I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1628 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement 

with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 

to conduct a study on radiation exposure relating to the cleanup of 

Enewetak Atoll, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 7, 2019 

Mr. STEUBE (for himself and Mrs. LURIA) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter 

into an agreement with the National Academies of 

Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study 

on radiation exposure relating to the cleanup of 

Enewetak Atoll, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Enewetak Atoll Clean5 up Radiation Study Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STUDY ON RADIATION EXPOSURE RELATING TO 

2 CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK ATOLL. 

3 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

4 seek to enter into an agreement with the National Acad5 emies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct 

6 a study on the level of radiation exposure experienced by 

7 members of the Armed Forces who participated in the 

8 cleanup of Enewetak Atoll during the period beginning on 

9 January 1, 1977, and ending on December 31, 1980. 

10 (b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The study conducted pur11 suant to subsection (a) shall include the following: 

12 (1) An evaluation of— 

13 (A) the completeness and adequacy of the 

14 assessment titled ‘‘Radiation Dose Assessment 

15 for Military Personnel of the Enewetak Atoll 

16 Cleanup Project (1977–1980)’’ published by the 

17 Defense Threat Reduction Agency in April 

18 2018, including with respect to the calculation 

19 of the estimated upper-bound radiation dose re20 ceived by members of the Armed Forces who 

21 participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll 

22 during the period beginning on January 1, 

23 1977, and ending on December 31, 1980; 

24 (B) whether information exists to conduct 

25 a revised or alternative radiation dose assess26 ment that would consider exposures and expoVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:49 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1628.IH H1628

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•HR 1628 IH

1 sure pathways that were not part of the radi2 ation dose assessment described in subpara3 graph (A); and 

4 (C) whether conducting such a revised or 

5 alternative radiation dose assessment is feasible 

6 and would likely yield substantively improved 

7 estimates of the radiation dose received by 

8 members of the Armed Forces who participated 

9 in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll. 

10 (2) If the study determines under paragraph 

11 (1)(C) that a revised or alternative radiation dose 

12 assessment is feasible and would likely yield sub13 stantively improved estimates of the radiation dose 

14 received by members of the Armed Forces who par15 ticipated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, an eval16 uation of conducting such assessment, including— 

17 (A) identification of the sources of the data 

18 for such assessment, including a delineation of 

19 the protocol to be used in conducting such as20 sessment; 

21 (B) an estimate of the time and funding 

22 needed to conduct such assessment; 

23 (C) identification of the major sources of 

24 uncertainty in such assessment and how such 


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1 sources may affect the estimates generated by 

2 such assessment; and 

3 (D) identification of the best means to 

4 carry out such assessment. 

5 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

6 on which the Secretary receives the study conducted pur7 suant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the 

8 Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep9 resentatives and the Senate a report on such study, includ10 ing the plans of the Secretary to carry out any actions 

11 based on the results of such study. 

Æ 


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