S.Amdt. 4333

SA 4333. Mr. UDALL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

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

SEC. 1097. RESEARCH ON IMPACT OF OPEN BURN PITS ON MEMBERS OF
THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS.

(a) Establishment of Research Network.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a research network in which public and private
entities assist the Secretary in conducting research on--
(A) the impact on the health of members of the Armed Forces
and veterans of exposure by such members and veterans to open
burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
(B) treatment for health conditions related to such
exposure.
(2) Research conducted.--The research conducted pursuant to
this section shall include the following:
(A) Scientific studies that advance knowledge of the
diagnosis and treatment of health conditions among members of
the Armed Forces and veterans associated with exposure of
such members and veterans to toxic chemicals that are known
or likely to

[[Page S3335]]

be present in smoke from open burn pits used in Afghanistan
and Iraq after September 11, 2001.
(B) Research on the impact of exposure of individuals to
open burn pits from the following fields:
(i) Environmental medicine.
(ii) Occupational medicine.
(iii) Inhalation toxicology.
(C) Research on the feasibility and advisability of using
complementary and alternative medicine to treat members of
the Armed Forces and veterans for health conditions arising
from exposure to open burn pits.
(3) Use of research.--The Secretary shall use research
conducted pursuant to this section as follows:
(A) To assist in developing best practices for treatment of
health conditions caused by exposure of members of the Armed
Forces or veterans to open burn pits.
(B) To assist in determining a disability rating for any
veteran filing a claim for benefits under the laws
administered by the Secretary based on the exposure of the
veteran to an open burn pit while serving as a member of the
Armed Forces.
(b) Availability of Information.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall make available to
eligible entities described in paragraph (2) the information
contained in the open burn pit registry for purposes of
conducting research described in subsection (a)(2).
(2) Eligible entities described.--An eligible entity
described in this paragraph is any private research
institution or medical research center of an institution of
higher education that--
(A) is dedicated to the conduct of research on health
conditions caused by exposure to air pollutants; and
(B) is licensed and accredited under all applicable
Federal, State, and local laws to conduct research described
in subsection (a)(2).
(3) Submittal of research.--Any eligible entity that
conducts research described in subsection (a)(2) using
information from the open burn pit registry shall submit such
research to the Secretary for inclusion in the database
established under subsection (c).
(c) Establishment of Database.--The Secretary shall publish
on an Internet database of the Department available to the
public all research described in subsection (a)(2) that is
submitted to the Secretary pursuant to this section to allow
peer review and analysis of such research from the public.
(d) Privacy.--Any medical or other personal information
obtained by the Department under this section or by an entity
conducting research under this section shall be protected
from disclosure or misuse in accordance with the laws on
privacy applicable to such information.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Complementary and alternative medicine.--The term
``complementary and alternative medicine'' shall have the
meaning given that term in regulations the Secretary shall
prescribe for purposes of this section and shall--
(A) to the degree practicable, be consistent with the
meaning given such term by the Secretary of Health and Human
Services; and
(B) include medicine or treatment that is a cultural
tradition of members of Indian tribes and Native Hawaiians.
(2) Indian tribe defined.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has
the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
(3) Open burn pit.--The term ``open burn pit'' has the
meaning given that term in section 201(c) of the Dignified
Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012
(Public Law 112-260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note).
(4) Open burn pit registry.--The term ``open burn pit
registry'' means the registry established by the Department
of Veterans Affairs under section 201(a) of the Dignified
Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012.
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