I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1243 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense 
to use only human-based methods for training members of the Armed 
Forces in the treatment of severe combat injuries. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 28, 2017 
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (for himself, Mr. MARINO, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. TED 
LIEU of California, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. POLIS, Ms. 
CLARKE of New York, Mr. CLAY, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. HIMES, Ms. 
DELAURO, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. LEE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. 
SCHIFF, Mr. POCAN, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. 
CA´RDENAS, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. CLARK 
of Massachusetts, Ms. TSONGAS, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. SEAN PATRICK 
MALONEY of New York, Mr. PETERS, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COSTELLO of 
Pennsylvania, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. RUSH, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. HAS-
TINGS, and Mr. NOLAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Sec-
retary of Defense to use only human-based methods for 
training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment 
of severe combat injuries. 
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 ‘‘Battlefield Excellence 
through Superior Training Practices Act’’ or the ‘‘BEST 
Practices Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The Department of Defense has made im-
pressive strides in the development and use of meth-
ods of medical training and troop protection, such as 
the use of tourniquets and improvements in body 
armor, that have led to decreased battlefield fatali-
ties. 
(2) The Department of Defense uses more than 
8,500 live animals each year to train physicians, 
medics, corpsmen, and other personnel methods of 
responding to severe battlefield injuries. 
(3) The civilian sector has almost exclusively 
phased in the use of superior human-based training 
methods for numerous medical procedures currently 
taught in military courses using animals. 
(4) Human-based medical training methods 
such as simulators replicate human anatomy and 
can allow for repetitive practice and data collection. 
(5) According to scientific, peer-reviewed lit-
erature, medical simulation increases patient safety 
and decreases errors by healthcare providers. 
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(6) The Army Research, Development and En-
gineering Command and other entities of the De-
partment of Defense have taken significant steps to 
develop methods to replace live animal-based train-
ing. 
(7) According to the report by the Department 
of Defense titled ‘‘Final Report on the use of Live 
Animals in Medical Education and Training Joint 
Analysis Team’’, published on July 12, 2009— 
(A) validated, high-fidelity simulators were 
to have been available for nearly every high-vol-
ume or high-value battlefield medical procedure 
by the end of 2011, and many were available as 
of 2009; and 
(B) validated, high-fidelity simulators were 
to have been available to teach all other proce-
dures to respond to common battlefield injuries 
by 2014. 
(8) The Center for Sustainment of Trauma and 
Readiness Skills of the Air Force exclusively uses 
human-based training methods in its courses and 
does not use animals. 
(9) In 2013, the Army instituted a policy for-
bidding non-medical personnel from participating in 
training courses involving the use of animals. 
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(10) In 2013, the medical school of the Depart-
ment of Defense, part of the Uniformed Services 
University of the Health Sciences, replaced animal 
use within its medical student curriculum. 
(11) The Coast Guard announced in 2014 that 
it would reduce by half the number of animals it 
uses for combat trauma training courses but stated 
that animals would continue to be used in courses 
designed for Department of Defense personnel. 
(12) Effective January 1, 2015, the Depart-
ment of Defense replaced animal use in six areas of 
medical training, including Advanced Trauma Life 
Support courses and the development and mainte-
nance of surgical and critical care skills for field 
operational surgery and field assessment and skills 
tests for international students offered at the De-
fense Institute of Medical Operations. 
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT TO USE HUMAN-BASED METHODS 
FOR CERTAIN MEDICAL TRAINING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 101 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
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‘‘§ 2017. Requirement to use human-based methods 
for certain medical training 
‘‘(a) COMBAT TRAUMA INJURIES.—(1) Not later 
than October 1, 2020, the Secretary of Defense shall com-
plete the development, testing, and validation of human- 
based training methods for the purpose of training mem-
bers of the armed forces in the treatment of combat trau-
ma injuries with the goal of replacing live animal-based 
training methods. 
‘‘(2) Not later than October 1, 2022, the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall only use human-based training meth-
ods for the purpose of training members of the 
armed forces in the treatment of combat trauma in-
juries; and 
‘‘(B) may not use animals for such purpose. 
‘‘(b) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than October 1, 
2018, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit 
to the congressional defense committees a report on the 
development and implementation of human-based training 
methods for the purpose of training members of the armed 
forces in the treatment of combat trauma injuries under 
this section. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘combat trauma injuries’ means 
severe injuries likely to occur during combat, includ-
ing— 
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‘‘(A) hemorrhage; 
‘‘(B) tension pneumothorax; 
‘‘(C) amputation resulting from blast in-
jury; 
‘‘(D) compromises to the airway; and 
‘‘(E) other injuries. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘human-based training methods’ 
means, with respect to training individuals in med-
ical treatment, the use of systems and devices that 
do not use animals, including— 
‘‘(A) simulators; 
‘‘(B) partial task trainers; 
‘‘(C) moulage; 
‘‘(D) simulated combat environments; 
‘‘(E) human cadavers; and 
‘‘(F) rotations in civilian and military trau-
ma centers. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘partial task trainers’ means 
training aids that allow individuals to learn or prac-
tice specific medical procedures.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 101 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
item: 
‘‘2017. Requirement to use human-based methods for certain medical training.’’. 
Æ 
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