S.Amdt. 5444

1. Adds SEC. 1068. VISION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE at the end of subtitle F of title X

   Adds a section

   In S. 3001 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (c) Senior Oversight Committee Defined.--In this section, the term "Senior Oversight Committee" means the Senior Oversight Committee jointly established by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in May 2007. The Senior Oversight Committee was established to address concerns related to the treatment of wounded, ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces and veterans and serve as the single point of contact for oversight, strategy, and integration of proposed strategies for the efforts of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve support throughout the recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration of wounded, ill, or injured members of the Armed Forces.

   Inserted: SEC. 1068. VISION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) Ocular injuries are the third highest incidence for injuries sustained in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom after Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

   Inserted: (2) From 2002 through January 2008, more than 1,300 members of the Armed Forces suffered eye injuries in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, and the Department of Veterans Affairs enrolled it its health care system more than 100 veterans of such operations who are legally blind.

   Inserted: (3) The most common causes of eye injury in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom include--

   Inserted: (A) improvised explosive device blasts;

   Inserted: (B) rocket propelled grenade explosions; and

   Inserted: (C) gunshot wounds.

   Inserted: (4) In some cases, such injuries may not manifest until weeks or months following exposure to a traumatic event, including Traumatic Brain Injury. Research has found that 63 percent of Traumatic Brain Injury wounded at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center Polytrauma Center located at Palo Alto, California, have a visual impairment associated with Traumatic Brain Injury. In addition, general Traumatic Brain Injury screening at the Hines Department of Veterans Affairs Low Vision Clinic located at Chicago, Illinois, determined that 68 percent of all Traumatic Brain Injury veterans have a visual impairment.

   Inserted: (5) Section 1623 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181; 122 Stat. 455; 10 U.S.C. 1071 note) requires the Secretary of Defense to establish a center of excellence for the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of military eye injuries. That section also requires the Department of Defense to work with Department of Veterans Affairs, to the maximum extent practicable, as well as with public and private entities and institutions of higher learning, to develop a comprehensive plan and strategy for a Military Eye Injury Registry, which would track the diagnosis, surgical intervention, and follow up for each significant case of eye injury incurred by a member of the Armed Forces while serving on active duty.

   Inserted: (6) Section 1623 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 also requires the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide a cooperative program for members of the Armed Forces and veterans with traumatic eye injury by conducting research on prevention of visual dysfunctions, which is a frequent complication from Traumatic Brain Injury.

   Inserted: (7) On June 9, 2008, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs decided that the Vision Center of Excellence will be established in the National Capital Region and will be comprised of multiple clinical centers throughout the Nation at Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.

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   Inserted: (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

   Inserted: (1) the Vision Center of Excellence will be a world class vision center supporting both members of the Armed Forces and veterans;

   Inserted: (2) research on visual impairments related to Traumatic Brain Injury needs to be expanded, and the Vision Center of Excellence should play a key role in identifying current and future research needs;

   Inserted: (3) the goal of the Vision Center of Excellence is to provide all members of the Armed Forces who suffer ocular trauma or disease the most comprehensive, coordinated, progressive, and highest quality eye care possible;

   Inserted: (4) the Vision Center of Excellence should maximize Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and civilian resources to ensure the most compassionate, synchronized, and professional eye care; and

   Inserted: (5) the Department of Defense should examine the potential benefit of screening for eye injuries when service members are screened for Traumatic Brain Injury.

   Inserted: (c) Reports to Congress.--

   Inserted: (1) Report on implementation of vision center of excellence.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, submit to the Committees on Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committees on Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the status of implementation of the Vision Center of Excellence. The report shall include, at a minimum, a description of the mission of the Vision Center of Excellence, the resources or funds available to fund the Vision Center of Excellence from fiscal years 2009 through 2013, and the planned programs and priorities of the Vision Center of Excellence.

   Inserted: (2) Report on visual screenings in connection with tbi.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the feasability and advisability of performing visual screenings on all members of the Armed Forces who experience Traumatic Brain Injury.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle F of title X, add the following:

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As printed