I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6195 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing on anomalous health 

incidents affecting members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees 

of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 8, 2021 

Ms. SLOTKIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing 

on anomalous health incidents affecting members of the 

Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department 

of Defense, 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 ‘‘Combatting Anomalous 

5 Health Incidents Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. BRIEFING ON ANOMALOUS HEALTH INCIDENTS IN2 VOLVING MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 

3 (a) BRIEFING.—Not later than March 1, 2022, the 

4 Secretary of Defense shall provide to the appropriate con5 gressional committees a briefing on anomalous health inci6 dents affecting members of the Armed Forces and civilian 

7 employees of the Department of Defense, any ongoing ef8 forts carried out by the Secretary to protect such members 

9 and employees from the effects of anomalous health inci10 dents, and the extent and nature of engagement by the 

11 Secretary with the heads of other Federal departments 

12 and agencies regarding anomalous health incidents affect13 ing the employees of such other departments and agencies. 

14 (b) MATTERS.—The briefing provided under sub15 section (a) shall include, at a minimum, the following: 

16 (1) Information on cases of confirmed or sus17 pected anomalous health incidents affecting mem18 bers of the Armed Forces or civilian employees of 

19 the Department. 

20 (2) An update on the strategy of the Depart21 ment to protect such members and employees from 

22 the effects of anomalous health incidents, including 

23 any efforts carried out by the Secretary to ensure 

24 that— 

25 (A) suspected anomalous health incidents 

26 are promptly reported; and 


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1 (B) victims of anomalous health incidents 

2 are provided immediate and long-term medical 

3 treatment. 

4 (3) The current efforts of the Department to 

5 contribute to the overall approach of the U.S. Gov6 ernment to address, prevent, and respond to, anoma7 lous health incidents, including such contributed ef8 forts of the Department to defend against anoma9 lous health incident attacks against personnel of the 

10 U.S. Government and United States citizens. 

11 (4) The current efforts of the Department to 

12 prepare members of the Armed Forces and civilian 

13 employees of the Department for the effects of 

14 anomalous health incidents, including prior to de15 ployment. 

16 (5) Recommendations on how to improve the 

17 identification and reporting of anomalous health in18 cidents affecting such members and employees, in19 cluding a recommendation on whether to conduct a 

20 health assessment prior to the deployment of such 

21 members or employees if the prospective deployment 

22 is to an embassy of the United States (or to another 

23 location that the Secretary determines may present 

24 a heightened risk of anomalous health incidents), to 

25 establish a medical baseline against which medical 


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1 data of the member or employee may be compared 

2 following a suspected anomalous health incident. 

3 (6) An identification by the Secretary of a sen4 ior official of the Department who has been des5 ignated by the Secretary as the official with prin6 cipal responsibility for leading the efforts of the De7 partment regarding anomalous health incidents (and 

8 related issues within the Department) and for co9 ordinating with the heads of other Federal depart10 ments and agencies regarding such incidents and re11 lated issues. 

12 (c) SENATE CONFIRMATION OF RESPONSIBLE INDI13 VIDUAL.—If the designated senior official identified pur14 suant to subsection (b)(6) has not been appointed by and 

15 with the advice and consent of the Senate, the Secretary 

16 shall ensure that the principal responsibility for the ac17 tions specified in such subsection is transferred to a senior 

18 official of the Department who has been so appointed. 

19 (d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES

20 DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate con21 gressional committees’’ means— 

22 (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

23 Committee on Oversight and Reform, and the Com24 mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 

25 House of Representatives; and 


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1 (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

2 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

3 Affairs, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

4 and Transportation of the Senate. 

Æ 


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