Combatting Anomalous Health Incidents Act
Bill: H.R.6195 | Sponsor: Rep. Slotkin, Elissa (D-MI)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Combatting Anomalous Health Incidents Act
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to brief Congress on anomalous health incidents affecting members of the Armed Forces and civilian DOD employees. In its briefing, DOD must address any ongoing efforts to protect members and employees from the effects of anomalous health incidents and the extent and nature of engagement by DOD with other federal departments and agencies regarding anomalous health incidents affecting their employees.
The senior DOD official with the principal responsibility for leading the efforts regarding anomalous health incidents must be an official who is appointed by, and with the advice and consent of, the Senate.

To direct the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing on anomalous 
  health incidents affecting members of the Armed Forces and civilian 
    employees of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Combatting Anomalous Health 
Incidents Act''.

SEC. 2. BRIEFING ON ANOMALOUS HEALTH INCIDENTS INVOLVING MEMBERS OF THE 
              ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Briefing.--Not later than March 1, 2022, the Secretary of 
Defense shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees a 
briefing on anomalous health incidents affecting members of the Armed 
Forces and civilian employees of the Department of Defense, any ongoing 
efforts carried out by the Secretary to protect such members and 
employees from the effects of anomalous health incidents, and the 
extent and nature of engagement by the Secretary with the heads of 
other Federal departments and agencies regarding anomalous health 
incidents affecting the employees of such other departments and 
agencies.
    (b) Matters.--The briefing provided under subsection (a) shall 
include, at a minimum, the following:
            (1) Information on cases of confirmed or suspected 
        anomalous health incidents affecting members of the Armed 
        Forces or civilian employees of the Department.
            (2) An update on the strategy of the Department to protect 
        such members and employees from the effects of anomalous health 
        incidents, including any efforts carried out by the Secretary 
        to ensure that--
                    (A) suspected anomalous health incidents are 
                promptly reported; and
                    (B) victims of anomalous health incidents are 
                provided immediate and long-term medical treatment.
            (3) The current efforts of the Department to contribute to 
        the overall approach of the U.S. Government to address, 
        prevent, and respond to, anomalous health incidents, including 
        such contributed efforts of the Department to defend against 
        anomalous health incident attacks against personnel of the U.S. 
        Government and United States citizens.
            (4) The current efforts of the Department to prepare 
        members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the 
        Department for the effects of anomalous health incidents, 
        including prior to deployment.
            (5) Recommendations on how to improve the identification 
        and reporting of anomalous health incidents affecting such 
        members and employees, including a recommendation on whether to 
        conduct a health assessment prior to the deployment of such 
        members or employees if the prospective deployment is to an 
        embassy of the United States (or to another location that the 
        Secretary determines may present a heightened risk of anomalous 
        health incidents), to establish a medical baseline against 
        which medical data of the member or employee may be compared 
        following a suspected anomalous health incident.
            (6) An identification by the Secretary of a senior official 
        of the Department who has been designated by the Secretary as 
        the official with principal responsibility for leading the 
        efforts of the Department regarding anomalous health incidents 
        (and related issues within the Department) and for coordinating 
        with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies 
        regarding such incidents and related issues.
    (c) Senate Confirmation of Responsible Individual.--If the 
designated senior official identified pursuant to subsection (b)(6) has 
not been appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, 
the Secretary shall ensure that the principal responsibility for the 
actions specified in such subsection is transferred to a senior 
official of the Department who has been so appointed.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
        Oversight and Reform, and the Committee on Transportation and 
        Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
        Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee 
        on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
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