,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dijc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #e1 #bjbe,ms4
 ,stevens 7for herself and ,mr4 ,lucas7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the 
,public ,health ,service ,act to carry  
out1 expand1 and coordinate programs    
relating to plastic exposure health     
research1 to authorize grants1          
contracts1 and agreements with respect  
to such research1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,plastic ,health    
,research ,act4  #b4 ,plastic exposure  
health research  7a7 ,expansion and     
coordination2 research grants ,the      
,public ,health ,service ,act is amended
 by inserting after section #cii,v-#g   
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bhj;g-#ah7 the          
following3  #cii,v-#h4 ,plastic exposure
 health research  7a7 ,expansion and    
coordination of research activities ,the
 ,secretary1 in consultation with the   

,administrator of the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency1 the ,commissioner  
of ,food and ,drugs1 the ,administrator 
of the ,national ,oceanic and           
,atmospheric ,administration1 the       
,director of the ,national ,institute of
 ,standards and ,technology1 and the    
,director of the ,national ,institute of
 ,environmental ,health ,sciences1 shall
 carry out1 expand1 and coordinate      
programs for the conduct and support of 
research with respect to understanding  
plastic exposures and the potential     
health effects stemming from plastic    
exposure4 ,the ,secretary shall         
prioritize such research that-- 7#a7    
promotes the improvement of scientific  
quality through the development of      
vetted research methods that are        
reproducible1 improve comparability of  
results among research studies1 and     
develop standards definitions for       
microplastics and nanoplastics          
materials2  7#b7 develops validated     
testing methodologies and reference     

materials for microplastics and         
nanoplastics in different media that are
 reproducible and improve comparability 
of results among research studies2 or   
7#c7 fills gaps in the field of         
potential health effects research       
through the use of methods that improve 
the quality and comparability of        
scientific results4  7b7 ,plastic       
exposure health research grants  7#a7   
,in general ,the ,secretary1 in         
consultation with the ,administrator of 
the ,environmental ,protection ,agency1 
the ,commissioner of ,food and ,drugs1  
the ,administrator of the ,national     
,oceanic and ,atmospheric               
,administration1 the ,director of the   
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology1 and the ,director of the   
,national ,institute of ,environmental  
,health ,sciences1 may award grants or  
contracts to public entities1 nonprofit 
entities1 academic research             
institutions1 or consortia of such      
entities 7including such consortia that 

collaborate with private entities7 to   
conduct scientific research on plastic  
exposure and the potential health       
effects stemming from such exposure4 ,in
 awarding such grants and contracts1 the
 ,secretary shall prioritize research   
that-- 7,a7 improves the quality of     
scientific information through the      
development of vetted research methods  
that are reproducible1 improve          
comparability of results among research 
studies1 and develop standard           
definitions for microplastic and        
nanoplastic materials2  7,b7 develops   
validated testing methodologies and     
reference materials for microplastics   
and nanoplastics in different media that
 are reproducible and improve           
comparability of results among research 
studies2 or  7,c7 fills gaps in the     
field of potential health effects       
research through the use of methods that
 improve the quality and comparability  
of scientific results4  7#b7            
,applications ,to be eligible for a     

grant or contract under this subsection1
 an entity shall submit to the          
,secretary an application in such form1 
in such manner1 and containing such     
agreements1 assurances1 and information 
as the ,secretary determines necessary4 
7#c7 ,reports ,not later than #a year   
after the date of enactment of this     
section1 and annually thereafter for    
each of the following #d years1 the     
,secretary shall submit to ,congress1   
and make publicly available1 a report   
that provides an overview of the        
research conducted or supported under   
this section1 together with any relevant
 findings4  7#d7 ,information sharing   
,the ,secretary shall share the findings
 of the research supported by grants and
 contracts under this subsection with-- 
7,a7 the heads of relevant institutes   
and agencies of the ,department of      
,health and ,human ,services 7including 
the ,director of the ,national          
,institute of ,environmental ,health    
,sciences and the ,commissioner of ,food

 and ,drugs72  7,b7 the ,administrator  
of the ,environmental ,protection       
,agency2  7,c7 the ,director of the     
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology2  7,d7 the ,administrator of
 the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric
 ,administration2 and  7,e7 the centers 
of excellence for plastic exposure      
health research described in section    
#dfc;,c4  7#e7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to carry out this       
subsection #aj1jjj1jjj for each of      
fiscal years #bjbf through #bjcj4  7c7  
,plastic exposure defined ,in this      
section1 the term plastic exposure means
 exposure to macroplastics1             
microplastics1 and nanoplastics1        
including through plastic production and
 manufacturing1 occupational exposure1  
environmental exposure1 end-user        
interaction 7such as handling and use of
 food packaging1 manufactured goods1 and
 textiles71 plastic recycling1 plastic  
degradation through natural or          

human-made processes1 and plastic waste 
and disposal4  4  7b7 ,centers of       
excellence for plastic exposure health  
research ,the ,public ,health ,service  
,act is amended by inserting after      
section #dfc;,b 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bhel-#f7
 the following3  #dfc;,c4 ,centers of   
excellence for plastic exposure health  
research  7a7 ,in general ,the          
,secretary1 acting through the ,director
 of the ,institute 7in this section     
referred to as the ,secretary7 may award
 grants to1 or enter into appropriate   
funding agreements with1 public         
entities1 nonprofit entities1 academic  
research institutions1 or consortia of  
such entities 7including such consortia 
that collaborate with private entities7 
to pay all or part of the cost of       
planning1 establishing1 or              
strengthening1 and providing basic      
operating support for1 centers of       
excellence to conduct and improve the   
quality of scientific research to inform
 public health determinations and       

increase public awareness 7where        
scientifically warranted7 with respect  
to the potential health effects caused  
by plastic exposure4 ,such centers shall
 prioritize research that--  7#a7       
develops standard material definitions2 
7#b7 improves the quality of scientific 
results to fill gaps in the field of    
research2  7#c7 fills gaps in the field 
of health research through the use of   
methods that improve the quality and    
comparability of scientific results2 or 
7#d7 develops vetted testing            
methodologies for microplastics and     
nanoplastics that can be replicated and 
can be compared to other testing        
methodologies4  7b7 ,purposes of centers
 ,the purposes of the centers of        
excellence referred to in subsection 7a7
 are-- 7#a7 to improve the quality of   
scientific results while researching the
 potential health effects stemming from 
plastic exposure1 including identifying 
potential links between plastic exposure
 and such potential health effects2     

7#b7 to identify potential exposures to 
plastic and conduct hazard assessments  
and risk assessments2 and  7#c7 to      
increase public awareness 7where        
scientifically warranted7 of--  7,a7 the
 potential health effects of plastic    
exposure1 sources of such exposure1     
outcomes of hazard assessments1 and the 
results of risk assessments relating to 
such exposure2 and  7,b7 the research   
referred to in--  7i7 paragraph 7#a72 or
  7ii7 section #cii,v-#h7;a74  7c7 ,use 
of funds ,funds made available under    
this section may be used for-- 7#a7 the 
development of plastic hazard1 exposure1
 or risk assessment methodologies that  
can be replicated and compared to other 
methodologies1 which shall include--    
7,a7 the comprehensive characterization 
and methods for characterization of the 
chemical and physical properties of     
microplastics1 nanoplastics1            
macroplastics1 and other plastics2  7,b7
 the development of validated testing   
methodologies for microplastics and     

nanoplastics in different media that can
 be replicated and compared to other    
testing methodologies2 and  7,c7        
detailing the quality assurance and     
quality control measures taken to       
improve the scientific results2  7#b7   
the application of exposure             
methodologies 7including both new and   
existing methodologies71 if             
appropriately validated and controlled1 
to assess the potential burden of       
plastic exposures2  7#c7 the support of 
research to assess potential health     
impacts of plastic exposure2 and  7#d7  
increasing public awareness of research 
results1 as scientifically warranted4   
7d7 ,policies ,a grant or agreement     
under this section shall be entered into
 in accordance with policies established
 by the ,secretary4  7e7 ,duration of   
grant or agreement ,a grant or agreement
 under this section shall be for a      
period of #e years1 and may be renewed  
by the ,secretary for subsequent #e-year
 periods in the case of a center of     

excellence for which an appropriate     
technical and scientific peer review    
group established by the ,secretary     
has--  7#a7 reviewed the operations of  
such center2 and  7#b7 submitted to the 
,secretary a recommendation that such   
grant or agreement be renewed4  7f7     
,coordination and information sharing   
with other institutes and agencies  7#a7
 ,coordination ,the ,secretary shall    
coordinate the activities under this    
section with related activities of other
 institutes and agencies of the         
,department of ,health and ,human       
,services 7including the ,national      
,institute of ,environmental ,health    
,sciences and the ,food and ,drug       
,administration71 the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency1 the ,national      
,institute of ,standards and            
,technology1 and the ,national ,oceanic 
and ,atmospheric ,administration4  7#b7 
,information sharing ,the ,secretary    
shall share research findings of the    
centers of excellence referred to in    

subsection 7a7 with other institutes and
 agencies of the ,department of ,health 
and ,human ,services 7including the     
,national ,institute of ,environmental  
,health ,sciences and the ,food and     
,drug ,administration71 the             
,environmental ,protection ,agency1 the 
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology1 and the ,national ,oceanic 
and ,atmospheric ,administration4  7#c7 
,reports ,not later than #a year after  
the date of enactment of this section1  
and annually thereafter for each of the 
following #d years1 the ,secretary shall
 submit to ,congress1 and make publicly 
available1 a report that provides an    
overview of the research conducted or   
supported under this section1 together  
with any relevant findings4  7g7        
,plastic exposure defined ,in this      
section1 the term plastic exposure means
 exposure to macroplastics1             
microplastics1 and nanoplastics1        
including through plastic production and
 manufacturing1 occupational exposure1  

environmental exposure1 end-user        
interaction 7such as handling and use of
 food packaging1 manufactured goods1 and
 textiles71 plastic recycling1 plastic  
degradation through natural or          
human-made processes1 and plastic waste 
and disposal4  7h7 ,authorization of    
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to carry out this       
section #aj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal  
years #bjbf through #bjcj4  4