I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5203 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a center of excellence for 
the study of tinnitus, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 4, 2010 
Mr. COLE (for himself and Mr. TEAGUE) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a center 
of excellence for the study of tinnitus, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tinnitus Research for 
Military Health Improvement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Tinnitus, or the perception of sound where 
no external source of such sound exists, is the most 
prevalent disabling condition that affects members of 
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the Armed Forces, most notably those members who 
have been exposed to blast injuries during combat, 
or other high noise level situations. 
(2) Tinnitus is the leading service-connected 
disability for returning members of the Armed 
Forces and the prevalence of tinnitus is continuing 
to increase at alarming rates. 
(3) An otologic, or ear, injury such as tinnitus 
has been shown to decrease performance and situa-
tional awareness during combat, seriously compro-
mising the ability of a member of the Armed Forces 
to hear and execute commands properly, thereby 
jeopardizing not only the affected member but other 
members as well. 
(4) While certain types of sensory impairment 
in combat or other military activities may be readily 
apparent, otologic injuries such as tinnitus may not 
be easily noticeable, which necessitates the need for 
more rigorous screening for tinnitus before and after 
deployment, and for additional research to distin-
guish tinnitus from other forms of brain injury in-
curred during combat. 
(5) Medical evidence to date suggests a dem-
onstrated link between tinnitus and post-traumatic 
stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, such that 
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improved understanding of treatment of tinnitus 
may also directly advance research efforts to address 
post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain 
injury. 
(6) Improving the treatment and prevention of 
tinnitus will benefit all members of the Armed 
Forces who are increasingly at risk of injury from 
high-decibel equipment or explosive devices. 
SEC. 3. CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR THE STUDY OF 
TINNITUS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall establish one or more Centers of Excellence (in 
this section referred to as a ‘‘center’’) for the study 
of tinnitus. 
(2) LOCATION.—The Secretary shall establish a 
center at a military installation in the United States 
where members of the Armed Forces perform activi-
ties involving high rates of sound, including artillery 
instruction and other basic combat training related 
activities. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—A center shall have the re-
sponsibilities as follows: 
(1) To study and enhance existing treatment 
modalities for members of the Armed Forces with 
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tinnitus, including diagnosed cases of recurrent, 
chronic, or severe tinnitus. 
(2) To conduct basic and clinical research to 
prevent, treat, and cure tinnitus, including studies 
on the neurological changes in the brain associated 
with tinnitus. 
(3) To coordinate research activities with the 
Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological 
Health and Traumatic Brain Injury in order to es-
tablish a tinnitus data registry for members of the 
Armed Forces affected with tinnitus and other neu-
rological conditions that will enhance scientific 
progress toward improvements in treatment for 
tinnitus and associated neurological combat related 
conditions. 
(c) REPORTS.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report 
on the activities of the center. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2016. 
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SEC. 4. AURAL SCREENINGS FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (2) of section 1074f(b) 
of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) An aural screening, including an assess-
ment of tinnitus.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 1074f(b)(2) of title 
10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a) of this 
section, shall apply to members of the Armed Forces who 
are deployed or return from deployment on or after the 
date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE TINNITUS RE-
SEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap-
propriations provided for such purpose, the Secretary of 
Defense shall establish a program to award grants to insti-
tutions to assist such institutions in conducting research 
on recurrent, chronic, or severe tinnitus and peripheral 
neurological conditions, including research related to neu-
rology, pharmacology, audiology, otolaryngology, and 
other disciplines that the Secretary determines appro-
priate according to newly discovered evidence-based find-
ings. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.— 
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