119-hr4903

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4903 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4903

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to carry out, expand, and 
 coordinate programs relating to plastic exposure health research, to 
 authorize grants, contracts, and agreements with respect to such 
 research, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 August 5, 2025

Ms. Stevens (for herself and Mr. Lucas) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to carry out, expand, and 
 coordinate programs relating to plastic exposure health research, to 
 authorize grants, contracts, and agreements with respect to such 
 research, 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 ``Plastic Health Research Act''.

SEC. 2. PLASTIC EXPOSURE HEALTH RESEARCH.

    (a) Expansion and Coordination; Research Grants.--The Public Health 
Service Act is amended by inserting after 

section 399V-7 (42 U.S.C. 
280g-18) the following:

``

SEC. 399V-8. PLASTIC EXPOSURE HEALTH RESEARCH.

 ``

    (a) Expansion and Coordination of Research Activities.--The 
Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, the 
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and 
the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences, shall carry out, expand, and coordinate programs for the 
conduct and support of research with respect to understanding plastic 
exposures and the potential health effects stemming from plastic 
exposure. The Secretary shall prioritize such research that--
 ``

    (1) promotes the improvement of scientific quality 
 through the development of vetted research methods that are 
 reproducible, improve comparability of results among research 
 studies, and develop standards definitions for microplastics 
 and nanoplastics materials;
 ``

    (2) develops validated testing methodologies and 
 reference materials for microplastics and nanoplastics in 
 different media that are reproducible and improve comparability 
 of results among research studies; or
 ``

    (3) fills gaps in the field of potential health effects 
 research through the use of methods that improve the quality 
 and comparability of scientific results.
 ``

    (b) Plastic Exposure Health Research Grants.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
 Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
 Commissioner of Food and Drugs, the Administrator of the 
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Director 
 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the 
 Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health 
 Sciences, may award grants or contracts to public entities, 
 nonprofit entities, academic research institutions, or 
 consortia of such entities (including such consortia that 
 collaborate with private entities) to conduct scientific 
 research on plastic exposure and the potential health effects 
 stemming from such exposure. In awarding such grants and 
 contracts, the Secretary shall prioritize research that--
 ``
        (A) improves the quality of scientific 
 information through the development of vetted research 
 methods that are reproducible, improve comparability of 
 results among research studies, and develop standard 
 definitions for microplastic and nanoplastic materials;
 ``
        (B) develops validated testing methodologies and 
 reference materials for microplastics and nanoplastics 
 in different media that are reproducible and improve 
 comparability of results among research studies; or
 ``
            (C) fills gaps in the field of potential health 
 effects research through the use of methods that 
 improve the quality and comparability of scientific 
 results.
 ``

    (2) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant or contract 
 under this subsection, an entity shall submit to the Secretary 
 an application in such form, in such manner, and containing 
 such agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary 
 determines necessary.
 ``

    (3) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 enactment of this section, and annually thereafter for each of 
 the following 4 years, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, 
 and make publicly available, a report that provides an overview 
 of the research conducted or supported under this section, 
 together with any relevant findings.
 ``

    (4) Information sharing.--The Secretary shall share the 
 findings of the research supported by grants and contracts 
 under this subsection with--
 ``
        (A) the heads of relevant institutes and agencies 
 of the Department of Health and Human Services 
 (including the Director of the National Institute of 
 Environmental Health Sciences and the Commissioner of 
 Food and Drugs);
 ``
        (B) the Administrator of the Environmental 
 Protection Agency;
 ``
            (C) the Director of the National Institute of 
 Standards and Technology;
 ``
            (D) the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
 Atmospheric Administration; and
 ``
        (E) the centers of excellence for plastic 
 exposure health research described in 

section 463C.
 ``

    (5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
 to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 for 
 each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
 ``
            (c) Plastic Exposure Defined.--In this section, the term `plastic 
exposure' means exposure to macroplastics, microplastics, and 
nanoplastics, including through plastic production and manufacturing, 
occupational exposure, environmental exposure, end-user interaction 
(such as handling and use of food packaging, manufactured goods, and 
textiles), plastic recycling, plastic degradation through natural or 
human-made processes, and plastic waste and disposal.''.

    (b) Centers of Excellence for Plastic Exposure Health Research.--
The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after 

section 463B (42 U.S.C. 285l-6) the following:

``

SEC. 463C. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR PLASTIC EXPOSURE HEALTH 
 RESEARCH.

 ``

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of 
the Institute (in this section referred to as the `Secretary') may 
award grants to, or enter into appropriate funding agreements with, 
public entities, nonprofit entities, academic research institutions, or 
consortia of such entities (including such consortia that collaborate 
with private entities) to pay all or part of the cost of planning, 
establishing, or strengthening, and providing basic operating support 
for, centers of excellence to conduct and improve the quality of 
scientific research to inform public health determinations and increase 
public awareness (where scientifically warranted) with respect to the 
potential health effects caused by plastic exposure. Such centers shall 
prioritize research that--
 ``

    (1) develops standard material definitions;
 ``

    (2) improves the quality of scientific results to fill 
 gaps in the field of research;
 ``

    (3) fills gaps in the field of health research through 
 the use of methods that improve the quality and comparability 
 of scientific results; or
 ``

    (4) develops vetted testing methodologies for 
 microplastics and nanoplastics that can be replicated and can 
 be compared to other testing methodologies.
 ``

    (b) Purposes of Centers.--The purposes of the centers of 
excellence referred to in subsection

    (a) are--
 ``

    (1) to improve the quality of scientific results while 
 researching the potential health effects stemming from plastic 
 exposure, including identifying potential links between plastic 
 exposure and such potential health effects;
 ``

    (2) to identify potential exposures to plastic and 
 conduct hazard assessments and risk assessments; and
 ``

    (3) to increase public awareness (where scientifically 
 warranted) of--
 ``
        (A) the potential health effects of plastic 
 exposure, sources of such exposure, outcomes of hazard 
 assessments, and the results of risk assessments 
 relating to such exposure; and
 ``
        (B) the research referred to in--
 ``
            (i) paragraph

    (1) ; or
 ``
            (ii) section 399V-8

    (a) .
 ``
            (c) Use of Funds.--Funds made available under this section may be 
used for--
 ``

    (1) the development of plastic hazard, exposure, or risk 
 assessment methodologies that can be replicated and compared to 
 other methodologies, which shall include--
 ``
        (A) the comprehensive characterization and 
 methods for characterization of the chemical and 
 physical properties of microplastics, nanoplastics, 
 macroplastics, and other plastics;
 ``
        (B) the development of validated testing 
 methodologies for microplastics and nanoplastics in 
 different media that can be replicated and compared to 
 other testing methodologies; and
 ``
            (C) detailing the quality assurance and quality 
 control measures taken to improve the scientific 
 results;
 ``

    (2) the application of exposure methodologies (including 
 both new and existing methodologies), if appropriately 
 validated and controlled, to assess the potential burden of 
 plastic exposures;
 ``

    (3) the support of research to assess potential health 
 impacts of plastic exposure; and
 ``

    (4) increasing public awareness of research results, as 
 scientifically warranted.
 ``
            (d) Policies.--A grant or agreement under this section shall be 
entered into in accordance with policies established by the Secretary.
 ``

    (e) Duration of Grant or Agreement.--A grant or agreement under 
this section shall be for a period of 5 years, and may be renewed by 
the Secretary for subsequent 5-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--
 ``

    (1) reviewed the operations of such center; and
 ``

    (2) submitted to the Secretary a recommendation that such 
 grant or agreement be renewed.
 ``

    (f) Coordination and Information Sharing With Other Institutes 
and Agencies.--
 ``

    (1) 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 (including the National Institute of Environmental 
 Health Sciences and the Food and Drug Administration), the 
 Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of 
 Standards and Technology, and the National Oceanic and 
 Atmospheric Administration.
 ``

    (2) Information sharing.--The Secretary shall share 
 research findings of the centers of excellence referred to in 
 subsection

    (a) with other institutes and agencies of the 
 Department of Health and Human Services (including the National 
 Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Food and 
 Drug Administration), the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
 National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the 
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
 ``

    (3) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 enactment of this section, and annually thereafter for each of 
 the following 4 years, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, 
 and make publicly available, a report that provides an overview 
 of the research conducted or supported under this section, 
 together with any relevant findings.
 ``

    (g) Plastic Exposure Defined.--In this section, the term `plastic 
exposure' means exposure to macroplastics, microplastics, and 
nanoplastics, including through plastic production and manufacturing, 
occupational exposure, environmental exposure, end-user interaction 
(such as handling and use of food packaging, manufactured goods, and 
textiles), plastic recycling, plastic degradation through natural or 
human-made processes, and plastic waste and disposal.
 ``

    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2030.''.
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