Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act or the BEST Practices Act - Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD), no later than: (1) October 1, 2016, to develop, test, and validate human-based training methods for training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment of combat trauma injuries, with the goal of replacing live animal-based training methods; and (2) October 1, 2018, to use only use human-based training methods for such purposes. Prohibits the use of animals in such training after the latter date.
Requires an annual report from the Secretary to the congressional defense committees on the development and implementation of the human-based training methods.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3172 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3172
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretary of
Defense to use only human-based methods for training members of the
Armed Forces in the treatment of severe combat injuries.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 25, 2013
Mr. Johnson of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Carson of
Indiana, Ms. Speier, and Mr. Andrews) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretary of
Defense to use only human-based methods for training members of the
Armed Forces in the treatment of severe combat injuries.
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 ``Battlefield Excellence through
Superior Training Practices Act'' or ``BEST Practices Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Department of Defense has made impressive strides
in the development and use of methods of medical training and
troop protection, such as the use of tourniquets and
improvements in body armor, that have led to decreased
battlefield fatalities.
(2) The Department of Defense uses more than 6,000 live
animals each year to train physicians, medics, corpsmen, and
other personnel methods of responding to severe battlefield
injuries.
(3) The civilian sector has almost exclusively phased in
the use of superior human-based training methods for numerous
medical procedures currently taught in military courses using
animals.
(4) Human-based medical training methods such as simulators
replicate human anatomy and can allow for repetitive practice
and data collection.
(5) According to scientific, peer-reviewed literature,
medical simulation increases patient safety and decreases
errors by healthcare providers.
(6) The Army Research, Development and Engineering Command
and other entities of the Department of Defense have made
impressive strides in the development of methods for the
replacement of live animal-based training.
(7) According to the report by the Department of Defense
titled ``Final Report on the use of Live Animals in Medical
Education and Training Joint Analysis Team'' published on July
12, 2009--
(A) validated, high-fidelity simulators will be
available for nearly every high-volume or high-value
battlefield medical procedure by the end of 2011, and
many were available as of 2009; and
(B) validated, high-fidelity simulators will be
available to teach all other procedures to respond to
common battlefield injuries by 2014.
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT TO USE HUMAN-BASED METHODS FOR CERTAIN MEDICAL
TRAINING.
(a) In General.--Chapter 101 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 2017. Requirement to use human-based methods for certain medical
training
``(a) Combat Trauma Injuries.--(1) Not later than October 1, 2016,
the Secretary of Defense shall develop, test, and validate human-based
training methods for the purpose of training members of the armed
forces in the treatment of combat trauma injuries with the goal of
replacing live animal-based training methods.
``(2) Not later than October 1, 2018, the Secretary--
``(A) shall only use human-based training methods for the
purpose of training members of the armed forces in the
treatment of combat trauma injuries; and
``(B) may not use animals for such purpose.
``(b) Annual Reports.--Not later than October 1, 2014, and each
year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional
defense committees a report on the development and implementation of
human-based training methods for the purpose of training members of the
armed forces in the treatment of combat trauma injuries under this
section.
``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `combat trauma injuries' means severe
injuries likely to occur during combat, including--
``(A) hemorrhage;
``(B) tension pneumothorax;
``(C) amputation resulting from blast injury;
``(D) compromises to the airway; and
``(E) other injuries.
``(2) The term `human-based training methods' means, with
respect to training individuals in medical treatment, the use
of systems and devices that do not use animals, including--
``(A) simulators;
``(B) partial task trainers;
``(C) moulage;
``(D) simulated combat environments;
``(E) human cadavers; and
``(F) rotations in civilian and military trauma
centers.
``(3) The term `partial task trainers' means training aids
that allow individuals to learn or practice specific medical
procedures.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 101 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at
the end the following new item:
``2017. Requirement to use human-based methods for certain medical
training.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line