To express the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should implement the recommendations of the Comptroller General of the United States regarding prevention, abatement, and data collection to address hearing injuries and hearing loss among members of the Armed Forces.
What it does: Adds SEC. 714. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ADOPTION BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY GAO REGARDING HEARING LOSS PREVENTION at the end of subtitle B of title VII
Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-OK)What it changes
1 change to S. 1867 · shown in the bill's text
Adds SEC. 714. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ADOPTION BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY GAO REGARDING HEARING LOSS PREVENTION at the end of subtitle B of title VII
Adds a sectionIn S. 1867 · Placed on Calendar Senate
(b) Conforming Repeal.--Section 546 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 (Public Law 102-484; 106 Stat. 2416; 10 U.S.C. 1074 note) is repealed.
Inserted: SEC. 714. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ADOPTION BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY GAO REGARDING HEARING LOSS PREVENTION.
Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
Inserted: (1) The advent of the jet engine and more powerful munitions has increased the instance of auditory injury to members of the Armed Forces.
Inserted: (2) Since 2005, the most common service-connected disabilities for which veterans received compensation under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs have been auditory impairments, including hearing loss and tinnitus. The number of veterans receiving such compensation for auditory impairment has risen each year since 2005, increasing the number and cost of compensation claims paid by the Secretary and prompting a series of reports on the subject, include a January 2011 report by the Comptroller General of the United States entitled "Hearing Loss Prevention: Improvements to DOD Hearing Conservation Programs Could Lead to Better Outcomes".
Inserted: (3) Costs to the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to compensation for hearing-related disabilities are expected to double between 2009 and 2014, exceeding $2,000,000,000 by 2014.
Inserted: (4) There is a growing body of peer reviewed literature indicating a direct connection between traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, and auditory disorders.
Inserted: (5) 70 percent of members of the Armed Forces who are exposed to a blast report auditory disorders within 72 hours of the exposure.
Inserted: (6) Section 721 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4506) requires the Secretary of Defense to establish a center of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of hearing loss and auditory system injury.
Inserted: (7) There is no cure for tinnitus, which consists of an often debilitating ringing in the ear. The projected effect of tinnitus on veterans, rise in new cases of tinnitus-related service-connected disabilities among veterans, and the correlating rise in disability claims and cost to the Department of Veterans Affairs make finding effective treatment, abatement options, and a cure for tinnitus a priority.
Inserted: (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should, in cooperation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the Hearing Center of Excellence of the Department of Defense, implement the recommendations of the Comptroller General of the United States in the January 2011 report of the Comptroller General entitled "Hearing Loss Prevention: Improvements to DOD Hearing Conservation Programs Could Lead to Better Outcomes" that address prevention, abatement, data collection, and the need for a new interagency data sharing system so that sufficient information is available to address and track hearing injuries and loss.
Original wording
At the end of subtitle B of title VII, add the following:
Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.
As printed
At the end of subtitle B of title VII, add the following:
SEC. 714. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ADOPTION BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY GAO REGARDING HEARING LOSS PREVENTION.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The advent of the jet engine and more powerful munitions has increased the instance of auditory injury to members of the Armed Forces.
(2) Since 2005, the most common service-connected disabilities for which veterans received compensation under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs have been auditory impairments, including hearing loss and tinnitus. The number of veterans receiving such compensation for auditory impairment has risen each year since 2005, increasing the number and cost of compensation claims paid by the Secretary and prompting a series of reports on the subject, include a January 2011 report by the Comptroller General of the United States entitled “Hearing Loss Prevention: Improvements to DOD Hearing Conservation Programs Could Lead to Better Outcomes”.
(3) Costs to the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to compensation for hearing-related disabilities are expected to double between 2009 and 2014, exceeding $2,000,000,000 by 2014.
(4) There is a growing body of peer reviewed literature indicating a direct connection between traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, and auditory disorders.
(5) 70 percent of members of the Armed Forces who are exposed to a blast report auditory disorders within 72 hours of the exposure.
(6) Section 721 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4506) requires the Secretary of Defense to establish a center of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of hearing loss and auditory system injury.
(7) There is no cure for tinnitus, which consists of an often debilitating ringing in the ear. The projected effect of tinnitus on veterans, rise in new cases of tinnitus-related service-connected disabilities among veterans, and the correlating rise in disability claims and cost to the Department of Veterans Affairs make finding effective treatment, abatement options, and a cure for tinnitus a priority.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should, in cooperation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the Hearing Center of Excellence of the Department of Defense, implement the recommendations of the Comptroller General of the United States in the January 2011 report of the Comptroller General entitled “Hearing Loss Prevention: Improvements to DOD Hearing Conservation Programs Could Lead to Better Outcomes” that address prevention, abatement, data collection, and the need for a new interagency data sharing system so that sufficient information is available to address and track hearing injuries and loss.
Legislative Activity
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Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S8094)
December 1, 2011
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Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S8094)
December 1, 2011
Point of order that the amendment violates Rule XXII raised in Senate with respect to amendment SA 1099.
December 1, 2011
Amendment SA 1099 ruled non-germane by the chair.
December 1, 2011
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S8013)
November 30, 2011
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S7943)
November 29, 2011
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S7885)
November 28, 2011
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S7786)
November 18, 2011
Senate amendment submitted
November 17, 2011
Senate amendment proposed (on the floor): Amendment SA 1099 proposed by Senator Inhofe.
November 17, 2011
Amendment SA 1099 proposed by Senator Inhofe. (consideration: CR S7689-7691; text: CR S7690-7691) To express the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should implement the recommendations of the Comptroller General of the United States regarding prevention, abatement, and data collection to address hearing injuries and hearing loss among members of the Armed Forces.
November 17, 2011