[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 830 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 830
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 3, 2001
Mr. Chafee (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Warner,
Mr. Torricelli, Ms. Snowe, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Johnson, Mr.
Corzine, and Mr. Kerry) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
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 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.''.
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