Text: HF02259 Text: HF02261 Text: HF02200 - HF02299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 135M.1 TITLE. 1 2 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the 1 3 "Children's Environmental Health and Protection Advisory 1 4 Council Act". 1 5 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 135M.2 FINDINGS 1 6 RESPONSIBILITIES. 1 7 The general assembly finds all of the following: 1 8 1. That children in this state face an array of 1 9 preventable exposures to environmental hazards in their 1 10 schools, homes, and communities. 1 11 2. That in certain cases children are at greater risk than 1 12 adults for exposure to and possible illness from environmental 1 13 hazards due to all of the following: 1 14 a. Children have decreased ability to detoxify certain 1 15 substances. 1 16 b. Children have greater sensitivity to environmental 1 17 hazards during the stages of development and growth as a 1 18 result of their immature body organs and tissues and immature 1 19 immune systems. 1 20 c. Children have unique exposure behavior patterns, such 1 21 as hand-to-mouth behavior, spending a greater amount of time 1 22 outdoors near hazards, and spending more time on the floor and 1 23 on the ground where contaminants can concentrate. 1 24 d. Children take in a proportionately greater amount of 1 25 contaminants due to their eating proportionately more food, 1 26 breathing proportionately more air, and drinking 1 27 proportionately more fluids than adults. 1 28 3. Higher rates of poverty are one factor that places 1 29 children in ethnic and minority communities at 1 30 disproportionately higher risk for environmental exposures due 1 31 to inadequate housing, poor nutrition, and limited access to 1 32 health care. 1 33 4. Solutions to complex environmental health problems 1 34 require the ongoing communication, collaboration, and 1 35 cooperation of affected communities and many disciplines 2 1 including science, medicine, public health, economics, 2 2 planning, law, and policy. 2 3 5. It is necessary to assess the impacts of state policies, 2 4 programs, and activities on children. 2 5 6. The state recognizes the state's responsibility to do 2 6 all of the following: 2 7 a. Enable all children to grow up in a safe and healthy 2 8 environment. 2 9 b. Use the state's resources to ensure that every child is 2 10 provided with an environmentally safe and healthy learning 2 11 environment in which to grow, develop, and mature into a 2 12 productive and healthy adult. 2 13 7. The state will endeavor to meet the state's 2 14 responsibilities by creating an advisory council to identify 2 15 environmental hazards that may affect children's health and 2 16 recommend solutions to those hazards through interdisciplinary 2 17 problem solving and coalition building. 2 18 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 135M.3 DEFINITIONS. 2 19 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise 2 20 requires: 2 21 1. "Advisory council" means the children's environmental 2 22 health and protection advisory council created in this 2 23 chapter. 2 24 2. "Environmental hazard" means one or a group of toxic 2 25 chemical, biological, or physical agents in the environment, 2 26 resulting from human activities or natural processes, that may 2 27 impact the health of children exposed to the agent, including 2 28 such agents as lead, pesticides, air pollutants, contaminated 2 29 drinking water, polluted waters, toxic waste, polychlorinated 2 30 biphenyls, secondhand cigarette or tobacco product smoke, and 2 31 industrial and home chemicals. 2 32 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 135M.4 CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL 2 33 HEALTH AND PROTECTION ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP 2 34 PROCEDURES. 2 35 1. A children's environmental health and protection 3 1 advisory council is created within the Iowa department of 3 2 public health. 3 3 2. The advisory council shall be composed of the following 3 4 members: 3 5 a. The director of public health, or the director's 3 6 designee. 3 7 b. The director of human services, or the director's 3 8 designee. 3 9 c. The director of the department of natural resources, or 3 10 the director's designee. 3 11 d. The secretary of agriculture, or the secretary's 3 12 designee. 3 13 e. The director of the department of education, or the 3 14 director's designee. 3 15 f. Two licensed pediatric health care providers with 3 16 expertise in the field of children's environmental health, 3 17 appointed by the governor. 3 18 g. One representative of the university of Iowa hospitals 3 19 and clinics with expertise in studying the impact of 3 20 environmental hazards on children, appointed by the governor. 3 21 h. One parent whose child has been clinically diagnosed 3 22 with exposure to an environmental hazard such as lead paint or 3 23 pesticides, appointed by the governor. 3 24 i. One environmental epidemiologist with expertise in 3 25 issues of importance to children's environmental health, 3 26 appointed by the governor. 3 27 j. One economist with expertise in measuring the economic 3 28 costs of illness and the benefits of prevention, appointed by 3 29 the governor. 3 30 k. One environmental toxicologist with expertise in issues 3 31 of importance to children's environmental health, appointed by 3 32 the governor. 3 33 l. One representative of the Iowa association of counties, 3 34 appointed by the governor. 3 35 m. One representative of private industry who represents 4 1 the regulated community, appointed by the governor. 4 2 n. Four members of the general assembly. 4 3 3. The legislative members of the council shall be 4 4 appointed by the majority leader of the senate, after 4 5 consultation with the president of the senate and the minority 4 6 leader of the senate, and by the speaker of the house, after 4 7 consultation with the majority leader and the minority leader 4 8 of the house of representatives. Members shall serve 4 9 staggered terms of two years. Appointments shall comply with 4 10 sections 69.16 and 69.16A. Each term shall commence and end 4 11 as provided by section 69.19. Vacancies shall be filled by 4 12 the original appointing authority and in the manner of the 4 13 original appointments. 4 14 4. Nonlegislative members shall receive actual expenses 4 15 incurred while serving in their official capacity and may also 4 16 be eligible to receive compensation as provided in section 4 17 7E.6. Legislative members shall receive compensation pursuant 4 18 to section 2.12. 4 19 5. The director of public health or the director's 4 20 designee shall serve as the chairperson of the committee. A 4 21 majority of the members of the advisory council shall 4 22 constitute a quorum. The Iowa department of public health 4 23 shall provide staff support to the advisory council. The 4 24 advisory council shall meet on a quarterly basis, or more 4 25 frequently at the request of the chairperson. 4 26 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 135M.5 CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL 4 27 HEALTH AND PROTECTION ADVISORY COUNCIL DUTIES. 4 28 The advisory council shall do all of the following: 4 29 1. Review and comment on existing rules, regulations, and 4 30 standards to ensure that the rules, regulations, and standards 4 31 adequately protect the health of children from environmental 4 32 hazards by considering the special vulnerability of children 4 33 due to such factors as children's developing physiology, 4 34 exposures, behaviors, and diets relative to adults. 4 35 2. Review proposed rules submitted to the advisory council 5 1 to determine if the proposed rule: 5 2 a. Adequately protects the health of children from 5 3 environmental hazards by considering the special vulnerability 5 4 of children due to such factors as children's developing 5 5 physiology, exposures, behaviors, and diets relative to 5 6 adults. 5 7 b. Is consistent and uniform with the children's 5 8 environmental health policies, rules, regulations, and 5 9 standards of other state agencies. 5 10 3. Following the review of a proposed rule, the advisory 5 11 council shall recommend to the entity proposing the rule 5 12 measures that would avoid or minimize any negative impact that 5 13 the proposed rule may have on the health of children. 5 14 4. Comment on any proposed rule that may be submitted by a 5 15 state agency during the public comment period if the advisory 5 16 council determines that the proposed rule will have an adverse 5 17 impact on children's health. 5 18 5. Gather and disseminate information to the public, 5 19 including the research and medical communities, community- 5 20 based organizations, schools, and state agencies regarding 5 21 reduction, treatment, and elimination of children's exposures 5 22 to environmental hazards to further the public's understanding 5 23 of the environmental hazards that may potentially affect 5 24 children. 5 25 6. Recommend uniform guidelines for state agencies to 5 26 follow to reduce and eliminate children's exposures to 5 27 environmental hazards. 5 28 7. Create and promote educational programs, in partnership 5 29 with health and environmental professionals, for parents and 5 30 caregivers of children that include information regarding: 5 31 a. The potential health effects of environmental hazards. 5 32 b. Practical suggestions regarding reduction of children's 5 33 exposure to environmental hazards. 5 34 c. Any other relevant information to assist parents and 5 35 caregivers of children in protecting children from 6 1 environmental hazards. 6 2 8. Provide input to the general assembly regarding 6 3 legislation that may impact environmental hazards that affect 6 4 the health of children. 6 5 9. Report to the general assembly and the governor on or 6 6 before December 1, 2002, and annually thereafter by December 6 7 1, describing the activities of the advisory council. 6 8 Sec. 6. Section 17A.4, subsection 1, Code 2001, is amended 6 9 by adding the following new paragraph: 6 10 NEW PARAGRAPH. d. Submit to the state children's 6 11 environmental health and protection advisory council created 6 12 in section 135M.3 any proposed rule identified by the agency 6 13 as having an impact on an environmental hazard, as defined in 6 14 section 135M.3, affecting the health of children. 6 15 EXPLANATION 6 16 This bill creates a children's environmental health and 6 17 protection advisory council. The bill provides findings and 6 18 responsibilities recognized by the general assembly regarding 6 19 children's environmental health, provides definitions, and 6 20 specifies the membership of the advisory council and the 6 21 procedures for the advisory council. The bill specifies the 6 22 duties of the advisory council, which include review of 6 23 existing and proposed rules of state agencies to determine any 6 24 negative effect on children's environmental health; to provide 6 25 information to the public, including the research and medical 6 26 communities, community-based organizations, schools, and state 6 27 agencies regarding reduction, treatment, and elimination of 6 28 children's exposures to environmental hazards to further the 6 29 public's understanding of the environmental hazards that may 6 30 potentially affect children; recommend uniform guidelines for 6 31 state agencies to follow to reduce and eliminate children's 6 32 exposures to environmental hazards; create and promote 6 33 educational programs, in partnership with health and 6 34 environmental professionals, for parents and caregivers of 6 35 children that include information regarding the potential 7 1 health effects of environmental hazards, practical suggestions 7 2 regarding reduction of children's exposure to environmental 7 3 hazards, and any other relevant information to assist parents 7 4 and caregivers of children in protecting children from 7 5 environmental hazards; provide input to the general assembly 7 6 regarding legislation that may impact environmental hazards 7 7 that affect the health of children; and report to the general 7 8 assembly and the governor on or before December 1, 2002, and 7 9 annually thereafter by December 1, describing the activities 7 10 of the advisory council. The bill also requires that a state 7 11 agency, prior to the adoption, amendment, or repeal of any 7 12 rule that the agency identifies as having an impact on the 7 13 environmental hazards affecting the health of children, submit 7 14 the proposed rule to the advisory council. 7 15 LSB 5734HH 79 7 16 pf/sh/8
Text: HF02259 Text: HF02261 Text: HF02200 - HF02299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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