IAFF LEGISLATIVE FACT SHEET

MEDICAL MONITORING

With the help of the IAFF, legislation authorizing the creation of a federal program to provide long-term medical monitoring of first responders who respond to a disaster was recently passed by the Congress and signed into law.

BACKGROUND

The September 11 tragedy and the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina have produced a growing awareness of the need for on-going medical monitoring of first responders who respond to large-scale disasters.  Medical experts believe that prolonged exposure at disaster sites dramatically increases the dangers posed by toxins and other unknown hazards.

Following the attacks at the World Trade Center, fire fighters and other workers who spent large amounts of time at Ground Zero reported a variety of health problems including respiratory illness, pneumonia and asthma.  To address these concerns, Congress established a program to provide medical screening and monitoring of workers engaged in the rescue and recovery operations at the World Trade Center site.  This program successfully documented health hazards, which allowed for the early detection and treatment of illnesses. 

Similar concerns have been raised in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Following the disaster, a joint taskforce of the Centers for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency identified a variety of environmental health hazards in New Orleans following Katrina, including contaminated flood and drinking water, hazardous solid waste, and possible soil contamination.  Fire fighters responding to Katrina had been exposed to these and other unknown hazards, putting their health and safety at risk.  

Currently, there is little health monitoring of fire fighters who respond to major disasters.  The federal government has funded such monitoring in a few instances, and localities have occasionally undertaken monitoring programs, but there is no reliable system of health screening currently available.
 

CURRENT LEGISLATION

U.S. House:      H.R. 3850, the Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act of 2005
                     Sponsors:          Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
                                            Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT)

U.S. Senate:     S. 1741, the Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act of 2005
                      Sponsors:          Senator George Voinovich (R-OH)
                                             Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)

Summary:     H.R. 3850 and S. 1741 would authorize a program to assess and monitor the health and safety of individuals, including fire fighters and emergency medical personnel, exposed to harmful substances following a federally declared disaster. 

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION

On September 21, 2005, H.R. 3850 was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

On September 21, 2005, S. 1741 was introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

On September 29, 2005, S. 1741 was added as an amendment to S. 1725 by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and referred to the full Senate. 

On May 11, 2006, H.R. 5351, containing provisions from H.R. 3850, was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the House Committee on Homeland Security, and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

On May 17, 2006, H.R. 5351 was approved by the House Committee on Homeland Security.

On June 15, 2006, S. 1741 was approved by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

On July 11, 2006, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) offered an amendment containing provisions from S. 1741 to H.R. 5441, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007.  The U.S. Senate approved the amendment by a vote of 87-11.

On July 13, 2006, the U.S. Senate approved H.R. 5441 by a vote of 100-0.

On July 25, 2006, S. 3721, containing provisions from S. 1741, was introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 

On July 27, 2006, S. 3721 was approved by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 

On September 13, 2006, Senators George Voinovich (R-OH) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) offered S. 1741 as an amendment to H.R. 4954, the SAFE Port Act.  The U.S. Senate approved the amendment by voice vote.

On September 14, 2006, the U.S. Senate approved H.R. 4954 by a vote of 98-0.

On September 19, 2006, the U.S. Senate asked for a conference and appointed conferees:  Collins; Coleman; Bennett; Lieberman; Levin; Stevens; Lott; Hutchison; Inouye; Lautenberg; Grassley; Hatch; Baucus; Shelby; Sarbanes; and Murray.

On September 28, 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives appointed conferees:  King (NY), Young (AK), Lungren, Daniel E., Linder, Simmons, McCaul (TX), Reichert, Thompson (MS), Sanchez, Loretta, Markey, Harman, Pascrell, Barton (TX), Upton, Dingell, Boehlert, Sodrel, Melancon, LoBiondo, Shuster, Oberstar, Thomas, Shaw, and Rangel.

On September 29, 2006, the conferees filed the conference report on H.R. 4954.

On September 30, 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the conference report on H.R. 4954 by a vote of 409-2.  As approved, the conference report contains the Voinovich - Clinton amendment authorizing future medical monitoring programs.

On September 30, 2006, the U.S. Senate approved the conference report on H.R. 4954 by unanimous consent.

On October 13, 2006, the final bill was signed into law by the President.