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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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