The STAC was established by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. The Act specifies three general areas of contributions to the WTC Health Program from the STAC:

The Act requires the Administrator to seek advice from the STAC with regard to determining eligibility criteria for responder and survivor membership in the Program.

The Act requires the Administrator to seek advice from the STAC with regard to identifying research needs for the Program.

The Act provides that the Administrator may consult with the STAC regarding whether a particular health condition should be added to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions.

Statement from the WTC Program Administrator John Howard, M.D., on the Reauthorization of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. (January 20, 2016)

I am pleased to announce that on December 18, 2015, President Obama signed into law a bill reauthorizing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. This includes reauthorization of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program for 75 years, ending in 2090.

The very good news about the reauthorization is that we can be assured that the WTC Health Program will be able to continue to provide healthcare to responders and survivors. The renewal of the Program also includes changes to some aspects of the Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (STAC).

Here are highlights of the changes for the STAC:

• Requires the WTC Health Program to have the STAC review and evaluate the policies and procedures used to determine if sufficient evidence exists to support adding a health condition to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions. This review must occur within 12 months of the reauthorization.
• Requires that the STAC review and evaluate any substantial amendments to the policies and procedures mentioned above.
• Requires that the STAC recommend individuals to provide peer reviews of the scientific and technical evidence used by the Administrator to add a health condition to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions. The initial recommendation of individuals must occur within 12 months of the reauthorization and at least every 2 years thereafter.