near--
                                      ``(I) the disaster area with 
                                  respect to which the program is carried 
                                  out; and
                                      ``(II) any other area in which 
                                  there reside groups of individuals that 
                                  worked or volunteered in response to 
                                  the disaster; and
                              ``(ii) has appropriate experience in the 
                          areas of environmental or occupational health, 
                          toxicology, and safety, including experience 
                          in--
                                      ``(I) developing clinical protocols 
                                  and conducting clinical health 
                                  examinations, including mental health 
                                  assessments;
                                      ``(II) conducting long-term health 
                                  monitoring and epidemiological studies;
                                      ``(III) conducting long-term mental 
                                  health studies; and
                                      ``(IV) establishing and maintaining 
                                  medical surveillance programs and 
                                  environmental exposure or disease 
                                  registries.
              ``(6) Involvement.--
                      ``(A) In general.--In establishing and maintaining 
                  a program under paragraph (1), the President shall 
                  involve interested and affected parties, as 
                  appropriate, including representatives of--
                              ``(i) Federal, State, and local government 
                          agencies;
                              ``(ii) groups of individuals that worked or 
                          volunteered in response to the disaster in the 
                          disaster area;
                              ``(iii) local residents, businesses, and 
                          schools (including parents and teachers);
                              ``(iv) health care providers; and
                              ``(v) other organizations and persons.
                      ``(B) Committees.--Involvement under subparagraph 
                  (A) may be provided through the establishment of an 
                  advisory or oversight committee or board.
              ``(7) Privacy.--The President shall carry out each program 
          under paragraph (1) in accordance with regulations relating to 
          privacy promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health 
          Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 
          11320d-2 note; Public Law 104-191).
      ``(c) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the establishment of a 
  program under subsection (b)(1), and every 5 years thereafter, the 
  President, or the medical institution or consortium of such 
  institutions having entered into a cooperative agreement under 
  subsection (b)(5), shall submit to the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
  the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, the 
  Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and appropriate 
  committees of Congress a report on programs and studies carried out 
  under the program.''.
  
  SEC. 3. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REPORT ON HURRICANE KATRINA AND 
                RITA DISASTER AREA HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 
                AND MONITORING.
  
      (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary 
  of Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the 
  Environmental Protection Agency shall jointly enter into a contract 
  with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and prepare a 
  report on disaster area health and environmental protection and 
  monitoring.
      (b) Expertise.--The report under subsection (a) shall be prepared 
  with the participation of individuals who have expertise in--
              (1) environmental health, safety, and medicine;
              (2) occupational health, safety, and medicine;
              (3) clinical medicine, including pediatrics;
              (4) toxicology;
              (5) epidemiology;
              (6) mental health;
              (7) medical monitoring and surveillance;
              (8) environmental monitoring and surveillance;
              (9) environmental and industrial hygiene;
              (10) emergency planning and preparedness;
              (11) public outreach and education;
              (12) State and local health departments;
              (13) State and local environmental protection departments;
              (14) functions of workers that respond to disasters, 
          including first responders;
              (15) public health and family services;
              (16) environmental justice; and
              (17) health and health care disparities.
      (c) Contents.--The report under subsection (a) shall provide advice 
  and recommendations regarding protecting and monitoring the health and 
  safety of individuals potentially exposed to any chemical or other 
  substance associated with potential acute or chronic human health 
  effects as the result of a disaster, including advice and 
  recommendations regarding--
              (1) the establishment of protocols for the monitoring of 
          and response to chemical or substance releases in a disaster 
          area for the purpose of protecting public health and safety, 
          including--
                      (A) chemicals or other substances for which samples 
                  should be collected in the event of a disaster, 
                  including a terrorist attack;
                      (B) chemical- or substance-specific methods of 
                  sample collection, including sampling methodologies and 
                  locations;
                      (C) chemical- or substance-specific methods of 
                  sample analysis;
                      (D) health-based threshold levels to be used and 
                  response actions to be taken in the event that 
                  thresholds are exceeded for individual chemicals or 
                  other substances;
                      (E) procedures for providing monitoring results 
                  to--
                              (i) appropriate Federal, State, and local 
                          government agencies;
                              (ii) appropriate response personnel; and
                              (iii) the public;.
                      (F) responsibilities of Federal, State and local 
                  agencies for--
                              (i) collecting and analyzing samples;
                              (ii) reporting results; and
                              (iii) taking appropriate response actions; 
                          and
                      (G) capabilities and capacity within the Federal 
                  Government to conduct appropriate environmental 
                  monitoring and response in the event of a disaster, 
                  including a terrorist attack; and
              (2) other issues as specified by the Secretary of Homeland 
          Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the 
          Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
      (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
  appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
  
  SEC. 4. PREDISASTER HAZARD MITIGATION.
  
      Section 203(m) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
  Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133(m)) is amended by striking 
  ``December 31, 2008'' and inserting ``September 30, 2010''.
  
  SEC. 5. PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES BLOCK GRANTS; USE OF ALLOTMENTS.
  
      Section 1904(a)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
  300w-3(a)(1)) is amended--
              (1) in subparagraph (G)--
                      (A) by striking ``through (F)'' and inserting 
                  ``through (G)''; and
                      (B) by redesignating such subparagraph as 
                  subparagraph (H); and
              (2) by inserting after subparagraph (F), the following:
                      ``(G) Community outreach and education programs and 
                  other activities designed to address and prevent health 
                  and health care disparities.''.
target: 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.
feat_title: To provide services to certain volunteers and workers.