I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4990

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

to establish a commission to collect and investigate reports by members

of the Armed Forces of illnesses incurred during or shortly following

their service in combat zones during a war or contingency operation.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AUGUST 18, 1994

Mr. CAMP 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 establish a commission to collect

and investigate reports by members of the Armed Forces

of illnesses incurred during or shortly following their

service in combat zones during a war or contingency

operation.

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

3 SECTION 1. COMMISSION ON WARTIME ILLNESSES.

4 Section 1074 of title 10, United States Code, is

5 amended by adding at the end the following new sub6 section:
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1 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION ON WARTIME

2 ILLNESSES.—(1) In connection with each war or contin3 gency operation in which members of the uniformed serv4 ices participate, the Secretary of Defense shall establish

5 an advisory commission to collect and investigate reports

6 submitted by members and former members of the uni7 formed services regarding illnesses they believe were in8 curred as a result of their service in a combat zone during

9 that war or contingency operation. The Secretary shall se10 lect members of each commission in consultation with the

11 Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

12 ‘‘(2) The administering Secretaries, the Secretary of

13 Veterans Affairs, and the Secretaries of the military de14 partments shall cooperate with each commission estab15 lished under paragraph (1) in the investigation of illness

16 reports by providing information under their control rel17 evant to the investigation, such as the service record and

18 service locations of the member or former member submit19 ting the report, the weapons used by the member or

20 former member or to which the member or former member

21 was exposed, and the illnesses known to be associated with

22 such weapons. On the basis of such reports and investiga23 tions, the commission shall prepare a registry of all ill24 nesses reported in connection with the war or contingency

25 operation for which the commission was established. The
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1 Commission shall submit to the Secretaries and Congress

2 the registry and a report describing the results of the in3 vestigations conducted by the Commission.

4 ‘‘(3) A commission established under paragraph (1)

5 shall collect illness reports until—

6 ‘‘(A) the end of the two-year period beginning

7 on the ending date of the war or contingency oper8 ation for which the commission was established; or

9 ‘‘(B) such earlier date as determined appro10 priate by the commission.

11 ‘‘(4) The Secretary of Defense shall terminate a com12 mission established under paragraph (1) six months after

13 submission of the report of the commission under para14 graph (2). The records of the commission shall be pre15 served by the Secretary of Defense and shall be available

16 for public inspection consistent with applicable laws.’’.

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