I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4295 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program under 

which the Secretary determines the exposure of certain children of members of the Armed Forces to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 

Mr. KIM (for himself, Ms. DEAN, and Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Armed Services 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot 

program under which the Secretary determines the exposure of certain children of members of the Armed Forces 

to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 

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 ‘‘Protect Our Military 

5 Children Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR BLOOD TESTING OF CERTAIN 

2 CHILDREN TO DETERMINE EXPOSURE TO 

3 PERFLUOROALKYL AND POLYFLUOROALKYL 

4 SUBSTANCES. 

5 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—During the period preceding 

7 October 1, 2023, the Secretary of Defense, acting 

8 through the Defense Health Agency, shall carry out 

9 a pilot program under which the Secretary provides 

10 blood testing to a covered child to determine and 

11 document the potential exposure of the child to 

12 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (com13 monly known as ‘‘PFAS’’). The Secretary shall pro14 vide such testing at military medical treatment fa15 cilities at locations selected pursuant to subsection 

16 (b). 

17 (2) STANDARDS.—The Secretary shall carry out 

18 the blood testing under paragraph (1) in accordance 

19 with standards established by the Agency for Toxic 

20 Substances and Disease Registry of the Centers for 

21 Disease Control and Prevention. 

22 (b) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall select military 

23 installations at which to carry out the pilot program under 

24 subsection (a)(1). A criterion in making such selection 

25 shall be whether the military installation has a high rate 


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1 of covered children who receive health care at military 

2 medical treatment facilities at the installation. 

3 (c) RESULTS.—In carrying out the pilot program 

4 under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall provide the 

5 results of a blood test of a covered child to the parent 

6 or guardian of the child. 

7 (d) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall conduct out8 reach at military installations at which the pilot program 

9 under subsection (a)(1) is carried out to encourage partici10 pation in the pilot program, including by notifying mem11 bers of the Armed Forces and dependents who live on or 

12 near such installations of— 

13 (1) the background on perfluoroalkyl and poly14 fluoroalkyl substances; 

15 (2) the availability of blood tests under the pilot 

16 program; and 

17 (3) the benefits of such tests. 

18 (e) REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 2024, the 

19 Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense com20 mittees (as defined in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, 

21 United States Code) a report on the pilot program under 

22 subsection (a)(1), including a summary of the results of 

23 the testing conducted under the pilot program. 


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1 (f) COVERED CHILD DEFINED.—In this subsection, 

2 the term ‘‘covered child’’ means a child specified in section 

3 1072(6) of title 10, United States Code, who— 

4 (1) has not attained the age of 18; and 

5 (2) is a dependent of a member of the Armed 

6 Forces whom the Secretary determines served on a 

7 military installation in the continental United States 

8 that was exposed to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroal9 kyl substances at any time during the 10-year period 

10 preceding the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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