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Public Act 095-0074 |
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AN ACT concerning public health.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||
Biomonitoring Feasibility Study Act. | ||||
Section 5. Findings and purposes. | ||||
(a) The General Assembly finds all of the following: | ||||
(1) An estimated 100,000 chemicals are on the U.S. | ||||
Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Substances Control | ||||
Act inventory and thousands are in commerce today in the | ||||
United States. | ||||
(2) These chemicals are regulated by the U.S. | ||||
Environmental Protection Agency, in accordance with the | ||||
Toxic Substances Control Act. | ||||
(3) With advancements in analytical chemistry, | ||||
scientists can now detect minute quantities of chemicals in | ||||
humans.
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(4) Biomonitoring is one method for assessing human | ||||
exposure to chemicals by measuring the chemicals or their | ||||
breakdown products, known as metabolites, in human tissues | ||||
or specimens, such as blood and urine. In studies conducted | ||||
by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | ||||
(CDC), biomonitoring data has helped to identify chemicals |
found in the environment and in human tissues, monitor | ||
changes in human exposure to those chemicals, and | ||
investigate the distribution of exposure among the general | ||
population. The CDC has developed standardized and | ||
validated analytical methods for measuring substances in | ||
humans. The CDC's National Exposure Report provides | ||
statistically valid distribution measurements of chemicals | ||
in the U.S. population, including specific age, gender, and | ||
ethnic groups. CDC continues to develop new validated | ||
methods, and as they do so additional chemicals are being | ||
reported. | ||
(b) The purpose of this Act is for the University of | ||
Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Great Lakes Center for Occupational | ||
and Environmental Safety and Health to conduct an Environmental | ||
Contaminant Biomonitoring Feasibility Study (Study) that | ||
proposes the best way to establish an Illinois Environmental | ||
Contaminant Biomonitoring Program (Program) that will do all of | ||
the following: | ||
(1) monitor the presence and concentration of | ||
designated chemicals in a representative sample of the | ||
population of this State; | ||
(2) produce biomonitoring studies that provide data | ||
for scientists, researchers, public health personnel, and | ||
community members to explore potential linkages between | ||
chemical exposure and health concerns; and
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(3) support Illinois public health by establishing |
trends in chemical exposures, validating modeling and | ||
survey methods, supporting epidemiological studies, | ||
identifying highly exposed communities, addressing the | ||
data gaps between chemical exposures and specific health | ||
outcomes, informing health responses to unanticipated | ||
emergency exposures, assessing the effectiveness of | ||
current regulations, and setting priorities for research. | ||
Section 10. Definitions. In this Act: | ||
"Agency" means the Illinois Environmental Protection | ||
Agency.
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"Department" means the Illinois Department of Public | ||
Health. | ||
"Panel" means the Scientific Guidance Panel.
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"Program" means the Illinois Environmental Contaminant | ||
Biomonitoring Program. | ||
"Study" means the Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring | ||
Feasibility Study. | ||
Section 15. Scientific Guidance Panel. | ||
(a) In implementing the Study, the Department and the | ||
Agency shall establish a Scientific Guidance Panel. The | ||
Directors of the Department and the Agency shall appoint the | ||
members of the Panel. The Panel shall be composed of 11 | ||
members, whose expertise shall encompass the disciplines of | ||
public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental |
medicine, risk analysis, exposure assessment, developmental | ||
biology, laboratory sciences, bioethics, maternal and child | ||
health with a specialty in breastfeeding, and toxicology. | ||
Members shall be appointed for 2-year terms. Members may be | ||
reappointed for additional terms without limitation. Members | ||
shall serve until their successors are appointed and have | ||
qualified for membership on the Panel. Vacancies shall be | ||
filled in the same manner as the original appointments, and any | ||
member so appointed shall serve during the remainder of the | ||
term for which the vacancy occurred. The Panel shall meet, at a | ||
minimum, 3 times per year. The Agency shall be responsible for | ||
staffing and administration of the Panel. Members of the Panel | ||
shall be reimbursed for travel and other necessary expenses | ||
incurred in the performance of their duties under this Act, but | ||
shall not receive a salary or compensation. | ||
(b) The Panel shall provide guidance to UIC and make | ||
recommendations regarding the design and implementation of the | ||
Program. The Panel shall recommend: | ||
(1) scientifically sound Program design, rationale, | ||
and procedures for selecting and collecting biological | ||
samples and for selecting the populations for | ||
biomonitoring, taking into account both ethical issues and | ||
issues pertaining to confidentiality of data; | ||
(2) scientifically sound, peer-reviewed procedures for | ||
incorporating biomonitoring data into risk assessment | ||
guidance, policies and regulations; |
(3) procedures to accurately and effectively interpret | ||
and communicate biomonitoring results within the context | ||
of potential risks to human health; and
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(4) a procedure for selecting priority chemicals for | ||
inclusion in the Program using sound public health | ||
criteria, including all of the following criteria:
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(A) The degree of potential exposure to the public | ||
or specific subgroups, including, but not limited to, | ||
certain occupations. | ||
(B) The likelihood of a chemical being a carcinogen | ||
or toxicant based on peer-reviewed health data, its | ||
chemical structure, or the toxicology of chemically | ||
related compounds.
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(C) The availability and the limits of validated | ||
laboratory detection for the chemical, including the | ||
ability to reliably detect and quantify the chemical at | ||
levels low enough to be expected in the general | ||
population.
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(c) The Panel may recommend additional designated | ||
chemicals not included in the National Report on Human Exposure | ||
to Environmental Chemicals for inclusion in the Program using | ||
all of the following criteria:
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(1) Exposure or potential exposure to the public or | ||
specific subgroups. | ||
(2) The known or suspected health effects resulting | ||
from some level of exposure based on scientifically valid |
studies. | ||
(3) The need to assess the efficacy of public health | ||
actions to reduce exposure to a chemical causally | ||
associated with human health effects at environmentally | ||
relevant exposure levels. | ||
(4) The availability of a scientifically valid method | ||
for accurately and reliably measuring the chemical in human | ||
specimens.
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Section 20. Study report. Two years after the effective | ||
date of this Act, UIC shall release a draft report for public | ||
review and comment and for review by the Panel. The draft | ||
report shall contain the findings of the Study and shall | ||
include in the report recommended activities and estimated | ||
costs of establishing the Program. The period for public | ||
comment and review by the Panel shall last for 60 days. Within | ||
90 days of the close of the public comment period, the draft | ||
report shall be revised, taking into consideration the comments | ||
received and the recommendations of the Panel. The final report | ||
shall be submitted to the Governor and General Assembly.
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