ASPPH is proud to announce that we worked closely with Representative Haley Stevens’ (D-MI) office to ensure academic public health is central to the recently introduced Plastic Health Research Act bipartisan legislation. This collaboration could help secure new opportunities for ASPPH members to receive environmental health research funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In the press release announcing the bill, Dr. Laura Magaña, ASPPH’s President and CEO, is quoted as underscoring the importance of this meaningful step forward.

Aligned with our Climate and Health Task Force, this initiative strengthens science-based strategies to protect communities. The Act would direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish coordinated research programs, including a grant program for public, nonprofit, or academic institutions and new Centers of Excellence for Plastic Exposure Health Research at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). These initiatives will improve scientific methods, provide high-quality data, and guide evidence-based public health protections.

At ASPPH, our Climate Change and Health Initiative has shown that environmental exposures significantly influence public health outcomes. This Act will provide the scientific foundation needed to assess these risks and develop evidence-based strategies to protect our communities. We applaud this forward-thinking initiative.