42 U.S.C. § 300j–27 — Registry for lead exposure and Advisory Committee

(a) Definitions: In this section, "City" means a city that has been exposed to lead contamination in its local drinking water system. "Committee" means the Advisory Committee^* created in subsection (c). "Secretary" means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(b) Lead exposure registry: The Secretary must create a lead exposure registry. It can be housed in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — whichever the Secretary chooses — or run through a grant or contract. The registry collects data on the lead exposure of a City's residents, but only from residents who volunteer their information.

(c) Advisory Committee:
Membership: The Secretary must set up an Advisory Committee inside the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, working with the CDC Director^* and other agencies. It must include both Federal and non-Federal members, and must include at least one of each of these experts: an epidemiologist, a toxicologist, a mental health professional, a pediatrician, an early childhood education expert, a special education expert, a dietician, and an environmental health expert. The Committee can have no more than 15 members, and at least half must be Federal employees.
Chair: The Secretary picks the chair from among the Federal members.
Terms: Members serve up to 3 years and can be reappointed for more terms.
Federal Advisory Committee Act: The Committee must follow the rules of that Act.
Responsibilities: At a minimum, the Committee must review federal programs and services for people and communities exposed to lead; review current lead-poisoning research and identify what research is still needed; review and identify best practices^* — or the need for them — on lead screening and prevention; identify effective health care, education, and nutrition services for people affected by lead, using the registry from subsection (b) when helpful; and do any other review the Secretary asks for.
Reports: Every year for 5 years, and after that whenever needed or whenever Congress asks, the Committee must send a report to the Secretary and to several Senate and House committees. The report must evaluate how well federal programs and services are working, evaluate what lead-poisoning research is still needed, assess effective screening methods and best practices, give recommendations for improving access to health care, education, and nutrition services, and add any other recommendations for lead-affected communities.

(d) Funding: For fiscal years 2017 through 2021, Congress could spend $17,500,000 total on the registry in subsection (b) and $2,500,000 total on the Advisory Committee in subsection (c).