Native Children's Environmental Health Protection Task Force

The Indian Health Care Improvement Act is amended by inserting after section 223 (25 U.S.C. 1621v) the following: 224. Native Children's Environmental Health Protection Task Force (a) Establishment (1) In general There is established within the Council on Environmental Quality a Native Children's Environmental Health Protection Task Force (referred to in this section as the Task Force). (2) Membership The Task Force— (A) shall include— (i) the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, who shall serve as Chairperson of the Task Force; and (ii) 1 representative from each of— (I) the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Service; (II) the Environmental Protection Agency; (III) the Department of Housing and Urban Development; (IV) the Department of the Interior; (V) the Department of Agriculture; (VI) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (VII) the Department of Transportation; (VIII) tribal organizations; (IX) Tribal environmental health programs; (X) Tribal health directors; and (XI) the organization described in section 12(7) of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act (42 U.S.C. 11711(7)); and (B) may include a representative of Native youth. (b) Purpose The purpose of the Task Force shall be to serve as a coordinating body to protect the environmental health of Native children through cross-agency collaboration, including by— (1) identifying and addressing environmental health hazards that disproportionately affect Native children; (2) enhancing coordination among Federal, State, and Tribal agencies, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations on environmental health issues affecting Native children; (3) developing and implementing culturally appropriate solutions to environmental health challenges in Native communities; (4) leveraging resources across Federal, State, and Tribal agencies to maximize impact and efficiency of environmental health programs that serve Native communities; (5) strengthening capacity among Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to address environmental health threats through technical assistance and resource sharing; (6) ensuring environmental health interventions respect Tribal sovereignty and incorporate traditional ecological knowledge; (7) promoting environmental justice for Native children and their communities; and (8) reducing administrative burdens on Tribal-serving and Native Hawaiian-serving environmental health programs through streamlined processes and integrated systems. (c) Duties The Task Force shall develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan to address environmental health threats to Native children, including dust, mold, sanitation challenges, contaminated lands from mining, industrial wastes, abandoned uranium mines, pesticides from agricultural operations, oil spills, groundwater contamination, wildfire smoke inhalation, and other natural disasters. (d) Consultation The Task Force shall consult and engage with Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, as appropriate, in developing and implementing all protocols and processes under this section. (e) Annual report Annually, the Task Force shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this section, including any outcomes and recommendations, as applicable..