Research & federal duties

In response to the Request for Information announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on September 17, 2026, the Advocacy Team at Children’s Health Defense (CHD) is submitting this comment to address growing concerns that the rapid expansion of wireless infrastructure and technology is outpacing our understanding of the harms it may pose to health and the environment. The FCC regulates communications and technology, but HHS and its agencies have the public health and scientific expertise needed to evaluate the health effects of wireless radiation exposure. The FCC’s current radiofrequency (RF) guidelines were established three decades ago in 1996— with no updates since. Wireless technology and the densification of wireless infrastructure has increased dramatically since the standards were first established. Yet the FCC has not provided the public with an adequate justification that its RF radiation guidelines are protective of public health in today’s highly dense exposure environments. CHD has heard directly from and worked with several people that have experienced significant health issues they associate with wireless radiation exposure. In Pittsfield, Massachusetts, lawyers working on behalf of CHD represented residents who reported serious health effects directly following the installation and activation of a cell tower in their neighborhood. Many of these individuals were forced to leave their homes as a result, often without meaningful notice or opportunity for community input. It is of utmost importance that these experiences are not dismissed as they warrant serious and independent scientific investigation. We have also heard from numerous parents concerned about the growing presence of wireless devices and screen-based technology in schools. Screen use and wireless connectivity have become a normal part of the school day, exposing vulnerable children to this invisible toxin. This is the first generation of children who will experience cradle to grave exposure. We must not wait for another generation of children to grow up before determining whether existing protections adequately address long-term, cumulative, and developmental exposure. CHD also works with practitioners who report treating patients experiencing symptoms of Electromagnetic Radiation Syndrome (EMR-S). Symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, brain fog, heart palpitations, insomnia, tinnitus and more serious diseases like cancer, neurological issues, and infertility. These individual experiences may be a warning of the widespread public health crisis that may result from the continued, uncontrolled deployment of wireless infrastructure and technology must not be dismissed or excluded from consideration. Furthermore, their experiences give us important insights into potential areas of scientific investigation.. Federal preemption presents an additional concern because it prevents communities from considering the health and environmental effects of wireless radiation exposure . Communities deserve transparency and a meaningful opportunity to raise legitimate concerns about infrastructure that may affect their neighborhoods and create unavoidable long-term exposure to wireless radiation. CHD urges HHS to support independent, transparent scientific investigation on the health effects of RF radiation exposure, including impacts on children, pregnancy and fertility, long-term consequences, cumulative exposure, and environmental impacts. Research should be independently funded and free from industry influence. We cannot assume that the FCC’s RF radiation guidelines established in 1996 adequately protect public health, simply because they remain in place. Wireless technology itself, the densification of wireless infrastructure, and the nature and duration of exposure have all changed dramatically since the guidelines were adopted 30 years ago. Our scientific understanding must keep pace. Our children should not be the guinea pigs for this nationwide experiment. We urge HHS to investigate the evidence, identify the research gaps, and fund the independent science necessary to determine whether existing protections are still relevant and adequately protect public health. Sincerely, Stephanie Locricchio Senior Advocacy Manager Children’s Health Defense Michael Kane Director of Advocacy Children’s Health Defense

I'd like to submit for consideration that this is the dumbest possible way to go about this. Our HHS head is far too stupid to be running this organization. We need qualified people in these positions. We do not need brain worm riddled sycophants who eat road kill and drink raw milk. Your average bumpkin has exactly nothing to add about radio frequencies. This is more stupid bullshit from the dumbest administration the United States has ever had.

I am submitting this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I am responding from the perspective of a [patient, parent, family member, caregiver, healthcare professional, researcher, advocate, concerned member of the public, or other]. Wireless radiation affects my autistic kids by exasperating his conditions. I have to detox him when getting home its ridiculous. I urge HHS to take an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. Questions about human health should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health, and the experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence. I urge HHS to carefully evaluate these experiences and the scientific evidence, identify gaps in current research, give particular attention to children and other potentially vulnerable populations, and establish appropriate federal research priorities regarding wireless radiation and public health. Thank you for providing individuals and families with an opportunity to be heard.

I support HHS taking an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. Questions about human health should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health, and the experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence.

I am responding as a parent and concerned member of the public who is deeply concerned about the potential health and wellbeing effects of wireless radiation exposure on my children and family. As a parent, I am increasingly concerned that my children’s exposure to wireless technology is becoming unavoidable. They are exposed to wireless devices and networks both at school and at home, often for extended periods, with limited ability to control or reduce their exposure. This raises concerns about the cumulative effects of prolonged exposure during childhood, a critical period of growth and development. My concerns extend beyond screen time to the radiofrequency radiation emitted by wireless devices, including wireless earbuds such as AirPods, which are heavily marketed to children and teenagers. These devices sit directly in the ears, close to the head, yet the potential health implications of frequent and prolonged use are not made sufficiently clear to consumers. I am concerned about possible long-term effects and believe these products warrant independent research and clear, accessible safety information. Similarly, phones, tablets, Chromebooks and laptops are used against or very close to the body for extended periods. Phones may be held against the head during calls, tucked into bras against breast tissue, carried in pockets near reproductive organs, or placed on the lap or chest while using a laptop or tablet. I am particularly concerned about potential effects on reproductive health, including fertility and the developing reproductive systems of children and teenagers. These concerns deserve rigorous scientific investigation rather than assumptions that everyday exposure is necessarily harmless. Wireless devices are marketed to young people as essential for education, communication and entertainment, yet meaningful safety warnings are often difficult to find, buried in user manuals or printed in tiny text. Consumers should not have to search through fine print to understand potential risks associated with the products they and their children use daily. I believe manufacturers should be required to display prominent, standardised warning labels directly on wireless devices and their packaging, clearly explaining radiofrequency emissions, recommended precautions and relevant uncertainties in the scientific evidence. These warnings should be visible before purchase, not hidden in instruction manuals. Legislation should ensure that no device is sold without clear and conspicuous safety information, particularly where children and teenagers are the intended users. My concerns also include potential effects on sleep quality, energy levels, concentration and overall wellbeing, alongside questions about long-term health and reported associations between radiofrequency exposure and certain tumours. While research continues to evolve, families deserve transparent information and independent investigation into these potential risks. I urge HHS to carefully evaluate the scientific evidence, investigate gaps in current research, examine cumulative and long-term exposure, and prioritise children and other potentially vulnerable populations. I also urge greater transparency, public education, precautionary measures and enforceable consumer protections. Our children should not be expected to bear the consequences of widespread wireless technology use without adequate research, transparent information and meaningful safeguards. Their long-term health, safety and wellbeing must come first. Thank you for providing families with an opportunity to have their concerns heard.

I am submitting this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I am a mother and take great care of our family's health from a holistic perspective and in a preventative manner. I think we need be to extra cautious with EMF and RF exposure in our environment especially for our youngest, oldest and more vulnerable populations. I support HHS taking an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. Questions about human health should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health, and the experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence. I urge HHS to carefully evaluate these experiences and the scientific evidence, identify gaps in current research, give particular attention to children and other potentially vulnerable populations, and establish appropriate federal research priorities regarding wireless radiation and public health. Thank you for providing individuals and families with an opportunity to be heard.

Wireless radiation has created created chronic fatigue. I hope you recognize that we are being poisoned with EMF's everywhere. IT MUST END! I support HHS taking an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. Questions about human health should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health, and the experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence. I urge HHS to carefully evaluate these experiences and the scientific evidence, identify gaps in current

Hello. I am extremely concerned with the amount of toxic EMF radiation that my children and I are exposed to every single day. I am questioning if some of our health issues are related to this EMF exposure- ringing in our ears, heart palpitations, or body aches when handling electronic devices like laptops and phones. Please get rid of the smart meters outside of our homes which are poisoning us and invading our privacy. Remove the 5G towers that are in our neighborhoods and near schools. Children are even more susceptible to EMF radiation than adults. Manufacture headphones that are safer to be on our heads for hours at a time like the "ibrain airtube headphones". Unfortunately, the quality of the few brands that do make them is very poor. We spend around $65 dollars per headphone set and they only last a couple of months before they break. This EMF radiation surrounds us all day in our homes and literally almost everywhere else. Please study the harmful effects and put laws and safety regulations in place to protect us. Make safer products to protect us, too, like the airtube headphones. Thank you.

I am submitting this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless radiation. A dear friend of mine has been deeply affected by the EMF field that they can not escape from. He has been unable to work for 7 years during this time he has had the occasion to be away from radiation and experiences relief from the chronic fatigue and brain fogg but is unable to restructure his life because he is so sick and has a family struggling to just maintain. His doctors will not acknowledge his sickness because these causes have not been studied properly. No one should be subject to influences that are so devastating. I support HHS taking an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. Questions about human health should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health, and the experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence. I urge HHS to carefully evaluate these experiences and the scientific evidence, identify gaps in current research, give particular attention to children and other potentially vulnerable populations, and establish appropriate federal research priorities regarding wireless radiation and public health. Thank you for providing individuals and families with an opportunity to be heard.

I am submitting this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I am responding from the perspective of a parent and concerned member of the public. I support HHS taking an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. Questions about human health should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health, and the experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence. I urge HHS to carefully evaluate these experiences and the scientific evidence, identify gaps in current research, give particular attention to children and other potentially vulnerable populations, and establish appropriate federal research priorities regarding wireless radiation and public health. Thank you for providing individuals and families with an opportunity to be heard.