H.R. 1126: East Palestine Health Impact Monitoring Act of 2025

This bill is known as the East Palestine Health Impact Monitoring Act of 2025. Its main objective is to require a comprehensive study on the public health effects resulting from a train derailment that occurred on February 3, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio. The following are the key components of the bill:

Study on Public Health Impacts

The bill mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to fund a longitudinal study that will assess any health effects related to the train derailment and the subsequent venting and burning of chemicals. This funding can be awarded in the form of grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities.

Eligible Entities

To qualify for the funding, an entity must be a consortium of public or private institutions of higher education with the necessary expertise and capacity to conduct the health study. The Secretary is instructed to favor entities that already have established relationships with the communities affected by the derailment.

Reporting Requirements

The Secretary is required to provide updates and reports to Congress regarding the study:

• Within 2 years of receiving the funding, a report summarizing the progress of the study must be submitted, which includes a description of any challenges encountered and an estimated timeline for completion.
• Within 1 year of the study's results being published, a second report must detail those results and any ongoing or planned activities by the Secretary to support further research or address the findings of the study.

Funding Authorization

The bill also authorizes the appropriation of necessary funds for fiscal year 2026, which will remain available until September 30, 2030, to implement the provisions of this Act.

Relevant Companies

None found