§300mm–1 Wtc Health Program Scientific/technical Advisory Committee; Wtc Health Program Steering Committees

Summary

The WTC Program Administrator must create an advisory panel called the WTC Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee. Its job is to review medical and scientific evidence and advise the Administrator about who should be eligible for the WTC Program and what health problems should be considered WTC-related. The Administrator appoints the members and must include at least 4 occupational physicians (at least 2 experienced with WTC rescue and recovery workers), 1 pulmonary physician, 2 environmental medicine or environmental health specialists, 2 representatives of WTC responders, 2 representatives of certified-eligible WTC survivors, an industrial hygienist, a toxicologist, an epidemiologist, and a mental health professional. The committee must meet as often as needed, post its recommendations on the program’s public website, and stay in operation for as long as the WTC Program runs. It generally follows the rules in Chapter 10 of Title 5 of the U.S. Code unless another rule applies. The Administrator must also consult two steering committees: the WTC Responders Steering Committee, to get input and help coordinate monitoring and treatment for enrolled responders, and the WTC Survivors Steering Committee, to get input and help coordinate evaluations, monitoring, and treatment for screening-eligible and certified-eligible survivors. Each steering committee includes representatives of the Centers of Excellence that serve those groups, affected populations and worker groups, survivor advocates, and New York City representatives. The Responders Committee also includes labor organization representatives and three New York City appointees chosen by the police commissioner, the health commissioner, and the mayor. Each committee initially includes members from the comparable groups that existed the day before January 2, 2011. A committee can recommend extra members if a majority agrees, and it can name replacements for vacancies.