I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 984 

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 6, 2013 

Mr. GUTHRIE 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 task force 

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. TASK FORCE ON UROTRAUMA. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to the availability of 

5 appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary of Defense 

6 shall establish a task force to be known as the ‘‘Task 

7 Force on Urotrauma’’ (in this section referred to as the 

8 ‘‘Task Force’’) to continue and expand the report of the 


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1 Secretary on urotrauma titled ‘‘Genitourinary Trauma in 

2 the Military’’ and dated December 27, 2011. 

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 Task Force 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; 


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1 (5) a long-term plan for the use and organiza2 tion of the resources of the Federal Government to 

3 improve the prevention and treatment of urotrauma; 

4 (6) an analysis of shortfalls in research, exper5 tise, and health care infrastructure for female vic6 tims of urotrauma; 

7 (7) an analysis of technical, administrative, and 

8 budgetary mechanisms to allow for enhanced repro9 ductive services for members who have been affected 

10 by urotrauma or who are at high risk of urotrauma; 

11 (8) an assessment of opportunities to enhance 

12 the coordination of— 

13 (A) Federal resources used to research, 

14 prevent, and continuously improve the manage15 ment of urotrauma; and 

16 (B) inter-agency efforts regarding the 

17 chronic physical, behavioral, and emotional care 

18 of victims of urotrauma; and 

19 (9) updates to the report referred to in sub20 section (a). 

21 (d) MEMBERSHIP.— 

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

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

24 Task Force shall be composed of 19 members as fol25 lows: 


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1 (A) Sixteen members appointed by the Sec2 retary of Defense. 

3 (B) One member appointed by the Sec4 retary of Health and Human Services from 

5 among officers or employees of the National In6 stitute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney 

7 Diseases whose primary interest is in the field 

8 of urotrauma. 

9 (C) The Chief of the Department of Sur10 gery of Walter Reed National Military Medical 

11 Center. 

12 (D) The Chief Medical Director of the De13 partment of Veterans Affairs. 

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

15 officio members of the Task Force are as follows: 

16 (A) The Surgeon General of the Navy. 

17 (B) The Surgeon General of the Army. 

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

19 (D) The Medical Officer of the Marine 

20 Corps. 

21 (E) The Director of the National Institutes 

22 of Health. 

23 (F) The Director of the National Institute 

24 of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 


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1 (G) The Director of the Division of Kid2 ney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases of the 

3 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive 

4 Kidney Diseases. 

5 (H) The Director of the National Institute 

6 of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. 

7 (3) QUALIFICATIONS.—In appointing members 

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

9 shall appoint individuals with experience related to— 

10 (A) studying or researching urotrauma; 

11 (B) preventing or treating urotrauma; or 

12 (C) suffering from urotrauma. 

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

14 for the life of the Task Force. 

15 (5) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Task Force 

16 shall be filled in the manner in which the original 

17 appointment was made. 

18 (6) PAY.— 

19 (A) Except as provided in subparagraph 

20 (C), members of the Task Force shall serve 

21 without pay. 

22 (B) Except as provided in subparagraph 

23 (C), members of the Task Force who are full24 time officers or employees of the United States 

25 may not receive additional pay, allowances, or 


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1 benefits by reason of their service on the Task 

2 Force. 

3 (C) Each member shall receive travel ex4 penses, including per diem in lieu of subsist5 ence, in accordance with applicable provisions 

6 under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 

7 United States Code. 

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

9 Task Force shall constitute a quorum but a lesser 

10 number may hold hearings. 

11 (8) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary of Defense 

12 shall designate a member as the chairperson of the 

13 Task Force. 

14 (9) MEETINGS.—The Task Force shall meet at 

15 the call of the chairperson. 

16 (e) STAFF.— 

17 (1) DIRECTOR.—The Task Force shall have a 

18 director who shall be appointed by the chairperson. 

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

20 Task Force, the chairperson may appoint additional 

21 personnel as the chairperson considers appropriate. 

22 (3) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

23 LAWS.—The director and staff of the Task Force 

24 shall be appointed subject to the provisions of title 

25 5, United States Code, governing appointments in 


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1 the competitive service, and shall be paid in accord2 ance with the provisions of chapter 51 and sub3 chapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 

4 classification and General Schedule pay rates. 

5 (4) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—Subject to 

6 rules prescribed by the Task Force, the chairperson 

7 may procure temporary and intermittent services 

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

9 (5) STAFF TO FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon re10 quest of the chairperson, the head of any Federal 

11 department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 

12 basis, any of the personnel of that department or 

13 agency to the Task Force to assist it in carrying out 

14 its duties under this section. 

15 (f) POWERS OF TASK FORCE.— 

16 (1) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Task 

17 Force may, for the purpose of carrying out this sec18 tion, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 

19 take testimony, and receive evidence as the Task 

20 Force considers appropriate. The Task Force may 

21 administer oaths or affirmations to witnesses ap22 pearing before it. 

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

24 member or agent of the Task Force may, if authorVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:00 Mar 08, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H984.IH H984

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1 ized by the Task Force, take any action which the 

2 Task Force is authorized to take by this section. 

3 (3) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Task 

4 Force may secure directly from any department or 

5 agency of the United States information necessary 

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

7 of the chairperson of the Task Force, the head of 

8 that department or agency shall furnish that infor9 mation to the Task Force. 

10 (4) MAILS.—The Task Force may use the 

11 United States mails in the same manner and under 

12 the same conditions as other departments and agen13 cies of the United States. 

14 (5) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.— 

15 Upon the request of the Task Force, the Adminis16 trator of General Services shall provide to the Task 

17 Force, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative 

18 support services necessary for the Task Force to 

19 carry out its responsibilities under this section. 

20 (g) REPORTS.— 

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

22 after the date on which the members are appointed 

23 under subsection (d)(1), the Task Force shall submit 

24 to the appropriate congressional committees an inVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:00 Mar 08, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H984.IH H984

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1 terim report on the study conducted under sub2 section (c). 

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

4 after the date on which the members are appointed 

5 under subsection (d)(1), the Task Force shall submit 

6 to the appropriate congressional committees a final 

7 report on the study conducted under subsection (c), 

8 including any recommendations the Task Force con9 siders appropriate to improve the prevention and 

10 treatment of urotrauma among members of the 

11 Armed Forces and veterans. 

12 (h) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate 

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

14 Task Force submits the final report under subsection 

15 (g)(2). 

16 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

17 (1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com18 mittees’’ means— 

19 (A) the Committees on Armed Services of 

20 the House of Representatives and Senate; and 

21 (B) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 

22 the House of Representatives and Senate. 

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

24 urinary tract (including the kidneys, ureters, urinary 

25 bladder, urethra, and female and male genitalia) 


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

2 or biological cause. 

3 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

4 (1) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to 

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

6 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2017. 

7 (2) OFFSET.—The amount otherwise author8 ized to be appropriated for operation and mainte9 nance, Defense-wide, for the Office of the Secretary 

10 of Defense for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

11 2017 is reduced by $1,000,000. 

Æ 


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