S.Amdt. 2388

SA 2388. Ms. ERNST (for herself, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr.
Blumenthal, Mr. Fetterman, and Ms. Rosen) submitted an amendment
intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4638, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2025 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 E of title VII, add the following:

SEC. 750. ESTABLISHMENT OF REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO BLAST
OVERPRESSURE EXPOSURE.

(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness shall--
(1) establish a baseline neurocognitive assessment to be
conducted during the accession process of members of the
Armed Forces before the beginning of training;
(2) establish annual neurocognitive assessments to monitor
the cognitive function of such members to be conducted--
(A) at least every three years as part of the periodic
health assessment of such members;
(B) as part of the post-deployment health assessment of
such members; and
(C) prior to separation from service in the Armed Forces;
(3) ensure all neurocognitive assessments of such members,
including those required under paragraphs (1) and (2), are
maintained in the electronic medical record of such member;
(4) establish a process for annual review of blast
overpressure exposure logs and traumatic brain injury logs
for each member of the Armed Forces during the periodic
health assessment of such member for cumulative exposure in
order to refer members with recurrent and prolonged exposure
to specialty care; and
(5) establish standards for recurrent and prolonged
exposure.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Neurocognitive assessment.--The term ``neurocognitive
assessment'' means a standardized cognitive and behavioral
evaluation using validated and normed testing performed in a
formal environment that uses specifically designated tasks to
measure cognitive function known to be linked to a particular
brain structure or pathway, which may include a measurement
of intellectual functioning, attention, new learning or
memory, intelligence, processing speed, and executive
functioning.
(2) Traumatic brain injury.--The term ``traumatic brain
injury'' means a traumatically induced structural injury or
physiological disruption of brain function as a result of an
external force that is indicated by new onset or worsening of
at least one of the following clinical signs immediately
following the event:
(A) Alteration in mental status, including confusion,
disorientation, or slowed thinking.
(B) Loss of memory for events immediately before or after
the injury.
(C) Any period of loss of or decreased level of
consciousness, observed or self-reported.
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