H. R. 5122—209
(2) COSTS OF COLLABORATION.—The Secretary of Defense 
may reimburse the National Academy of Sciences up to 
$200,000 for costs of the Medical Follow-up Agency to collabo-
rate with the Air Force in the transfer and receipt of the 
assets of the Air Force Health Study to the Agency during 
fiscal year 2007 from amounts available from the Department 
of Defense for that fiscal year. 
SEC. 715. STUDY ON ALLOWING DEPENDENTS OF ACTIVATED MEM-
BERS OF RESERVE COMPONENTS TO RETAIN CIVILIAN 
HEALTH CARE COVERAGE. 
(a) STUDY REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of Defense shall con-
duct a study on the feasibility of allowing family members of mem-
bers of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who are called 
or ordered to active duty in support of a contingency operation 
to continue health care coverage under a civilian health care pro-
gram and provide reimbursement for such health care. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study required by subsection (a) shall 
include the following: 
(1) An assessment of the number of military dependents 
with special health care needs (such as ongoing chemotherapy 
or physical therapy) who would benefit from continued coverage 
under the member’s civilian health care plan instead of 
enrolling in the TRICARE program. 
(2) An assessment of the feasibility of providing reimburse-
ment to the member or the sponsor of the civilian health 
coverage. 
(3) A recommendation on the appropriate rate of reimburse-
ment for members or sponsors of civilian health coverage. 
(4) The feasibility of including dependents who do not have 
access to health care providers that accept payment under 
the TRICARE program. 
(c) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House 
of Representatives a report on the study required under subsection 
(a). 
SEC. 716. STUDY OF HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO DEPLETED 
URANIUM. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with 
the Secretary for Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, shall conduct a comprehensive study of the 
health effects of exposure to depleted uranium munitions on ura-
nium-exposed soldiers and on children of uranium-exposed soldiers 
who were born after the exposure of the uranium-exposed soldiers 
to depleted uranium. 
(b) URANIUM-EXPOSED SOLDIERS.—In this section, the term 
‘‘uranium-exposed soldiers’’ means a member or former member 
of the Armed Forces who handled, came in contact with, or had 
the likelihood of contact with depleted uranium munitions while 
on active duty, including members and former members who—
(1) were exposed to smoke from fires resulting from the 
burning of vehicles containing depleted uranium munitions or 
fires at depots at which depleted uranium munitions were 
stored; 
(2) worked within environments containing depleted ura-
nium dust or residues from depleted uranium munitions;
H. R. 5122—210
(3) were within a structure or vehicle while it was struck 
by a depleted uranium munition; 
(4) climbed on or entered equipment or structures struck 
by a depleted uranium munition; or 
(5) were medical personnel who provided initial treatment 
to members of the Armed Forces described in paragraph (1), 
(2), (3), or (4). 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to 
Congress a report on the results of the study described in subsection 
(a). 
SEC. 717. REPORT AND PLAN ON SERVICES TO MILITARY DEPENDENT 
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM. 
(a) PLAN REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense shall, within 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, develop 
a plan to provide services to military dependent children with 
autism pursuant to the authority for an extended health care serv-
ices program in subsections (d) and (e) of section 1079 of title 
10, United States Code. Such plan shall include—
(1) requirements for the education, training, and super-
vision of individuals providing services for military dependent 
children with autism; 
(2) standards for identifying and measuring the availability, 
distribution, and training of individuals of various levels of 
expertise to provide such services; and 
(3) procedures to ensure that such services are in addition 
to other publicly provided services to such children. 
(b) PARTICIPATION OF AFFECTED FAMILIES.—In developing the 
plan required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure the 
involvement and participation of affected military families or their 
representatives. 
(c) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 30 days after completion 
of the plan required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House 
of Representatives a report on the plan. The report may include 
any additional information the Secretary considers relevant. 
SEC. 718. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY ON DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE PHARMACY BENEFITS PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the United States 
shall conduct a study of the Department of Defense pharmacy 
benefits program required by section 1074g of title 10, United 
States Code. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study required by subsection (a) shall 
include an examination of the following: 
(1) The cost of the Department of Defense pharmacy bene-
fits program since the inception of the program. 
(2) The relative costs of various options under the program. 
(3) The copayment structure under the program. 
(4) The effectiveness of the rebate system under the pro-
gram as a way of passing on discounts received by the Federal 
Government in the purchase of pharmaceutical agents. 
(5) The uniform formulary under the program, including 
the success of the formulary in achieving savings anticipated 
through use of the formulary.
H. R. 5122—211
(6) Various alternative means of purchasing pharma-
ceutical agents more efficiently for availability under the pro-
gram. 
(7) The composition and decision-making processes of the 
Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. 
(8) The composition of the Beneficiary Advisory Panel and 
its history as an advisory panel under the program (including 
the frequency of the acceptance of its recommendations by 
the Secretary of Defense). 
(9) Quality assurance mechanisms under the program. 
(10) The role of the program in support of the disease 
and chronic care management programs of the Department 
of Defense. 
(11) Mechanisms for customer service and customer feed-
back under the program. 
(12) Beneficiary satisfaction with the program. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than nine months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit 
to the congressional defense committees a report on the study 
required by subsection (a). The report shall include such rec-
ommendations as the Comptroller General considers appropriate 
for legislative or administrative action to improve the Department 
of Defense pharmacy benefits program in light of the study. 
SEC. 719. REVIEW OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MEDICAL QUALITY 
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate 
and the House of Representatives a report on actions taken 
in response to the recommendations of the July 2001 report 
of the Department of Defense Healthcare Quality Initiatives 
Review Panel. 
(2) MATTERS COVERED.—The report shall address the status 
of actions concerning each of the Panel’s general and specific 
recommendations, including the amount of resources allocated 
by fiscal year to implement each recommendation. In any 
instance in which no action has been taken, justification for 
such inaction shall be provided in the report. 
(b) REVIEW REQUIRED.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall enter into 
a contract with the Institute of Medicine of the National 
Academy of Sciences, or another similarly qualified independent 
academic medical organization, for the purpose of conducting 
an independent review of the Department of Defense medical 
quality improvement program. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The review required pursuant to paragraph 
(1) shall include the following: 
(A) An assessment of the methods used by the Depart-
ment of Defense to monitor medical quality in services 
provided in military hospitals and clinics and in services 
provided in civilian hospitals and providers under the mili-
tary health care system. 
(B) An assessment of the transparency and public 
reporting mechanisms of the Department on medical 
quality.
H. R. 5122—212
(C) An assessment of how the Department incorporates 
medical quality into performance measures for military 
and civilian health care providers within the military 
health care system. 
(D) An assessment of the patient safety programs of 
the Department. 
(E) A description of the extent to which the Department 
seeks to address particular medical errors, and an assess-
ment of the adequacy of such efforts. 
(F) An assessment of accountability within the military 
health care system for preventable negative outcomes 
involving negligence. 
(G) An assessment of the performance of the health 
care safety and quality measures of the Department. 
(H) An assessment of the collaboration of the Depart-
ment with national initiatives to develop evidence-based 
quality measures and intervention strategies, especially 
the initiatives of the Agency for Health Care Research 
and Quality within the Department of Health and Human 
Services. 
(I) A comparison of the methods, mechanisms, and 
programs and activities referred to in subparagraphs (A) 
through (G) with similar methods, mechanisms, programs, 
and activities used in other public and private health care 
systems and organizations. 
(3) REPORT.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate 
and the House of Representatives a report on the review 
required pursuant to paragraph (1). 
(B) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subparagraph 
(A) shall include the following: 
(i) The results of the review required pursuant 
to paragraph (1). 
(ii) A discussion of recent highlights in the accom-
plishments of the Department of Defense medical 
quality assurance program. 
(iii) Such recommendations for legislative or 
administrative action as the Secretary considers appro-
priate for the improvement of the program. 
SEC. 720. REPORT ON DISTRIBUTION OF HEMOSTATIC AGENTS FOR 
USE IN THE FIELD. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional 
defense committees a report on the distribution of hemostatic agents 
to members of the Armed Forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, 
including a description of any distribution problems and attempts 
to resolve such problems. 
SEC. 721. LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY 
INCURRED BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES IN OPER-
ATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING 
FREEDOM. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense shall conduct 
a longitudinal study on the effects of traumatic brain injury incurred 
by members of the Armed Forces serving in Operation Iraqi