I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4816 
To establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a national center for 
the diagnosis, treatment, and research of health conditions of the de-
scendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances during service in the 
Armed Forces, to provide certain services to those descendants, to estab-
lish an advisory board on exposure to toxic substances, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 9, 2014 
Mr. HONDA (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. HIGGINS, 
Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. KEATING, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Ms. 
LEE of California, and Mr. WELCH) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to 
the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a na-
tional center for the diagnosis, treatment, and research 
of health conditions of the descendants of veterans ex-
posed to toxic substances during service in the Armed 
Forces, to provide certain services to those descendants, 
to establish an advisory board on exposure to toxic sub-
stances, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Toxic Exposure Re-
search and Military Family Support Act of 2014’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ARMED FORCE.—The term ‘‘Armed Force’’ 
means the United States Army, Navy, Marine 
Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard, including the re-
serve components thereof. 
(2) DESCENDANT.—The term ‘‘descendant’’ 
means, with respect to an individual, the biological 
child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of that indi-
vidual. 
(3) TOXIC SUBSTANCE.—The term ‘‘toxic sub-
stance’’ shall have the meaning given that term by 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and shall include 
all substances that have been proven by peer re-
viewed scientific research or a preponderance of 
opinion in the medical community to lead to disabil-
ities related to the exposure of an individual to those 
substances while serving as a member of the Armed 
Forces. 
(4) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
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SEC. 3. NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE DIAGNOSIS, TREAT-
MENT, AND RESEARCH OF HEALTH CONDI-
TIONS OF THE DESCENDANTS OF INDIVID-
UALS EXPOSED TO TOXIC SUBSTANCES DUR-
ING SERVICE IN THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) NATIONAL CENTER.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall select a medical cen-
ter of the Department of Veterans Affairs to serve 
as the national center for the diagnosis, treatment, 
and research of health conditions of descendants of 
individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving 
as members of the Armed Forces that are related to 
that exposure (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Center’’). 
(2) CRITERIA
FOR
SELECTION.—The Center 
shall be selected under paragraph (1) from among 
medical centers of the Department with expertise in 
diagnosing and treating functional and structural 
birth defects and caring for individuals exposed to 
toxic substances, or that are affiliated with research 
medical centers or teaching hospitals with such ex-
pertise, that seek to be selected under this section. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.— 
(1) DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT.— 
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(A) IN GENERAL.—The Center may diag-
nose and treat, without charge, each patient for 
whom the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has 
made the following determinations: 
(i) The patient is a descendant of an 
individual who served as a member of the 
Armed Forces. 
(ii) The individual was exposed to a 
toxic substance while serving as a member 
of the Armed Forces. 
(iii) The patient is afflicted with a 
health condition that is determined by the 
advisory board established in section 4 to 
be a health condition that results from the 
exposure of that individual to that toxic 
substance. 
(B) TREATMENT.—Treatment under this 
section is limited to treatment of health condi-
tions for which the advisory board established 
in section 4 has made a determination described 
in subparagraph (A)(iii). 
(C) ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSIS AND TREAT-
MENT.—Nothing in this section shall preclude a 
patient from receiving additional diagnosis or 
treatment at the Center or another facility of 
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