I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5259 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to include in periodic health assessments 

of members of the Armed Forces an evaluation of whether the member 

has been exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 22, 2023 

Ms. SLOTKIN (for herself, Mr. POSEY, and Mr. TURNER) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to include in periodic 

health assessments of members of the Armed Forces 

an evaluation of whether the member has been exposed 

to perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances, 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 ‘‘PFAS Exposure As5 sessment and Documentation Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF EXPOSURE TO PERFLUOROALKYL 

2 AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES AS 

3 PART OF PERIODIC HEALTH ASSESSMENTS. 

4 (a) PERIODIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT.—The Sec5 retary of Defense shall ensure that any periodic health as6 sessment provided to a member of the Armed Forces in7 cludes an evaluation of whether the member has been— 

8 (1) based or stationed at a military installation 

9 identified by the Department of Defense as a loca10 tion with a known or suspected release of 

11 perfluoroalkyl substances or polyfluoroalkyl sub12 stances during the period in which the member was 

13 based or stationed at the military installation; or 

14 (2) exposed to such substances, including by 

15 evaluating any information in the health record of 

16 the member. 

17 (b) SEPARATION HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINA18 TIONS.—Section 1145(a)(5) of title 10, United States 

19 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 

20 subparagraph: 

21 ‘‘(D) The Secretary concerned shall ensure that each 

22 physical examination of a member under subparagraph 

23 (A) includes an assessment of whether the member was— 

24 ‘‘(i) based or stationed at a military installation 

25 identified by the Department as a location with a 

26 known or suspected release of perfluoroalkyl subVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Aug 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5259.IH H5259

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1 stances or polyfluoroalkyl substances during the pe2 riod in which the member was based or stationed at 

3 the military installation; or 

4 ‘‘(ii) exposed to such substances, including by 

5 assessing any information in the health record of the 

6 member.’’. 

7 (c) DEPLOYMENT ASSESSMENTS.—Section 

8 1074f(b)(2) of title 10, United States Code, is amended 

9 by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

10 ‘‘(E) An assessment of whether the member 

11 was— 

12 ‘‘(i) based or stationed at a military instal13 lation identified by the Department as a loca14 tion with a known or suspected release of 

15 perfluoroalkyl substances or polyfluoroalkyl sub16 stances during the period in which the member 

17 was based or stationed at the military installa18 tion; or 

19 ‘‘(ii) exposed to such substances, including 

20 by assessing any information in the health 

21 record of the member.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. PROVISION OF BLOOD TESTING FOR MEMBERS OF 

2 THE ARMED FORCES, FORMER MEMBERS OF 

3 THE ARMED FORCES, AND THEIR FAMILIES 

4 TO DETERMINE EXPOSURE TO 

5 PERFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES OR 

6 POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES. 

7 (a) MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—If a covered evaluation of a 

9 member of the Armed Forces results in a positive 

10 determination of potential exposure to perfluoroalkyl 

11 substances or polyfluoroalkyl substances, the Sec12 retary of Defense shall provide to that member, dur13 ing that covered evaluation, blood testing to deter14 mine and document potential exposure to such sub15 stances. 

16 (2) INCLUSION IN HEALTH RECORD.—The re17 sults of blood testing of a member of the Armed 

18 Forces conducted under paragraph (1) shall be in19 cluded in the health record of the member. 

20 (b) FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND

21 FAMILY MEMBERS.—The Secretary shall pay for blood 

22 testing to determine and document potential exposure to 

23 perfluoroalkyl substances or polyfluoroalkyl substances for 

24 any covered individual, at the election of the individual, 

25 either through the TRICARE program for individuals othVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Aug 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5259.IH H5259

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1 erwise eligible for such program or through the use of 

2 vouchers to obtain such testing. 

3 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) The term ‘‘covered evaluation’’ means— 

5 (A) a periodic health assessment conducted 

6 in accordance with section 2(a); 

7 (B) a separation history and physical ex8 amination conducted under section 1145(a)(5) 

9 of title 10, United States Code, as amended by 

10 section 2(b); and 

11 (C) a deployment assessment conducted 

12 under section 1074f(b)(2) of such title, as 

13 amended by section 2(c). 

14 (2) The term ‘‘covered individual’’ means a 

15 former member of the Armed Forces or a family 

16 member of a member or former member of the 

17 Armed Forces who lived at a location (or the sur18 rounding area of such a location) identified by the 

19 Department of Defense as a location with a known 

20 or suspected release of perfluoroalkyl substances or 

21 polyfluoroalkyl substances during the period in 

22 which the individual lived at that location (or sur23 rounding area). 


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1 (3) The term ‘‘TRICARE program’’ has the 

2 meaning given that term in section 1072(7) of title 

3 10, United States Code. 

4 SEC. 4. DOCUMENTATION OF EXPOSURE TO 

5 PERFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES OR 

6 POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES. 

7 (a) SHARING OF INFORMATION.—The Secretary of 

8 Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter 

9 into a memorandum of understanding providing for the 

10 sharing by the Department of Defense with the Depart11 ment of Veterans Affairs of the results of covered evalua12 tions regarding the exposure by a member of the Armed 

13 Forces to perfluoroalkyl substances or polyfluoroalkyl sub14 stances. 

15 (b) REGISTRY.— 

16 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of De17 fense shall establish a registry of members of the 

18 Armed Forces who have been exposed to, or are sus19 pected to have been exposed to, perfluoroalkyl sub20 stances or polyfluoroalkyl substances. 

21 (2) INCLUSION IN REGISTRY.—The Secretary 

22 shall include a member of the Armed Forces in the 

23 registry established under paragraph (1) if a covered 

24 evaluation of the member establishes that the mem25 ber— 


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1 (A) was based or stationed at a location 

2 identified by the Department of Defense as a 

3 location with a known or suspected release of 

4 perfluoroalkyl substances or polyfluoroalkyl sub5 stances during the period in which the member 

6 was based or stationed at the location; or 

7 (B) was exposed to such substances. 

8 (3) BLOOD TESTING.—The results of any blood 

9 test conducted under section 3(a) shall be included 

10 in the registry established under paragraph (1) for 

11 any member of the Armed Forces included in the 

12 registry. 

13 (4) ELECTION.—A member of the Armed 

14 Forces may elect not to be included in the registry 

15 established under paragraph (1). 

16 (c) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.—The Secretary of 

17 Defense shall provide to a member of the Armed Forces 

18 more information on perfluoroalkyl substances and 

19 polyfluoroalkyl substances and the potential impact of ex20 posure to such substances if a covered evaluation of such 

21 member establishes that the member— 

22 (1) was based or stationed at a location identi23 fied by the Department of Defense as a location 

24 with a known or suspected release of perfluoroalkyl 

25 substances or polyfluoroalkyl substances during the 


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1 period in which the member was based or stationed 

2 at the location; or 

3 (2) was exposed to such substances. 

4 (d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec5 tion may be construed to preclude eligibility of a veteran 

6 for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary 

7 of Veterans Affairs by reason of the exposure of the vet8 eran to perfluoroalkyl substances or polyfluoroalkyl sub9 stances not being recorded in a covered evaluation. 

10 (e) COVERED EVALUATION DEFINED.—In this sec11 tion, the term ‘‘covered evaluation’’ means— 

12 (1) a periodic health assessment conducted in 

13 accordance with section 2(a); 

14 (2) a separation history and physical examina15 tion conducted under section 1145(a)(5) of title 10, 

16 United States Code, as amended by section 2(b); 

17 and 

18 (3) a deployment assessment conducted under 

19 section 1074f(b)(2) of such title, as amended by sec20 tion 2(c). 

Æ 


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