S. 2340 — Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act of 2025

This section defines terms for purposes of the Act, including (1) Director (i.e., the Director of the Office); (2) environmental justice community (i.e., a community with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and Indigenous communities that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects); (3) medically underserved community (as defined in section 799B of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 295p); (4) national strategic action plan (i.e., the plan published pursuant to section 4(b)(1)); (5) Office (i.e., the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity established by section 4(a)(1)); and (6) Secretary (i.e., the Secretary of Health and Human Services).

This section clarifies that nothing in this Act limits the existing authority or responsibilities of any federal department or agency under other laws (including regulations) or authorizes violations of any laws (including regulations), including those related to health, energy, environment, transportation, or other areas.

This section establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, led by a Director reporting to the HHS Secretary, to facilitate a federal response to climate change impacts on public health and the health care system through specified activities. Those activities include (1) contributing to health impact assessments; (2) identifying needs of disproportionately affected populations such as environmental justice and medically underserved communities; (3) serving as a source of information on climate-related health consequences; (4) tracking related data on environmental conditions, disease risks, and occurrences; (5) expanding modeling and forecasting of health effects; (6) enhancing related science; (7) communicating risks, costs, and mitigation to the public and professionals; (8) aligning federal services for affected populations; (9) developing resilience tools and resources; (10) implementing preparedness and response plans for threats such as heat waves and infectious diseases; (11) reducing health sector greenhouse gas emissions; (12) providing leadership to state/local governments and other entities; (13) building partnerships; (14) promoting workforce development; and (15) other activities as determined appropriate by the Secretary. This section further directs the HHS Secretary to publish, not later than one year after enactment and based on the best available science, a national strategic action plan—in consultation with specified federal agencies (e.g., EPA, NOAA, NASA), Tribal governments, state/local officials, and stakeholders such as environmental justice communities—to assess and strategize improvements in U.S. health sector capacity for climate impacts. The plan must address (1) prioritizing communities and populations disproportionately affected by climate hazards; (2) reducing mental and physical health disparities to enhance resilience; (3) linking environmental injustice to climate vulnerability; (4) outreach to professionals and the public; (5) tracking federal research programs; (6) assessing existing strategies; and (7) prioritizing public health and health care infrastructure.

This section establishes a permanent science advisory board of 10 to 20 members, appointed by the Secretary from recommendations by the President of the National Academy of Sciences or the President of the National Academy of Medicine. Board members must have expertise in essential public health and health care services—including with respect to diverse populations, climate change, environmental and climate justice, and other relevant disciplines—and the board must include members with practical or lived experience on these issues. The board must (1) provide scientific and technical advice to the Secretary on climate change impacts on public health and disproportionately affected populations and regions, and strategies to prepare for and respond to those impacts; (2) advise the Secretary on the best available science for Office activities and the national strategic action plan; and (3) submit a report to Congress on its activities and recommendations within one year of enactment and annually thereafter. The Secretary must provide financial and administrative support to the board.

This section directs the Secretary to offer to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—including providing necessary funding—under which the National Academies will prepare periodic reports to aid public health and health care professionals in preparing for and responding to the adverse health effects of climate change. The reports (1) review scientific developments on health impacts and health disparities of climate change, (2) evaluate measurable impacts of activities under the national strategic action plan, and (3) recommend changes to the plan; they must be submitted to Congress and the Secretary and made publicly available not later than one year after the plan's first publication and every four years thereafter.

This section authorizes appropriations to the Secretary as follows: (1) $10 million for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031 for the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (sec. 4(a)); (2) $2 million for FY2026, to remain available until expended, for the national strategic action plan (sec. 4(b)); and (3) $500,000 for FY2026, to remain available until expended, for the advisory board (sec. 5).