I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 403 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense 

to use only human-based methods for training members of the Armed 

Forces in the treatment of severe combat and chemical and biological 

injuries. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 24, 2011 

Mr. FILNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense to use only human-based methods for 

training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment 

of severe combat and chemical and biological injuries. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Battlefield Excellence 

5 through Superior Training Practices Act’’ or ‘‘BEST 

6 Practices Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 403 IH

1 (1) The Department of Defense has made im2 pressive strides in the development and use of meth3 ods of medical training and protection of members 

4 of the Armed Forces, such as the use of tourniquets 

5 and improvements in body armor, that have likely 

6 led to decreased battlefield fatalities. 

7 (2) The Department of Defense uses live mon8 keys to train medical personnel to treat casualties of 

9 chemical and biological agent attacks and uses live 

10 goats and pigs to teach physicians, medics, corps11 men, and other personnel methods to respond to se12 vere battlefield injuries. 

13 (3) The civilian sector has almost exclusively 

14 phased-in the use of superior human-based training 

15 methods for numerous medical procedures currently 

16 taught in military courses with the use of animals. 

17 (4) Human-based methods have been developed 

18 and validated for training responses to common bat19 tlefield injuries and chemical and biological agent at20 tacks. 

21 (5) Management of hemorrhage, sucking chest 

22 wounds, airway compromise, and many other combat 

23 trauma injuries can be taught using numerous med24 ical simulators and partial task trainers. 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 403 IH

1 (6) Entirely human-based curricula (consisting 

2 of medical simulation and moulage training sessions) 

3 for the management of patients exposed to biological 

4 and chemical agents are widespread in civilian hos5 pitals. 

6 SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT TO USE HUMAN-BASED METHODS 

7 FOR CERTAIN MEDICAL TRAINING. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 101 of title 10, United 

9 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol10 lowing new section: 

11 ‘‘§ 2017. Requirement to use human-based methods 

12 for certain medical training 

13 ‘‘(a) COMBAT TRAUMA INJURIES.—Not later than 

14 October 1, 2014, the Secretary of Defense— 

15 ‘‘(1) shall only use human-based training meth16 ods for the purpose of training members of the 

17 Armed Forces in the treatment of combat trauma 

18 injuries; and 

19 ‘‘(2) may not use animals for such purpose. 

20 ‘‘(b) CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CASUALTY MAN21 AGEMENT.—The Secretary— 

22 ‘‘(1) shall only use human-based training meth23 ods for the purpose of training members of the 

24 Armed Forces in the management of chemical and 

25 biological casualties; and 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 403 IH

1 ‘‘(2) may not use animals for such purpose. 

2 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

3 ‘‘(1) The term ‘combat trauma injuries’ means 

4 severe injuries likely to occur during combat, includ5 ing— 

6 ‘‘(A) hemorrhage related to a wound to the 

7 extremities; 

8 ‘‘(B) sucking-chest wounds; 

9 ‘‘(C) compromises to the airway; and 

10 ‘‘(D) other injuries. 

11 ‘‘(2) The term ‘human-based training methods’ 

12 means, with respect to training individuals in med13 ical treatment, the use of systems and devices that 

14 do not use animals, including— 

15 ‘‘(A) simulators; 

16 ‘‘(B) partial task trainers; 

17 ‘‘(C) moulage; 

18 ‘‘(D) simulated combat environments; 

19 ‘‘(E) human cadavers; and 

20 ‘‘(F) rotations in civilian and military trau21 ma centers. 

22 ‘‘(3) The term ‘partial task trainers’ means 

23 training aids that allow individuals to learn or prac24 tice specific medical procedures.’’. 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 403 IH

1 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

2 at the beginning of chapter 101 of title 10, United States 

3 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 

4 item: 

‘‘2017. Requirement to use human-based methods for certain medical training.’’. 

Æ 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS