I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2419 
To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical surveillance system 
to identify members of the Armed Forces exposed to chemical hazards 
resulting from the disposal of waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, to prohibit 
the disposal of waste by the Armed Forces in a manner that would 
produce dangerous levels of toxins, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 14, 2009 
Mr. BISHOP of New York (for himself and Ms. SHEA-PORTER) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical 
surveillance system to identify members of the Armed 
Forces exposed to chemical hazards resulting from the 
disposal of waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, to prohibit 
the disposal of waste by the Armed Forces in a manner 
that would produce dangerous levels of toxins, 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 ‘‘Military Personnel 
War Zone Toxic Exposure Prevention Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF HEALTH EFFECTS RELATED TO 
HAZARDOUS DISPOSAL SITE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall establish and administer a system to identify mem-
bers of the Armed Forces who were potentially exposed 
to a hazardous disposal site and any negative health ef-
fects that may be related to such exposure. The Secretary 
shall administer such system using existing medical sur-
veillance systems. 
(b) NOTIFICATION.—If the Secretary learns that a 
member of the Armed Forces was potentially exposed to 
a hazardous disposal site, the Secretary shall— 
(1) give notice of the potential exposure to— 
(A) the member; 
(B) the commanding officer of the unit to 
which the member belonged at the time of po-
tential exposure; and 
(C) in the case of a member of the Na-
tional Guard, the Adjutant General of the State 
concerned; and 
(2) inform the member that the member may be 
included in the system required by subsection (a). 
(b) REGISTRATION.—For each member of the Armed 
Forces notified of a potential exposure under subsection 
(b), the Secretary shall collect information for purposes 
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of the system required by subsection (a). Such information 
shall include— 
(1) the locations that the member was deployed, 
including dates of such deployment; 
(2) the approximate distance of the living and 
working quarters of the member from a hazardous 
disposal site; 
(3) the types of materials disposed of at the 
site; 
(4) the length of time the member was exposed 
to such site; 
(5) any symptoms experienced by the member 
while deployed; 
(6) any symptoms the member experiences at 
the time of submitting such information to the Sec-
retary; and 
(7) other information the Secretary considers 
appropriate. 
(c) EXAMINATION.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date on which the Secretary learns that a member of the 
Armed Forces was potentially exposed to a hazardous dis-
posal site, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall— 
(1) provide such member— 
(A) a complete physical examination; and 
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(B) consultation and counseling with re-
spect to the results of such physical examina-
tion; and 
(2) ensure that documentation of the potential 
exposure is placed in the medical record of the mem-
ber maintained by the Department of Defense. 
(d) PROPOSED CAPABILITIES.— 
(1) SUFFICIENCY.—The Secretary shall deter-
mine if existing medical surveillance systems are suf-
ficient to identify all potential negative health effects 
resulting from exposure to a hazardous disposal site. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than six months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report with any rec-
ommendations to change existing medical surveil-
lance systems in order to improve the identification 
of negative health effects resulting from exposure to 
a hazardous disposal site. 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—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 House 
of Representatives and the Senate a report describing— 
(1) the status of implementing the system re-
quired by subsection (a); and 
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