S. 271: Better Health in the Arctic Act

113th Congress · introduced 2013-02-11 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2013-02-11 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Better Health in the Arctic Act

Plain summary

Better Health in the Arctic Act - Directs the Arctic Research Commission to examine the science base, gaps in knowledge, and strategies for the prevention and treatment of mental, behavioral, and physical health problems, including alcohol abuse, faced by populations in the Arctic, with a focus on Alaska. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a national Arctic health science policy, reviewing and taking into consideration the National Arctic Health Science Policy developed by the American Public Health Association Task Force in 1984. Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a Desk for Arctic Health to: (1) work with the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee to ensure adequate health representation from federal agencies, (2) collaborate and consult with governmental entities and U.S. nongovernmental organizations involved in Arctic health issues, and (3) collaborate with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research on indigenous Arctic people health issues. Directs the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a program at the National Center of Environmental Health to foster advances and help provide technical support in the field of Arctic health impact assessments.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Better Health in the Arctic Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113s271.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/s>

Record fed-us-cong113-s271 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113