I
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4990
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense
to establish a commission to collect and investigate reports by members
of the Armed Forces of illnesses incurred during or shortly following
their service in combat zones during a war or contingency operation.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 18, 1994
Mr. CAMP 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 establish a commission to collect
and investigate reports by members of the Armed Forces
of illnesses incurred during or shortly following their
service in combat zones during a war or contingency
operation.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. COMMISSION ON WARTIME ILLNESSES.
Section 1074 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION ON WARTIME
ILLNESSES.—(1) In connection with each war or contin-
gency operation in which members of the uniformed serv-
ices participate, the Secretary of Defense shall establish
an advisory commission to collect and investigate reports
submitted by members and former members of the uni-
formed services regarding illnesses they believe were in-
curred as a result of their service in a combat zone during
that war or contingency operation. The Secretary shall se-
lect members of each commission in consultation with the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
‘‘(2) The administering Secretaries, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, and the Secretaries of the military de-
partments shall cooperate with each commission estab-
lished under paragraph (1) in the investigation of illness
reports by providing information under their control rel-
evant to the investigation, such as the service record and
service locations of the member or former member submit-
ting the report, the weapons used by the member or
former member or to which the member or former member
was exposed, and the illnesses known to be associated with
such weapons. On the basis of such reports and investiga-
tions, the commission shall prepare a registry of all ill-
nesses reported in connection with the war or contingency
operation for which the commission was established. The
Commission shall submit to the Secretaries and Congress
the registry and a report describing the results of the in-
vestigations conducted by the Commission.
‘‘(3) A commission established under paragraph (1)
shall collect illness reports until—
‘‘(A) the end of the two-year period beginning
on the ending date of the war or contingency oper-
ation for which the commission was established; or
‘‘(B) such earlier date as determined appro-
priate by the commission.
‘‘(4) The Secretary of Defense shall terminate a com-
mission established under paragraph (1) six months after
submission of the report of the commission under para-
graph (2). The records of the commission shall be pre-
served by the Secretary of Defense and shall be available
for public inspection consistent with applicable laws.’’.
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