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Introduced July 17, 2025 by Doris Matsui · Last progress July 17, 2025
Creates a new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate federal action on how climate change affects health. Requires HHS to publish a national strategic action plan within 1 year, set up a permanent scientific advisory board, commission periodic National Academies reports, direct agency assessments of laws and programs, and provides limited dedicated funding for the office, plan development, and the advisory board.
The bill centralizes federal climate-and-health efforts with a new Office, science-based planning, and targeted support for vulnerable communities and health systems — improving preparedness and equity — but it requires new federal spending, adds administrative and compliance burdens, and leaves funding and some legal questions unresolved.
Hospitals, state and local public-health agencies, and other health partners will have a single federal Office and Director coordinating climate-and-health actions, improving accountability and program delivery.
All Americans will benefit from a national strategic action plan (required within 1 year and updated regularly) that coordinates federal, state, and local preparedness for climate-driven health threats (heat, storms, vector-borne disease, air quality).
Health systems, clinicians, and public-health workers will get technical assistance, training, updated guidance, and improved surveillance/modeling to better prevent and respond to climate-related health harms.
Taxpayers could face meaningful new federal spending (at least tens of millions over FY2026–2031) that may increase the deficit or crowd out other priorities.
New planning, reporting, and compliance requirements could impose administrative burdens on federal and state agencies and on health-care providers, adding staff time and costs and potentially delaying unrelated agency priorities.
Authorizations do not guarantee appropriations — if Congress does not fund the authorized amounts, the Office, plan development, and advisory board may remain underfunded and planned activities delayed.