1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Community Disease Cluster Assistance Act”.
Community Disease Cluster Assistance Act
A BILL
To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants to individuals that may be affected by a reported disease cluster.
2. Definitions
3. Community disease cluster technical assistance grants
In general— The Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary may award grants in accordance with this Act to any individual or group of individuals that may be affected by a reported community-based disease cluster—
to pay the Federal share of the technical assistance described in subsection (d);
to protect public health and the environment;
to promote healthy and safe environments; and
to prevent and address harmful exposures to hazardous substances.
Application—
In general— To be eligible for a grant under this Act, an individual or group of individuals shall submit to the Administrator and the Secretary an application that contains a description of the—
need for technical assistance, including the need to procure independent technical advisors to help grant recipients interpret the information described in subsection (d);
expected outputs, including results, effects, or consequences that will occur from the technical assistance; and
expected outcomes, including activity, effort, or associated work products that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specific date.
Response— Not later than 120 days after the date on which an application is submitted under paragraph (1), the Administrator and the Secretary shall respond to each applicant in writing and describe whether the application is approved, denied, or will be considered after the applicant modifies the application.
Criteria— The Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary, shall develop criteria that, if satisfied, would result in the Administrator and the Secretary accepting an application submitted under paragraph (1).
Amount—
In general— Except as provided in paragraph (2), each grant awarded under this Act shall not exceed $50,000.
Waiver— The Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary, may waive the limitation described in paragraph (1) if the waiver is necessary to provide the technical assistance described in subsection (d).
Use of funds— Grants awarded under this Act shall be used to obtain technical assistance in interpreting information regarding—
investigating reported community-based disease clusters associated with 1 or more hazardous chemicals;
the potential hazardous chemicals associated with a reported community-based disease cluster;
providing individuals or groups of individuals with community-based tools to educate the individuals on the mitigation of hazardous chemicals associated with reported community-based disease clusters; or
other scientific and technical issues related to reported community-based disease clusters.
Number of grants— No individual or group of individuals shall be awarded more than 1 grant under this Act.
Non-Federal share—
In general— Except as provided in paragraph (2), the non-Federal share for each grant awarded under this Act is 20 percent.
Waiver— The Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary, may waive the non-Federal share described in paragraph (1) if—
the recipient of the grant demonstrates financial need; and
the waiver is necessary to provide the technical assistance described in subsection (d).
Renewal of grant—
In general— Any grant awarded under this Act may be renewed to facilitate technical assistance to any group of individuals that may be affected by a reported community-based disease cluster.
Conditions— Each renewal of a grant awarded under this Act is subject to the same conditions that apply to an initial grant.
Reports— Any recipient of a grant awarded under this Act shall submit to the Administrator and the Secretary a report that describes the progress in addressing the needs and achieving the outputs and outcomes described in subsection (b).
4. Authorization of appropriations
For each of fiscal years 2013 through 2018, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator and the Secretary from any funds made available to the Administrator and the Secretary for the purpose of providing community members with technical assistance and engagement on environmental health issues from the Hazardous Substance Superfund established under section 9507 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 such sums as are necessary to carry out section 3.
5. Effect on other laws
Nothing in this Act modifies, limits, or otherwise affects the application of, or obligation to comply with, any law, including any environmental or public health law.