CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION House Resolution No. 123Introduced by Assembly Member ReyesAugust 02, 2022 Relative to Childrens Environmental Health Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTHR 123, as introduced, Reyes. Digest KeyBill TextWHEREAS, Our children are Californias future and are especially vulnerable to environmental health issues because they are physiologically very different from adults and are in a dynamic state of growth. From birth through young adulthood, children experience rapid physiological growth, and their systems absorb more toxins in proportion to their body weight than do adults systems. Children also have higher metabolic rates than do adults, and relative to body size, children eat and drink more food and liquid than their full-grown counterparts. Children also have unique behavior and activity patterns. They live and play much closer to the ground than do adults, and are therefore exposed differently to toxins; andWHEREAS, All children are affected by environmental hazards because different kinds of pollution can be found throughout our state. Contaminants are transported through many media, including air, water, soil, and food, and are absorbed by children when they breathe, drink, eat, and touch the contaminated media. Childrens exposure to these toxins can harm their health; andWHEREAS, Childrens exposure to environmental contaminants results in greater consequences over time, as health issues from negative environmental factors can develop over the course of years, leaving more time for children to develop health conditions as compared to adults that may be exposed later in life. Furthermore, because a child is still developing, it may be more difficult for a childs body to break down and clear harmful contaminants; andWHEREAS, Recent scientific research by the University of California, Los Angeles, documents that certain pesticides are linked to increased rates of childhood cancers and brain tumors in the children of women who lived, during pregnancy, within two and one-half miles of fields treated with any amount of those pesticides; andWHEREAS, Many pesticides used in California are associated with major childhood health conditions. Some pesticides are known neurotoxins and have been linked to higher rates of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders in children. In addition, studies have demonstrated strong associations between pesticides and asthma diagnoses for children under five years of age. Many pesticides also contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals and PFAS, which mimic hormones and impact brain development; andWHEREAS, Studies performed by the State Air Resources Board have found that children exposed to air pollution suffered decreased lung function and development and were more prone to developing asthma and bronchitis, illnesses that can stay with children their entire lives and even shorten their lifespans; andWHEREAS, Another example of an environmental hazard that harms children is lead exposure. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that there is no safe level of lead in children. The State Department of Public Health reports that lead exposure at very low levels can cause learning, behavioral, and attention difficulties in children, and nervous system and organ damage. Exposure to high levels of lead can be fatal. While children are often exposed to lead as a result of contact with lead-based paint, the United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that as much as 20 percent of a childs lead exposure comes from lead in drinking water. Drinking water can be an even larger source of lead exposure for infants who consume mostly water-based formula. The State Department of Public Healths Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program reports that environmental lead hazards are pervasive throughout California and found that 99.2 percent of Californias ZIP Codes could be defined as being at risk for childhood lead exposure; andWHEREAS, It is an established fact that children from low-income communities and communities of color are at disproportionate risk for exposure to environmental hazards, and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment within the California Environmental Protection Agency reports that Latino, Black, immigrant, and children of color in California are more likely to reside in areas with disproportionately higher exposure to environmental contaminants; andWHEREAS, Nationally, the United States has experienced worrisome increases in certain childhood diseases, disorders, and health problems, including asthma, cancer, autism, and obesity. Researchers are documenting to what degree these increases are linked to environmental exposures; andWHEREAS, The aim of Childrens Environmental Health Month is to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring clean air and water, safe food and consumer products, and healthy environments during a childs development and beyond; andWHEREAS, Childrens Environmental Health Day was created by the Childrens Environmental Health Network and celebrated nationally since October 13, 2016; andWHEREAS, Childrens Environmental Health Month is a national and statewide effort supported by individuals, nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies, and was first recognized by the California Legislature in 2019; andWHEREAS, Childrens Environmental Health Month encourages individuals and organizations to raise awareness and understanding of childrens environmental health issues, seek improved environmental health policies and protections for children, and perform acts of sustainability or environmental health wellness; andWHEREAS, Together, we can safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of our children, who are our most precious resource; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly proclaims October 2022 as Childrens Environmental Health Month, and affirms that all children have a right to clean air and water, safer food and products, and healthy environments; and be it furtherResolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION House Resolution No. 123Introduced by Assembly Member ReyesAugust 02, 2022 Relative to Childrens Environmental Health Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTHR 123, as introduced, Reyes. Digest Key
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION
House Resolution
No. 123
Introduced by Assembly Member ReyesAugust 02, 2022
Introduced by Assembly Member Reyes
August 02, 2022
Relative to Childrens Environmental Health Month.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HR 123, as introduced, Reyes.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Our children are Californias future and are especially vulnerable to environmental health issues because they are physiologically very different from adults and are in a dynamic state of growth. From birth through young adulthood, children experience rapid physiological growth, and their systems absorb more toxins in proportion to their body weight than do adults systems. Children also have higher metabolic rates than do adults, and relative to body size, children eat and drink more food and liquid than their full-grown counterparts. Children also have unique behavior and activity patterns. They live and play much closer to the ground than do adults, and are therefore exposed differently to toxins; and
WHEREAS, All children are affected by environmental hazards because different kinds of pollution can be found throughout our state. Contaminants are transported through many media, including air, water, soil, and food, and are absorbed by children when they breathe, drink, eat, and touch the contaminated media. Childrens exposure to these toxins can harm their health; and
WHEREAS, Childrens exposure to environmental contaminants results in greater consequences over time, as health issues from negative environmental factors can develop over the course of years, leaving more time for children to develop health conditions as compared to adults that may be exposed later in life. Furthermore, because a child is still developing, it may be more difficult for a childs body to break down and clear harmful contaminants; and
WHEREAS, Recent scientific research by the University of California, Los Angeles, documents that certain pesticides are linked to increased rates of childhood cancers and brain tumors in the children of women who lived, during pregnancy, within two and one-half miles of fields treated with any amount of those pesticides; and
WHEREAS, Many pesticides used in California are associated with major childhood health conditions. Some pesticides are known neurotoxins and have been linked to higher rates of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders in children. In addition, studies have demonstrated strong associations between pesticides and asthma diagnoses for children under five years of age. Many pesticides also contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals and PFAS, which mimic hormones and impact brain development; and
WHEREAS, Studies performed by the State Air Resources Board have found that children exposed to air pollution suffered decreased lung function and development and were more prone to developing asthma and bronchitis, illnesses that can stay with children their entire lives and even shorten their lifespans; and
WHEREAS, Another example of an environmental hazard that harms children is lead exposure. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that there is no safe level of lead in children. The State Department of Public Health reports that lead exposure at very low levels can cause learning, behavioral, and attention difficulties in children, and nervous system and organ damage. Exposure to high levels of lead can be fatal. While children are often exposed to lead as a result of contact with lead-based paint, the United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that as much as 20 percent of a childs lead exposure comes from lead in drinking water. Drinking water can be an even larger source of lead exposure for infants who consume mostly water-based formula. The State Department of Public Healths Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program reports that environmental lead hazards are pervasive throughout California and found that 99.2 percent of Californias ZIP Codes could be defined as being at risk for childhood lead exposure; and
WHEREAS, It is an established fact that children from low-income communities and communities of color are at disproportionate risk for exposure to environmental hazards, and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment within the California Environmental Protection Agency reports that Latino, Black, immigrant, and children of color in California are more likely to reside in areas with disproportionately higher exposure to environmental contaminants; and
WHEREAS, Nationally, the United States has experienced worrisome increases in certain childhood diseases, disorders, and health problems, including asthma, cancer, autism, and obesity. Researchers are documenting to what degree these increases are linked to environmental exposures; and
WHEREAS, The aim of Childrens Environmental Health Month is to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring clean air and water, safe food and consumer products, and healthy environments during a childs development and beyond; and
WHEREAS, Childrens Environmental Health Day was created by the Childrens Environmental Health Network and celebrated nationally since October 13, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Childrens Environmental Health Month is a national and statewide effort supported by individuals, nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies, and was first recognized by the California Legislature in 2019; and
WHEREAS, Childrens Environmental Health Month encourages individuals and organizations to raise awareness and understanding of childrens environmental health issues, seek improved environmental health policies and protections for children, and perform acts of sustainability or environmental health wellness; and
WHEREAS, Together, we can safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of our children, who are our most precious resource; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly proclaims October 2022 as Childrens Environmental Health Month, and affirms that all children have a right to clean air and water, safer food and products, and healthy environments; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.