I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5106 

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 21, 2010 

Mr. SPACE (for himself and Ms. SHEA-PORTER) 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.—Subject to the availability of 

5 appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary of Defense 

6 shall establish a commission to be known as the ‘‘Commis7 sion on Urotrauma’’ (in this section referred to as the 

8 ‘‘Commission’’). 


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

2 the Secretary of Defense shall consult with the Secretary 

3 of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health and 

4 Human Services. 

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

6 on urotrauma among members of the Armed Forces and 

7 veterans, including— 

8 (1) an analysis of the incidence, duration, mor9 bidity rate, and mortality rate of urotrauma; 

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

11 and effects of urotrauma; 

12 (3) with respect to the Department of Defense 

13 and Department of Veterans Affairs, an evaluation 

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

15 personnel, and research activities that are related to 

16 the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of 

17 urotrauma; 

18 (4) an evaluation of programs (including such 

19 biological, behavioral, environmental, and social pro20 grams) that improve the prevention or treatment of 

21 urotrauma; and 

22 (5) a long-term plan for the use and organiza23 tion of the resources of the Federal Government to 

24 improve the prevention and treatment of urotrauma. 

25 (d) MEMBERSHIP.— 


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

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

3 Committee shall be composed of 19 members as fol4 lows: 

5 (A) Sixteen members appointed by the Sec6 retary of Defense. 

7 (B) One member appointed by the Sec8 retary of Health and Human Services from 

9 among officers or employees of the National In10 stitute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney 

11 Diseases whose primary interest is in the field 

12 of urotrauma. 

13 (C) The Chief of the Department of Sur14 gery of Walter Reed National Military Medical 

15 Center. 

16 (D) The Chief Medical Director of the De17 partment of Veterans Affairs. 

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

19 officio members of the Commission are as follows: 

20 (A) The Surgeon General of the Navy. 

21 (B) The Surgeon General of the Army. 

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

23 (D) The Medical Officer of the Marine 

24 Corps. 


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1 (E) The Director of the National Institutes 

2 of Health. 

3 (F) The Director of the National Institute 

4 of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 

5 (G) The Director of the Division of Kid6 ney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases of the 

7 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive 

8 Kidney Diseases. 

9 (H) The Director of the National Institute 

10 of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. 

11 (3) QUALIFICATIONS.—In appointing members 

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

13 shall appoint individuals with experience related to— 

14 (A) studying or researching urotrauma; 

15 (B) preventing or treating urotrauma; or 

16 (C) suffering from urotrauma. 

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

18 for the life of the Commission. 

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

20 shall be filled in the manner in which the original 

21 appointment was made. 

22 (6) PAY.— 

23 (A) Except as provided in subparagraph 

24 (C), members of the Commission shall serve 

25 without pay. 


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1 (B) Except as provided in subparagraph 

2 (C), members of the Commission who are full3 time officers or employees of the United States 

4 may not receive additional pay, allowances, or 

5 benefits by reason of their service on the Com6 mission. 

7 (C) Each member shall receive travel ex8 penses, including per diem in lieu of subsist9 ence, in accordance with applicable provisions 

10 under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 

11 United States Code. 

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

13 Commission shall constitute a quorum but a lesser 

14 number may hold hearings. 

15 (8) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary of Defense 

16 shall designate a member as the chairperson of the 

17 Committee. 

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

19 the call of the chairperson. 

20 (e) STAFF.— 

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

22 director who shall be appointed by the chairperson. 

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

24 Commission, the chairperson may appoint additional 

25 personnel as the chairperson considers appropriate. 


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1 (3) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

2 LAWS.—The director and staff of the Commission 

3 shall be appointed subject to the provisions of title 

4 5, United States Code, governing appointments in 

5 the competitive service, and shall be paid in accord6 ance with the provisions of chapter 51 and sub7 chapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 

8 classification and General Schedule pay rates. 

9 (4) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—Subject to 

10 rules prescribed by the Commission, the chairperson 

11 may procure temporary and intermittent services 

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

13 (5) STAFF TO FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon re14 quest of the chairperson, the head of any Federal 

15 department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 

16 basis, any of the personnel of that department or 

17 agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying out 

18 its duties under this section. 

19 (f) POWERS OF COMMISSION.— 

20 (1) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Commis21 sion may, for the purpose of carrying out this sec22 tion, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 

23 take testimony, and receive evidence as the Commis24 sion considers appropriate. The Commission may adVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:51 Apr 22, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5106.IH H5106

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1 minister oaths or affirmations to witnesses appear2 ing before it. 

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

4 member or agent of the Commission may, if author5 ized by the Commission, take any action which the 

6 Commission is authorized to take by this section. 

7 (3) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commis8 sion may secure directly from any department or 

9 agency of the United States information necessary 

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

11 of the chairperson of the Commission, the head of 

12 that department or agency shall furnish that infor13 mation to the Commission. 

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

15 United States mails in the same manner and under 

16 the same conditions as other departments and agen17 cies of the United States. 

18 (5) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.— 

19 Upon the request of the Commission, the Adminis20 trator of General Services shall provide to the Com21 mission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative 

22 support services necessary for the Commission to 

23 carry out its responsibilities under this section. 

24 (g) REPORTS.— 


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

2 after the date on which the members are appointed 

3 under subsection (d)(1), the Commission shall sub4 mit to the appropriate congressional committees an 

5 interim report on the study conducted under sub6 section (c). 

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

8 after the date on which the members are appointed 

9 under subsection (d)(1), the Commission shall sub10 mit to the appropriate congressional committees a 

11 final report on the study conducted under subsection 

12 (c), including any recommendations the Commission 

13 considers appropriate to improve the prevention and 

14 treatment of urotrauma among members of the 

15 Armed Forces and veterans. 

16 (h) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

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

18 Commission submits the final report under subsection 

19 (g)(2). 

20 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

21 (1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com22 mittees’’ means— 

23 (A) the Committees on Armed Services of 

24 the House of Representatives and Senate; and 


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1 (B) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 

2 the House of Representatives and Senate. 

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

4 urinary tract (including the kidneys, ureters, urinary 

5 bladder, urethra, and female and male genitalia) 

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

7 or biological cause. 

8 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

9 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

10 $4,000,000 for fiscal years 2011 through 2014. 

Æ 


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