119-s325

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 325 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 325

 To reduce the health risks of heat by establishing the National 
 Integrated Heat Health Information System within the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration and the National Integrated Heat Health 
 Information System Interagency Committee to improve extreme heat 
 preparedness, planning, and response, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 29, 2025

 Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Gallego) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To reduce the health risks of heat by establishing the National 
 Integrated Heat Health Information System within the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration and the National Integrated Heat Health 
 Information System Interagency Committee to improve extreme heat 
 preparedness, planning, and response, 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 ``Coordinated Federal Response to 
Extreme Heat Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Extreme heat.--The term ``extreme heat'' means heat 
 that substantially exceeds local temperature norms in terms of 
 any combination of the following:
        (A) Duration.
        (B) Intensity.
            (C) Season length.
            (D) Frequency.

    (2) Heat.--The term ``heat'' means any combination of the 
 atmospheric parameters associated with modulating human 
 thermoregulation, such as air temperature, humidity, solar 
 exposure, and wind speed.

    (3) Heat event.--The term ``heat event'' means an 
 occurrence of extreme heat of 2 days or more that may have 
 heat-health implications.

    (4) Heat-health.--The term ``heat-health'' means health 
 effects to humans from heat, during or outside of heat events, 
 including from vulnerability and exposure, or the risk of such 
 effects.

    (5) Planning.--The term ``planning'' means activities 
 performed across timescales (including days, weeks, months, 
 years, and decades) with scenario-based, probabilistic or 
 deterministic information to identify and take actions to 
 proactively mitigate heat-health risks.

    (6) Preparedness.--The term ``preparedness'' means 
 activities performed across timescales with decision support 
 tools to manage risk in advance of a heat event and increased 
 ambient temperature.

    (7) Tribal government.--The term ``Tribal government'' 
 means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska 
 Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, 
 component band, or component reservation, individually 
 identified (including parenthetically) in the list published 
 most recently as of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant 
 to 

section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List 
 Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).

SEC. 3. NATIONAL INTEGRATED HEAT HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM INTERAGENCY 
 COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment of Committee.--There is established within the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration an interagency 
committee, to be known as the ``National Integrated Heat Health 
Information System Interagency Committee'' (in this section referred to 
as the ``Committee'').

    (b) 

=== Purpose ===
-The Committee shall coordinate agencies represented 
on the Committee to execute, as appropriate, activities across such 
agencies to ensure a united Federal approach to reducing health risks 
from heat.
            (c) Membership.--

    (1) In general.--In order to carry out and achieve the 
 purpose described in subsection

    (b) , the Committee shall 
 include the following:
        (A) The Director of the National Integrated Heat 
 Health Information System.
        (B) Not fewer than 1 representative from each of 
 the following:
            (i) From the Department of Commerce, the 
 following:
            (I) From the National Oceanic and 
 Atmospheric Administration, the 
 following:

    (aa) The National Weather 
 Service.

    (bb) The Office of Oceanic 
 and Atmospheric Research.
            (cc) The National 
 Environmental Satellite, Data, 
 and Information Service.
            (II) The National Institute of 
 Standards and Technology.
            (III) The Bureau of the Census.
            (ii) From the Department of Health and 
 Human Services, the following:
            (I) The Centers for Disease Control 
 and Prevention, including the National 
 Institute for Occupational Safety and 
 Health.
            (II) The Office of the Assistant 
 Secretary of Health and Human Services 
 for Preparedness and Response.
            (III) The Substance Abuse and 
 Mental Health Services Administration.
            (IV) The National Institutes of 
 Health.
            (V) The Indian Health Service.
            (iii) From the Department of the Interior, 
 the following:
            (I) The Bureau of Indian Affairs.
            (II) The Bureau of Land Management.
            (III) The National Park Service.
            (IV) The Office of Hawaiian 
 Relations.
            (iv) From the Environmental Protection 
 Agency, the following:
            (I) The Office of Air and 
 Radiation, if the Administrator of the 
 Environmental Protection Agency 
 determines appropriate.
            (II) The Office of Research and 
 Development, if the Administrator 
 determines appropriate.
            (III) The Office of International 
 and Tribal Affairs.
            (v) The Federal Emergency Management 
 Agency.
            (vi) The Department of Defense.
            (vii) The Department of Agriculture.
            (viii) The Department of Housing and Urban 
 Development.
            (ix) The Department of Transportation.
            (x) The Department of Energy.
            (xi) The Department of Labor, including the 
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
            (xii) The Department of Veteran Affairs.
            (xiii) The Department of Education.
            (xiv) The Department of State.
            (xv) The United States Agency for 
 International Development.
            (xvi) Such other Federal agencies as the 
 Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
 Atmosphere considers appropriate.

    (2) Selection of representatives.--The head of an agency 
 specified in paragraph

    (1)
        (B) shall, in appointing 
 representatives of the agency to the Committee, select 
 representatives who have expertise in areas relevant to the 
 responsibilities of the Committee, such as weather prediction, 
 health impacts, behavioral science, public health hazard 
 preparedness and response, or mental health services.

    (3) Co-chairs.--
        (A) In general.--The members of the Committee shall 
 select 3 individuals from among such members to serve 
 as co-chairs of the Committee, subject to the approval 
 of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
 Atmosphere.
        (B) Selection.--
            (i) Initial selection.--Of the co-chairs 
 first selected, one shall be from the National 
 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one 
 shall be from the Department of Health and 
 Human Services, and one shall be from the 
 Federal Emergency Management Agency.
            (ii) Subsequent selection.--Subsequent co-
 chairs shall be selected from among the members 
 of the Committee, except the National Oceanic 
 and Atmospheric Administration shall have the 
 opportunity to maintain a co-chair position.
            (C) Terms.--Each co-chair shall serve for a term of 
 not more than 5 years.
            (D) Responsibilities of co-chairs.--The co-chairs 
 of the Committee shall, in consultation with the 
 Director of the National Integrated Heat Health 
 Information System--
            (i) determine the agenda of the Committee, 
 in consultation with other members of the 
 Committee;
            (ii) direct the work of the Committee; and
            (iii) convene meetings of the Committee not 
 less frequently than once each fiscal quarter.
            (d) Responsibilities of Committee.--The Committee shall coordinate 
an integrated, Federal Government-wide approach to reducing health 
risks and impacts of heat, including by--

    (1) developing the strategic plan required by subsection

    (e) ;

    (2) coordinating across Federal agencies on heat-health 
 communication, engagement, research, service delivery, and 
 workforce development; and

    (3) building capacity and partnerships with Federal and 
 non-Federal entities.

    (e) Strategic Plan.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
 the enactment of this Act, the Committee shall submit to 
 Congress and make available on a public website a 5-year 
 strategic plan that outlines the goals and projects of the 
 Committee, including how the Committee will improve 
 coordination and integration of interagency Federal capacity 
 and capabilities to address health risks of heat, including--
        (A) a strategy for improving and coordinating 
 existing Federal data collection and data management to 
 include sharing of data and statistics on heat-related 
 illnesses and mortalities and other impacts to inform 
 heat-related activities;
        (B) a strategy for improving and coordinating 
 Federal activities to understand user gaps and needs, 
 conduct research, foster innovative solutions, and 
 provide actionable information and services; and
            (C) mechanisms for financing heat planning and 
 preparedness within such agencies as the Committee 
 considers appropriate.

    (2) Implementation.--The head of an agency represented on 
 the Committee may implement the portions of the strategic plan 
 required by paragraph

    (1) that are relevant to that agency.

    (3) Updates.--Not later than 5 years after the submission 
 of the strategic plan required by paragraph

    (1) , and every 5 
 years thereafter, the Committee shall brief Congress on an 
 update of the plan, which shall include progress made toward 
 goals outlined in the previous plan and new priorities that 
 emerge.

    (f) Consultation.--In carrying out the responsibilities of the 
Committee, the Committee shall consult with relevant--

    (1) regional, State, Tribal, and local governments;

    (2) international organizations and partners;

    (3) research institutions;

    (4) nongovernmental organizations and associations;

    (5) medical experts with expertise in emergency response; 
 and

    (6) environmental health, economic or business development, 
 or other stakeholders.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL INTEGRATED HEAT HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
Atmosphere shall establish within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration a system, to be known as the ``National Integrated Heat 
Health Information System''

    (NIHHIS) (in this section referred to as 
the ``System'').

    (b) 

=== Purpose ===
-The purpose of the System is to reduce heat-related 
impacts by--

    (1) improving the delivery of data, information, forecasts, 
 warnings, predictions, and projections related to temperature 
 and extreme heat and related impacts;

    (2) through the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, 
 developing science-based solutions and tools to improve impact-
 based decision support services for heat impacts to human life, 
 property, and the United States economy; and

    (3) supporting a research program on heat health, in 
 coordination with the agencies represented on the National 
 Integrated Heat Health Information System Interagency 
 Committee.
            (c) Data Management.--

    (1) Availability.--The data and metadata associated with 
 the System shall be fully and openly available, within the 
 legal right to redistribute, in accordance with chapter 31 of 
 title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the ``Federal 
 Records Act of 1950''), and the Federal Evidence-Based 
 Policymaking Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-435; 132 Stat. 5529) 
 and the amendments made by that Act, to maximize use of such 
 data to support the goals of the System.

    (2) National centers for environmental information.--
        (A) In general.--The Under Secretary of Commerce 
 for Oceans and Atmosphere shall manage, maintain, and 
 steward archival data and metadata associated with the 
 System within the National Centers for Environmental 
 Information.
        (B) Warning coordination meteorologist.--The Under 
 Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall 
 designate at least one warning coordination 
 meteorologist, as described in 

section 405 of the 
 Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 
 (15 U.S.C. 8545), at the National Centers for 
 Environmental Information.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

 There is authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to carry out sections 3 and 4, including for 
any administrative costs for the National Integrated Heat Health 
Information System Interagency Committee and the National Integrated 
Heat Health Information System, $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2025 through 2029.
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