Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act

Summary: Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act or the BEST Practices Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD), no later than: (1) October 1, 2020, 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, 2022, to use only use human-based training methods for such purposes.  The bill prohibits the use of animals in such training after the latter date, but permits DOD to exempt a particular command or training method from human-based training method requirements for up to one year if the human-based methods will not provide an educationally equivalent or superior substitute for live animal-based training methods. Allows exemption periods to be renewed. DOD shall submit an annual report to Congress regarding the development and implementation of the human-based training methods, including the justifications for any exemptions.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Battlefield Excellence through 
Superior Training Practices Act'' or the ``BEST Practices Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (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 8,500 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 taken 
        significant steps to develop methods to replace 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 were to 
                have been 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 were to 
                have been available to teach all other procedures to 
                respond to common battlefield injuries by 2014.
            (8) The Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness 
        Skills of the Air Force exclusively uses human-based training 
        methods in its courses and does not use animals.
            (9) In 2013, the Army instituted a policy forbidding non-
        medical personnel from participating in training courses 
        involving the use of animals.
            (10) In 2013, the medical school of the Department of 
        Defense, part of the Uniformed Services University of the 
        Health Sciences, replaced animal use within its medical student 
        curriculum.
            (11) The Coast Guard announced in 2014 that it would reduce 
        by half the number of animals it uses for combat trauma 
        training courses but stated that animals would continue to be 
        used in courses designed for Department of Defense personnel.
            (12) Effective January 1, 2015, the Department of Defense 
        replaced animal use in six areas of medical training, including 
        Advanced Trauma Life Support courses and the development and 
        maintenance of surgical and critical care skills for field 
        operational surgery and field assessment and skills tests for 
        international students offered at the Defense Institute of 
        Medical Operations.

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. Use of human-based methods for certain medical training
    ``(a) Combat Trauma Injuries.--(1) Not later than October 1, 2020, 
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, 2022, 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) Exception for Particular Commands and Training Methods.--(1) 
The Secretary may exempt a particular command, particular training 
method, or both, from the requirement for human-based training methods 
under subsection (a)(2) if the Secretary determines that human-based 
training methods will not provide an educationally equivalent or 
superior substitute for live animal-based training methods for such 
command or training method, as the case may be.
    ``(2) Any exemption under this subsection shall be for such period, 
not more than one year, as the Secretary shall specify in granting the 
exemption. Any exemption may be renewed (subject to the preceding 
sentence).
    ``(c) Annual Reports.--(1) Not later than October 1, 2018, 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.
    ``(2) Each report under this subsection on or after October 1, 
2022, shall include a description of any exemption under subsection (b) 
that is in force at the time of such report, and a current 
justification for such exemption.
    ``(d) 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 such title is amended by adding at the end the following 
new item:

``2017. Use of human-based methods for certain medical training.''.