text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Breast Cancer and Environmental 
  Research Act of 2001''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds as follows:
              (1) Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer 
          deaths among American women.
              (2) More women in the United States are living with breast 
          cancer than any other cancer (excluding skin cancer). 
          Approximately 3,000,000 women in the United States are living 
          with breast cancer, 2,000,000 of which have been diagnosed and 
          an estimated 1,000,000 who do not yet know that they have the 
          disease.
              (3) Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer 
          among women in the United States and worldwide (excluding skin 
          cancer). In 2001, it is estimated that 233,000 new cases of 
          breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United 
          States, 192,000 cases of which will involve invasive breast 
          cancer and 40,800 cases of which will involve ductal carcinoma 
          in situ (DCIS).
              (4) Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer 
          death for women in the United States. Approximately 40,000 
          women in the United States die from the disease each year. 
          Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women in 
          the United States between the ages of 20 and 59, and the 
          leading cause of cancer death for women worldwide.
              (5) A woman in the United States has a 1 in 8 chance of 
          developing invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. This risk 
          was 1 in 11 in 1975. In 2001, a new case of breast cancer will 
          be diagnosed every 2 minutes and a woman will die from breast 
          cancer every 13 minutes.
              (6) All women are at risk for breast cancer. About 90 
          percent of women who develop breast cancer do not have a family 
          history of the disease.
              (7) The National Action Plan on Breast Cancer, a public 
          private partnership, has recognized the importance of expanding 
          the scope and breadth of biomedical, epidemiological, and 
          behavioral research activities related to the etiology of 
          breast cancer and the role of the environment.
              (8) To date, there has been only a limited research 
          investment to expand the scope or coordinate efforts across 
          disciplines or work with the community to study the role of the 
          environment in the development of breast cancer.
              (9) In order to take full advantage of the tremendous 
          potential for avenues of prevention, the Federal investment in 
          the role of the environment and the development of breast 
          cancer should be expanded.
              (10) In order to understand the effect of chemicals and 
          radiation on the development of cancer, multi-generational, 
          prospective studies are probably required.
  
  SEC. 3. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES; AWARDS FOR 
                DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF RESEARCH CENTERS REGARDING 
                ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS RELATED TO BREAST CANCER.
  
      Subpart 12 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act 
  (42 U.S.C. 285l et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
  section:
  
  ``SEC. 463B. RESEARCH CENTERS REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS RELATED 
                TO BREAST CANCER.
  
      ``(a) In General.--The Director of the Institute, based on 
  recommendations from the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel 
  established under subsection (b) (referred to in this section as the 
  `Panel') shall make grants, after a process of peer review and 
  programmatic review, to public or nonprofit private entities for the 
  development and operation of not more than 8 centers for the purpose of 
  conducting multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on 
  environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast 
  cancer. Each such center shall be known as a Breast Cancer and 
  Environmental Research Center of Excellence.
      ``(b) Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel.--
              ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish in the 
          Institute of Environmental Health Sciences a Breast Cancer and 
          Environmental Research Panel.
              ``(2) Composition.--The Panel shall be composed of--
                      ``(A) 9 members to be appointed by the Secretary, 
                  of which--
                              ``(i) six members shall be appointed from 
                          among 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 
                                  or academia or other research settings; 
                                  and
                                      ``(V) are experienced in biomedical 
                                  review; and
                              ``(ii) three members shall be appointed 
                          from the general public who are representatives 
                          of individuals who have had breast cancer and 
                          who represent a constituency; and
                      ``(B) such nonvoting, ex officio members as the 
                  Secretary determines to be appropriate.
              ``(3) Chairperson.--The members of the Panel appointed 
          under paragraph (2)(A) shall select a chairperson from among 
          such members.
              ``(4) Meetings.--The Panel shall meet at the call of the 
          chairperson or upon the request of the Director, but in no case 
          less often than once each year.
              ``(5) Duties.--The Panel shall--
                      ``(A) oversee the peer review process for the 
                  awarding of grants under subsection (a) and conduct the 
                  programmatic review under such subsection;
                      ``(B) make recommendations with respect to the 
                  funding criteria and mechanisms under which amounts 
                  will be allocated under this section; and
                      ``(C) make final programmatic recommendations with 
                  respect to grants under this section.
      ``(c) Collaboration With Community.--Each center under subsection 
  (a) shall establish and maintain ongoing collaborations with community 
  organizations in the geographic area served by the center, including 
  those that represent women with breast cancer.
      ``(d) Coordination of Centers; Reports.--The Director of the 
  Institute shall, as appropriate, provide for the coordination of 
  information among centers under subsection (a) and ensure regular 
  communication between such centers, and may require the periodic 
  preparation of reports on the activities of the centers and the 
  submission of the reports to the Director.
      ``(e) Required Consortium.--Each center under subsection (a) shall 
  be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions, meeting such 
  requirements as may be prescribed by the Director of the Institute. 
  Each center shall require collaboration among highly accomplished 
  scientists, other health professionals and advocates of diverse 
  backgrounds from various areas of expertise.
      ``(f) Duration of Support.--Support of a center under subsection 
  (a) may be for a period not exceeding 5 years. Such period may be 
  extended for one or more additional periods not exceeding 5 years if 
  the operations of such center have been reviewed by an appropriate 
  technical and scientific peer review group established by the Director 
  of the Institute and if such group has recommended to the Director that 
  such period should be extended.
      ``(g) Geographic Distribution of Centers.--The Director of the 
  Institute shall, to the extent practicable, provide for an equitable 
  geographical distribution of centers under this section.
      ``(h) Innovative Approaches.--Each center under subsection (a) 
  shall use innovative approaches to study unexplored or under-explored 
  areas of the environment and breast cancer.
      ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
  out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 
  for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2007. Such authorization is 
  in addition to any other authorization of appropriations that is 
  available for such purpose.''.
target: Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2001 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of not more than eight consortium centers (each such center shall be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence) for the conduct of multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer.
feat_title: A bill 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.