article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Children's Health Task Force Act of 2012''. SEC. 2. TASK FORCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISKS AND SAFETY RISKS TO CHILDREN. (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, acting jointly, shall establish and maintain a permanent task force, to be known as the Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children (in this Act referred to as the ``Task Force''). (b) Membership.--The Task Force shall be composed of the following officials (or their designees): (1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, who shall serve as a Co-Chair of the Task Force. (2) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, who shall serve as a Co-Chair of the Task Force. (3) The Secretary of Education. (4) The Secretary of Labor. (5) The Attorney General of the United States. (6) The Secretary of Energy. (7) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. (8) The Secretary of Agriculture. (9) The Secretary of Transportation. (10) The Secretary of Defense. (11) The Secretary of the Interior. (12) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget. (13) The Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. (14) The Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. (15) Such other officials of Federal departments and agencies as the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, acting jointly, may designate or invite (as appropriate) to serve on the Task Force. (c) Stakeholders.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, acting jointly, shall, as appropriate, invite representatives of stakeholders to attend meetings of the Task Force, appear before the Task Force, and file statements with the Task Force, subject to such requirements as the Secretary and Administrator may determine. (d) Functions.--The Task Force shall recommend to the President and the Congress Federal strategies for addressing environmental health risks and safety risks to children in the United States, within projected budgetary limits, including the following: (1) Adoption of action plans, including multiyear and annual priorities, to address the principal environmental health risks and safety risks to children. (2) Initiatives that the Federal Government has undertaken or will undertake in addressing the principal environmental health risks and safety risks to children. (3) Recommendations on how to improve cross-agency implementation of actions, including cross-agency budgeting, to address environmental health risks and safety risks to children. (4) Recommendations for a coordinated research agenda for the Federal Government to address environmental health risks and safety risks to children. (5) Recommendations for appropriate partnerships among Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and the private, academic, and nonprofit sectors. (6) Proposed ways to enhance public outreach and communication to assist families in evaluating environmental health risks and safety risks to children and in making informed consumer choices. (7) Proposed ways to strengthen the data system in order to identify and track development of rulemakings and other actions to ensure they comply with current policy on evaluating environmental health risks and safety risks to children. (e) Reports.-- (1) Biennial reports.--Not later than July 31, 2013, and biennially thereafter, the Task Force shall submit to the President and the Congress, make publicly available, and disseminate widely a report including-- (A) the strategies developed and updated under subsection (d); (B) in the case of reports subsequent to the first report, a description of the accomplishments of the Task Force since the preceding report; (C) current national priorities for addressing environmental health risks and safety risks to children in the United States and any related emerging issues; (D) updates on Federal research findings and research needs regarding environmental risks and safety risks to children; (E) information submitted to the Task Force by Federal departments and agencies for inclusion in the report; (F) appropriate recommendations by the Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee; and (G) information submitted by stakeholders for inclusion in the report. (2) Additional reporting.--In addition to the biennial reports under paragraph (1), the Task Force-- (A) may, as appropriate, submit to the President and the Congress such additional reports and updates as necessary; (B) shall make any such reports and updates publicly available; and (C) shall disseminate widely any such reports and updates. (f) Meetings.-- (1) In general.--The Task Force shall meet at least annually. (2) Notice.--The Task Force shall-- (A) publish in the Federal Register timely notice of each upcoming meeting of the Task Force; and (B) provide for other types of public notice to ensure that all interested persons receive timely notice of each upcoming meeting of the Task Force. (3) Minutes.-- (A) In general.--The Task Force shall record and maintain detailed minutes of each meeting of the Task Force, including-- (i) the meeting agenda; (ii) a record of the persons present; (iii) a complete and accurate description of matters discussed at the meeting and conclusions reached; and (iv) copies of all reports received, issued, or approved by the Task Force in connection with the meeting. (B) Public availability; copying.--The Task Force shall make such minutes available for public inspection and copying. (C) Accuracy.--The Co-Chairs of the Task Force shall certify the accuracy of all such minutes. (g) Termination of Existing Task Force.--The Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children established by Executive Order 13045 (April 21, 1997) is hereby terminated. (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013 and each subsequent fiscal year.
summary: Children's Health Task Force Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to) establish and maintain a permanent Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, which shall recommend federal strategies for addressing environmental health risks and safety risks to children in the United States, within projected budgetary limits. Requires such strategies to include: (1) adoption of action plans, including multiyear and annual priorities, to address the principal risks; (2) government initiatives to address such risks; (3) recommendations on how to improve cross-agency implementation of actions to address such risks; (4) recommendations for a coordinated research agenda for the government to address such risks; (5) recommendations for partnerships among federal, state, local, and tribal governments and the private, academic, and nonprofit sectors; (6) proposed ways to enhance public outreach and communication to assist families in evaluating such risks and in making informed consumer choices; and (7) proposed ways to strengthen the data system in order to identify and track development of rulemakings and other actions to ensure they comply with current policy on evaluating such risks. Directs the Task Force to submit, make publicly available, and disseminate widely a biennial report including: (1) the strategies developed and updated, (2) a description of the Task Force's accomplishments, (3) current national priorities for addressing such risks and any related emerging issues, (4) updates on federal research findings and research needs regarding such risks, (5) information submitted by federal agencies and by stakeholders for inclusion in the report, and (6) recommendations by the Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee.