Helping Veterans Exposed to Toxic Chemicals Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish within the Department of Defense (DOD) three centers of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and other environmental exposures.
Requires the Secretary to select for such centers entities that: (1) are equipped with the specialized equipment needed to study, diagnose, and treat health conditions relating to such exposure; (2) have a publication track record of post-deployment health exposures among veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan; (3) have collaborated with a geosciences department that has a medical geology division; (4) have developed animal models and in vitro models of dust immunology and lung injury from Iraq and Afghanistan; and (5) have expertise in allergy and immunology, pulmonary diseases, and industrial and management engineering.
Directs the Secretary to ensure that the centers collaborate with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), institutions of higher education, and other appropriate public and private entities to carry out specified responsibilities, including to: (1) implement the comprehensive plan and strategy for DOD for the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to such exposure; and (2) provide for dissemination within DOD of best practices for the treatment of such conditions and the training of health professionals.
Requires the center to have access to and make use of the data accumulated by the burn pits registry established under the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2510 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2510
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish within the Department
of Defense centers of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis,
mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating
to exposure to open burn pits.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 26, 2013
Mr. Bishop of New York (for himself, Mr. Jones, Ms. DeGette, and Mr.
Cooper) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish within the Department
of Defense centers of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis,
mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating
to exposure to open burn pits.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Veterans Exposed to Toxic
Chemicals Act''.
SEC. 2. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, MITIGATION,
TREATMENT, AND REHABILITATION OF HEALTH CONDITIONS
RELATING TO EXPOSURE TO OPEN BURN PITS AND OTHER EXPOSURE
TO OPEN BURN PITS AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish within
the Department of Defense three centers of excellence in the
prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of
health conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and other
environmental exposures to carry out the responsibilities specified in
subsection (c). Such centers shall be established using--
(1) the directives, policies, and Comptroller General and
Inspector General recommendations in effect as of the date of
the enactment of this Act; and
(2) guidance issued pursuant to section 313 of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112-
239; 126 Stat. 1692; 10 U.S.C. 1074 note).
(b) Selection of Sites.--In selecting sites for the centers of
excellence under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall select
entities that--
(1) are equipped with the specialized equipment needed to
study, diagnose, and treat health conditions relating to
exposure to open burn pits and other environmental exposures;
(2) have a publication track record of post-deployment
health exposures among veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan;
(3) have collaborated with a geosciences department that
has a medical geology division;
(4) have developed animal models and in vitro models of
dust immunology and lung injury from Iraq and Afghanistan; and
(5) have expertise in allergy and immunology, pulmonary
diseases, and industrial and management engineering.
(c) Partnerships.--The Secretary shall ensure that the centers
collaborate to the maximum extent practicable with the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, institutions of higher education, and other
appropriate public and private entities (including international
entities) to carry out the responsibilities specified in subsection
(d).
(d) Responsibilities.--The center shall have responsibilities as
follows:
(1) To implement the comprehensive plan and strategy for
the Department of Defense for the prevention, diagnosis,
mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions
relating to exposure to open burn pits and other environmental
exposures.
(2) To provide for the development, testing, and
dissemination within the Department of best practices for the
treatment of health conditions relating to exposure to open
burn pits and other environmental exposures.
(3) To provide guidance for the health system of the
Department in determining the personnel required to provide
quality health care for members of the Armed Forces with health
conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and other
environmental exposures.
(4) To establish, implement, and oversee a comprehensive
program to train health professionals of the Department in the
treatment of health conditions relating to exposure to open
burn pits and other environmental exposures.
(5) To facilitate advancements in the study of the short-
term and long-term effects of exposure to open burn pits and
other environmental exposures.
(6) To disseminate within the military medical treatment
facilities of the Department best practices for training health
professionals with respect to health conditions relating to
exposure to open burn pits and other environmental exposures.
(7) To conduct basic science and translational research on
health conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and
other environmental exposures for the purposes of understanding
the etiology of such conditions and developing preventive
interventions and new treatments.
(8) To provide medical treatment to all veterans identified
as part of the burn pits registry established under section 201
of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits
Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-260; 38 U.S.C. 527
note).
(e) Use of Burn Pits Registry Data.--In carrying out its
responsibilities under subsection (c), the center shall have access to
and make use of the data accumulated by the burn pits registry
established under section 201 of the Dignified Burial and Other
Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-260; 38
U.S.C. 527 note).
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``open burn pit'' means an area of land
located in Afghanistan or Iraq that--
(A) is designated by the Secretary of Defense to be
used for disposing solid waste by burning in the
outdoor air; and
(B) does not contain a commercially manufactured
incinerator or other equipment specifically designed
and manufactured for the burning of solid waste.
(2) The term ``other environmental exposures'' means
exposure to environmental hazards, including burn pits, dust or
sand, hazardous materials, and waste at any site in Afghanistan
or Iraq that emits smoke containing pollutants present in the
environment or smoke from fires or explosions.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2014 through 2019.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.
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