NIH Consortium on Birth and Climate Change Research

(a) Establishment Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall establish the Consortium on Birth and Climate Change Research (in this section referred to as the Consortium). (b) Duties (1) In general The Consortium shall coordinate, across the institutes, centers, and offices of the National Institutes of Health, research on the risks associated with climate change for vulnerable individuals. (2) Required activities In carrying out paragraph (1), the Consortium shall— (A) establish research priorities, including by prioritizing research that— (i) identifies the risks associated with climate change for vulnerable individuals with a particular focus on disparities in such risks among racial and ethnic minority groups and other underserved populations; and (ii) identifies strategies to reduce levels of, and exposure to, such risks, with a particular focus on risks among racial and ethnic minority groups and other underserved populations; (B) identify gaps in available data related to such risks; (C) identify gaps in, and opportunities for, research collaborations; (D) identify funding opportunities for community-based organizations and researchers from racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse backgrounds; (E) identify opportunities to increase public awareness related to risks associated with climate change for vulnerable individuals; and (F) publish annual reports on the work and findings of the Consortium on a public website of the National Institutes of Health. (c) Membership The Director shall appoint to the Consortium representatives of such institutes, centers, and offices of the National Institutes of Health as the Director considers appropriate, including, at a minimum, representatives of— (1) the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; (2) the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; (3) the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; (4) the National Institute of Mental Health; (5) the National Institute of Nursing Research; and (6) the Office of Research on Women’s Health. (d) Chairperson The Chairperson of the Consortium shall be designated by the Director and selected from among the representatives appointed under subsection (c). (e) Consultation In carrying out the duties described in subsection (b), the Consortium shall consult with— (1) the heads of relevant Federal agencies, including— (A) the Environmental Protection Agency; (B) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (C) the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; and (D) from the Department of Health and Human Services— (i) the Office of Minority Health in the Office of the Secretary; (ii) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; (iii) the Health Resources and Services Administration; (iv) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (v) the Indian Health Service; and (vi) the Administration for Children and Families; and (2) representatives of— (A) stakeholder organizations; (B) health care providers and professional membership organizations with expertise in maternal health or environmental justice; (C) State and local public health departments; (D) licensed and accredited hospitals, birth centers, midwifery practices, or other health care practices that provide prenatal or labor and delivery services to vulnerable individuals; and (E) institutions of higher education, including such institutions that are minority-serving institutions or have expertise in maternal health or environmental justice.