The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is asking for the public’s help in implementing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010.

NIOSH says that perspectives from interested parties will help the federal government in developing a plan to implement the bill, which is designed to improve health services and provide financial compensation for 9/11 first responders who were exposed to dangerous toxins and are now sick as a result.

The bill would establish a federal program to provide medical monitoring and treatment for first responders, provide initial health screenings for people who were in the area at the time of the attack and may be at risk, and reopen the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund to provide compensation for losses and harm as an alternative to the current litigation system.

The public is invited to submit written comments on NIOSH-226 either via mail: NIOSH Docket Office/Robert A. Taft Laboratories/ MS-C34, 4676 Columbia Parkway/Cincinnati, OH 45226, by fax: (513) 533-8285 or email: nioshdocket@cdc.gov. All comments must be received by April 29, 2011.

All comments received will be available for public inspection, so they should not include any sensitive personal information, (such as social security numbers, driver's license numbers; or financial information like credit or debit card numbers). Comments also should not include any sensitive health information.