I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1612 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a commission on urotrauma. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 15, 2011 

Mr. GUTHRIE (for himself, Mr. STIVERS, and Mr. KING of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 

Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a 

period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a commission 

on urotrauma. 

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 UROTRAUMA. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—In order to continue and ex5 pand the study of urotrauma conducted by the Secretary 

6 of Defense in 2011, subject to the availability of appro7 priations for such purpose, the Secretary shall establish 

8 a commission to be known as the ‘‘Commission on 


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1 Urotrauma’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Commis2 sion’’). 

3 (b) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this section, 

4 the Secretary of Defense shall consult with the Secretary 

5 of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health and 

6 Human Services. 

7 (c) DUTIES.—The Commission shall conduct a study 

8 on urotrauma among members of the Armed Forces and 

9 veterans, including— 

10 (1) an analysis of the incidence, duration, mor11 bidity rate, and mortality rate of urotrauma; 

12 (2) an analysis of the social and economic costs 

13 and effects of urotrauma; 

14 (3) with respect to the Department of Defense 

15 and Department of Veterans Affairs, an evaluation 

16 of the facilities, access to private facilities, resources, 

17 personnel, and research activities that are related to 

18 the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of 

19 urotrauma; 

20 (4) an evaluation of programs (including such 

21 biological, behavioral, environmental, and social pro22 grams) that improve the prevention or treatment of 

23 urotrauma; 

24 (5) a long-term plan for the use and organiza25 tion of the resources of the Federal Government to 


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1 improve the prevention and treatment of urotrauma; 

2 and 

3 (6) updates to any study on urotrauma con4 ducted by the Secretary of Defense in 2011. 

5 (d) MEMBERSHIP.— 

6 (1) APPOINTED MEMBERS.—In addition to the 

7 ex officio members described in paragraph (2), the 

8 Committee shall be composed of 19 members as fol9 lows: 

10 (A) Sixteen members appointed by the Sec11 retary of Defense. 

12 (B) One member appointed by the Sec13 retary of Health and Human Services from 

14 among officers or employees of the National In15 stitute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney 

16 Diseases whose primary interest is in the field 

17 of urotrauma. 

18 (C) The Chief of the Department of Sur19 gery of Walter Reed National Military Medical 

20 Center. 

21 (D) The Chief Medical Director of the De22 partment of Veterans Affairs. 

23 (2) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The nonvoting, ex 

24 officio members of the Commission are as follows: 

25 (A) The Surgeon General of the Navy. 


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1 (B) The Surgeon General of the Army. 

2 (C) The Surgeon General of the Air Force. 

3 (D) The Medical Officer of the Marine 

4 Corps. 

5 (E) The Director of the National Institutes 

6 of Health. 

7 (F) The Director of the National Institute 

8 of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 

9 (G) The Director of the Division of Kid10 ney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases of the 

11 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive 

12 Kidney Diseases. 

13 (H) The Director of the National Institute 

14 of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. 

15 (3) QUALIFICATIONS.—In appointing members 

16 under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary of Defense 

17 shall appoint individuals with experience related to— 

18 (A) studying or researching urotrauma; 

19 (B) preventing or treating urotrauma; or 

20 (C) suffering from urotrauma. 

21 (4) TERM.—Each member shall be appointed 

22 for the life of the Commission. 

23 (5) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission 

24 shall be filled in the manner in which the original 

25 appointment was made. 


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1 (6) PAY.— 

2 (A) Except as provided in subparagraph 

3 (C), members of the Commission shall serve 

4 without pay. 

5 (B) Except as provided in subparagraph 

6 (C), members of the Commission who are full7 time officers or employees of the United States 

8 may not receive additional pay, allowances, or 

9 benefits by reason of their service on the Com10 mission. 

11 (C) Each member shall receive travel ex12 penses, including per diem in lieu of subsist13 ence, in accordance with applicable provisions 

14 under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 

15 United States Code. 

16 (7) QUORUM.—A majority of members of the 

17 Commission shall constitute a quorum but a lesser 

18 number may hold hearings. 

19 (8) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary of Defense 

20 shall designate a member as the chairperson of the 

21 Committee. 

22 (9) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at 

23 the call of the chairperson. 

24 (e) STAFF.— 


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1 (1) DIRECTOR.—The Commission shall have a 

2 director who shall be appointed by the chairperson. 

3 (2) STAFF.—Subject to rules prescribed by the 

4 Commission, the chairperson may appoint additional 

5 personnel as the chairperson considers appropriate. 

6 (3) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

7 LAWS.—The director and staff of the Commission 

8 shall be appointed subject to the provisions of title 

9 5, United States Code, governing appointments in 

10 the competitive service, and shall be paid in accord11 ance with the provisions of chapter 51 and sub12 chapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 

13 classification and General Schedule pay rates. 

14 (4) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—Subject to 

15 rules prescribed by the Commission, the chairperson 

16 may procure temporary and intermittent services 

17 under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code. 

18 (5) STAFF TO FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon re19 quest of the chairperson, the head of any Federal 

20 department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 

21 basis, any of the personnel of that department or 

22 agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying out 

23 its duties under this section. 

24 (f) POWERS OF COMMISSION.— 


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1 (1) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Commis2 sion may, for the purpose of carrying out this sec3 tion, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 

4 take testimony, and receive evidence as the Commis5 sion considers appropriate. The Commission may ad6 minister oaths or affirmations to witnesses appear7 ing before it. 

8 (2) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any 

9 member or agent of the Commission may, if author10 ized by the Commission, take any action which the 

11 Commission is authorized to take by this section. 

12 (3) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commis13 sion may secure directly from any department or 

14 agency of the United States information necessary 

15 to enable it to carry out this section. Upon request 

16 of the chairperson of the Commission, the head of 

17 that department or agency shall furnish that infor18 mation to the Commission. 

19 (4) MAILS.—The Commission may use the 

20 United States mails in the same manner and under 

21 the same conditions as other departments and agen22 cies of the United States. 

23 (5) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.— 

24 Upon the request of the Commission, the Adminis25 trator of General Services shall provide to the ComVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:36 Apr 20, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1612.IH H1612

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1 mission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative 

2 support services necessary for the Commission to 

3 carry out its responsibilities under this section. 

4 (g) REPORTS.— 

5 (1) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than one year 

6 after the date on which the members are appointed 

7 under subsection (d)(1), the Commission shall sub8 mit to the appropriate congressional committees an 

9 interim report on the study conducted under sub10 section (c). 

11 (2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than two years 

12 after the date on which the members are appointed 

13 under subsection (d)(1), the Commission shall sub14 mit to the appropriate congressional committees a 

15 final report on the study conducted under subsection 

16 (c), including any recommendations the Commission 

17 considers appropriate to improve the prevention and 

18 treatment of urotrauma among members of the 

19 Armed Forces and veterans. 

20 (h) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

21 on the date that is 60 days after the date on which the 

22 Commission submits the final report under subsection 

23 (g)(2). 

24 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com2 mittees’’ means— 

3 (A) the Committees on Armed Services of 

4 the House of Representatives and Senate; and 

5 (B) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 

6 the House of Representatives and Senate. 

7 (2) The term ‘‘urotrauma’’ means injury to the 

8 urinary tract (including the kidneys, ureters, urinary 

9 bladder, urethra, and female and male genitalia) 

10 from a penetrating, blunt, blast, thermal, chemical, 

11 or biological cause. 

12 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

13 (1) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to 

14 be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000 

15 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2015. 

16 (2) OFFSET.—The amount otherwise author17 ized to be appropriated for operation and mainte18 nance, Defense-wide, for the Office of the Secretary 

19 of Defense for each of fiscal years 2012 through 

20 2015 is reduced by $1,000,000. 

Æ 


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