[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4515 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4515
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and
implement a program and national strategic action plan to prepare and
empower the health care sector to protect the health and well-being of
our workers, our communities, and our planet in the face of the climate
crisis, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 17, 2025
Ms. Matsui (for herself, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Barragan, Ms.
Bonamici, Mr. Carson, Mr. Casten, Ms. Chu, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Cohen, Mr.
Costa, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms.
Norton, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Stansbury, Mr.
Thanedar, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Tonko, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and
implement a program and national strategic action plan to prepare and
empower the health care sector to protect the health and well-being of
our workers, our communities, and our planet in the face of the climate
crisis, and for other purposes.
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 ``Climate Change Health Protection and
Promotion Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office.
(2) Environmental justice community.--The term
``environmental justice community'' means a community with
significant representation of communities of color, low-income
communities, or Tribal and Indigenous communities that
experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more
adverse human health or environmental effects.
(3) Medically underserved community.--The term ``medically
underserved community'' has the meaning given such term in
section 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p).
(4) National strategic action plan.--The term ``national
strategic action plan'' means the national strategic action
plan published pursuant to section 4(b)(1).
(5) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of
Climate Change and Health Equity established by section
4(a)(1).
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
SEC. 3. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.
Nothing in this Act limits the authority provided to or
responsibility conferred on any Federal department or agency by any
provision of any law (including regulations) or authorizes any
violation of any provision of any law (including regulations),
including any health, energy, environmental, transportation, or any
other law or regulation.
SEC. 4. OFFICE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH EQUITY; NATIONAL STRATEGIC
ACTION PLAN.
(a) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity.--
(1) Establishment.--
(A) In general.--There is established within the
Department of Health and Human Services the Office of
Climate Change and Health Equity.
(B) Purpose.--The purpose of the Office shall be to
facilitate a robust, Federal response to the impact of
climate change on the health of the American people and
the health care system.
(C) Director.--There is established the position of
Director of the Office, who shall be the head of the
Office, and who shall report to the Secretary.
(2) Activities.--The duties of the Office shall be to
address priority health actions relating to the health impacts
of climate change, including by doing each of the following, in
collaboration with other Federal agencies, as the Director
determines appropriate:
(A) Contribute to assessments of how climate change
is affecting the health of individuals living in the
United States.
(B) Understand the needs of the populations most
disproportionately affected by climate-related health
threats, including environmental justice communities
and medically underserved communities.
(C) Serve as a credible source of information on
the physical, mental, and behavioral health
consequences of climate change.
(D) Track data on environmental conditions, disease
risks, and disease occurrence related to climate
change.
(E) Expand capacity for modeling and forecasting
health effects that may be climate-related.
(F) Enhance the science base to better understand
the relationship between climate change and health
outcomes.
(G) Communicate the health-related aspects of
climate change, including risks and associated costs
and ways to reduce them, to the public, decision-
makers, public health professionals, and health care
providers.
(H) Align Federal efforts to deploy climate-
conscious human services and direct services to support
and protect populations disproportionately affected by
climate change, including environmental justice
communities and medically underserved communities.
(I) Develop and distribute tools and resources to
support climate resilience for the health sector,
community-based organizations, and individuals.
(J) Develop and implement preparedness and response
plans for health threats, such as heat waves, severe
weather events, and infectious diseases.
(K) Lead efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas and
environmental impacts of the health sector, including
by developing and distributing tools and resources to
support health sector efforts to track and decrease
sectoral greenhouse gas emissions.
(L) Provide leadership to State and local
governments, community leaders, health care
professionals, nongovernmental organizations,
environmental justice networks, faith-based
communities, the private sector, and the public,
regarding health protection from climate change
effects.
(M) Develop partnerships with other government
agencies, the private sector, nongovernmental
organizations, and institutions of higher education, to
more effectively address the health aspects of climate
change.
(N) Promote workforce development by helping to
ensure the training of a new generation of competent,
experienced public health and health care professionals
to respond to the health threats posed by climate
change.
(O) Carry out other activities, as the Secretary
determines appropriate.
(b) National Strategic Action Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, on the basis of the best
available science, and in consultation pursuant to paragraph
(2), shall publish a national strategic action plan to
coordinate effective deployment of Federal efforts to ensure
that public health and health care systems are prepared for and
can respond to the impacts of climate change on health in the
United States.
(2) Consultation.--In developing or making any revision to
the national strategic action plan, the Secretary shall--
(A) consult with the Director, the Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency, the Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the Director of the Indian Health
Service, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of
Defense, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, and the heads of other appropriate
Federal agencies, Tribal governments, and State and
local government officials; and
(B) provide meaningful opportunity for engagement,
comment, and consultation with relevant public
stakeholders, particularly representatives of
populations disproportionately affected by climate
change, including environmental justice communities,
medically underserved communities, Tribal communities,
health care providers, public health organizations, and
scientists.
(3) National strategic action plan components.--The
national strategic action plan shall include an assessment of,
and strategies to improve, the health sector capacity of the
United States to address the impacts of climate change,
including--
(A) identifying, prioritizing, and engaging
communities and populations who are disproportionately
affected by, or at greatest risk for, exposures to
climate hazards;
(B) addressing mental and physical health
disparities exacerbated by climate impacts to enhance
community health resilience;
(C) identifying the link between environmental
injustice and vulnerability to the impacts of climate
change and prioritizing those who have been harmed by
environmental and climate injustice;
(D) providing outreach and communication aimed at
public health and health care professionals and the
public to promote preparedness and response strategies;
(E) tracking and assessing programs across Federal
agencies to advance research related to the impacts of
climate change on health;
(F) identifying and assessing existing preparedness
and response strategies for the health impacts of
climate change;
(G) prioritizing critical public health and health
care infrastructure projects;
(H) providing modeling and forecasting tools of
climate change health impacts, including local impacts,
where feasible;
(I) establishing academic and regional centers of
excellence;
(J) recommending models for maintaining access to
health care during extreme weather;
(K) providing technical assistance and support for
preparedness and response plans for the health threats
of climate change in States, municipalities,
territories, Indian Tribes, and developing countries;
(L) addressing the impacts of greenhouse gas
emissions on the health of individuals living in the
United States;
(M) tracking health care sector contributions to
greenhouse gas emissions and identifying actions to
reduce those emissions;
(N) recommending new regulations or policies to
address identified gaps in the health system capacity
to effectively reduce emissions, reduce environmental
impact, and address climate change; and
(O) developing, improving, integrating, and
maintaining disease surveillance systems and monitoring
capacity to respond to health-related impacts of
climate change, including on topics addressing--
(i) water-, food-, and vector-borne
infectious diseases and climate change;
(ii) pulmonary effects, including responses
to aeroallergens, infectious agents, and toxic
exposures;
(iii) cardiovascular effects, including
impacts of temperature extremes;
(iv) air pollution health effects,
including heightened sensitivity to air
pollution such as wildfire smoke;
(v) reproductive health effects, including
access to reproductive health care;
(vi) harmful algal blooms;
(vii) mental and behavioral health impacts
of climate change;
(viii) the health of migrants, refugees,
displaced persons, environmental justice
communities, medically underserved communities,
and other communities disproportionately
affected by climate change;
(ix) the implications for communities and
populations vulnerable to the health effects of
climate change, as well as strategies for
responding to climate change within such
communities;
(x) Tribal, local, and community-based
health interventions for climate-related health
impacts;
(xi) extreme heat and weather events;
(xii) decreased nutritional value of crops;
and
(xiii) disruptions in access to routine and
acute medical care, public health programs, and
other supportive services for maintaining
health.
(c) Periodic Assessment and Revision.--Not later than 1 year after
the date of first publication of the national strategic action plan,
and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall periodically assess, and
revise as necessary, the national strategic action plan, to reflect new
information collected, including information on--
(1) the status of and trends in critical environmental
health indicators and related human health impacts;
(2) the trends in and impacts of climate change on public
health;
(3) advances in the development of strategies for preparing
for and responding to the impacts of climate change on public
health; and
(4) the effectiveness of the implementation of the national
strategic action plan in protecting against climate change
health threats.
(d) Implementation.--
(1) Implementation through hhs.--The Secretary shall
exercise the Secretary's authority under this Act and other
Federal statutes to achieve the goals and measures of the
Office and the national strategic action plan.
(2) Other public health programs and initiatives.--The
Secretary and Federal officials of other relevant Federal
agencies shall administer public health programs and
initiatives authorized by laws other than this Act, subject to
the requirements of such laws, in a manner designed to achieve
the goals of the Office and the national strategic action plan.
(3) Health impact assessment.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
identify proposed and current laws, policies, and
programs that are of particular interest for their
impact in contributing to or alleviating health burdens
and the health impacts of climate change.
(B) Assessments.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the head of each
relevant Federal agency shall--
(i) assess the impacts that the proposed
and current laws, policies, and programs
identified under subparagraph (A) under their
jurisdiction have or may have on protection
against the health threats of climate change;
and
(ii) assist State, Tribal, local, and
territorial governments in conducting such
assessments.
SEC. 5. ADVISORY BOARD.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall, pursuant to chapter 10 of
title 5, United States Code, establish a permanent science advisory
board to be composed of not less than 10 and not more than 20 members.
(b) Appointment of Members.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall appoint the members of
the science advisory board from among individuals who--
(A) are recommended by the President of the
National Academy of Sciences or the President of the
National Academy of Medicine; and
(B) have expertise in essential public health and
health care services, including with respect to diverse
populations, climate change, environmental and climate
justice, and other relevant disciplines.
(2) Requirement.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
science advisory board includes members with practical or lived
experience with relevant issues described in paragraph (1)(B).
(c) Functions.--The science advisory board shall--
(1) provide scientific and technical advice and
recommendations to the Secretary on the domestic and
international impacts of climate change on public health and
populations and regions disproportionately affected by climate
change, and strategies and mechanisms to prepare for and
respond to the impacts of climate change on public health;
(2) advise the Secretary regarding the best science
available for purposes of carrying out the activities of the
Office and issuing the national strategic action plan; and
(3) submit a report to Congress on its activities and
recommendations not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act and not less frequently than every year
thereafter.
(d) Support.--The Secretary shall provide financial and
administrative support to the board.
SEC. 6. CLIMATE CHANGE HEALTH PROTECTION AND PROMOTION REPORTS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall offer to enter into an
agreement, including the provision of such funding as may be necessary,
with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,
under which such National Academies will prepare periodic reports to
aid public health and health care professionals in preparing for and
responding to the adverse health effects of climate change that--
(1) review scientific developments on health impacts and
health disparities of climate change;
(2) evaluate the measurable impacts of activities
undertaken at the directive of the national strategic action
plan; and
(3) recommend changes to the national strategic action
plan.
(b) Submission.--The agreement under subsection (a) shall require a
report to be submitted to Congress and the Secretary and made publicly
available not later than 1 year after the first publication of the
national strategic action plan, and every 4 years thereafter.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity.--There is
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out section
4(a) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.
(b) National Strategic Action Plan.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out section 4(b) $2,000,000 for
fiscal year 2026, to remain available until expended.
(c) Advisory Board.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary to carry out section 5 $500,000 for fiscal year 2026, to
remain available until expended.
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