Title: Jack Alderson Toxic Exposure Declassification Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Jack Alderson Toxic Exposure Declassification Act
This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to declassify documents related to any known incident in which not fewer than 100 members of the Armed Forces were exposed to a toxic substance that resulted in at least one case of a disability that a member of the medical profession has determined is associated with that substance. DOD may decline to declassify such documents if it determines that declassification would materially and immediately threaten U.S. security.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3327 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3327

  To require the Secretary of Defense to declassify certain documents 
related to incidents in which members of the Armed Forces were exposed 
                          to toxic substances.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 20, 2017

   Mr. Thompson of California (for himself, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. 
   Jones, and Mr. Marshall) introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Defense to declassify certain documents 
related to incidents in which members of the Armed Forces were exposed 
                          to toxic substances.

    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 ``Jack Alderson Toxic Exposure 
Declassification Act''.

SEC. 2. DECLASSIFICATION BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OF CERTAIN INCIDENTS 
              OF EXPOSURE OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES TO TOXIC 
              SUBSTANCES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall declassify 
documents related to any known incident in which not fewer than 100 
members of the Armed Forces were exposed to a toxic substance that 
resulted in at least one case of a disability that a member of the 
medical profession has determined to be associated with that toxic 
substance.
    (b) Limitation.--The declassification required by subsection (a) 
shall be limited to information necessary for an individual who was 
potentially exposed to a toxic substance to determine the following:
            (1) Whether that individual was exposed to that toxic 
        substance.
            (2) The potential severity of the exposure of that 
        individual to that toxic substance.
            (3) Any potential health conditions that may have resulted 
        from exposure to that toxic substance.
    (c) Exception.--The Secretary of Defense is not required to 
declassify documents if the Secretary determines that declassification 
of those documents would materially and immediately threaten the 
security of the United States.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Armed forces.--The term ``Armed Forces'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 101 of title 10, United 
        States Code.
            (2) Exposed.--The term ``exposed'' means, with respect to a 
        toxic substance, that an individual came into contact with that 
        toxic substance in a manner that could be hazardous to the 
        health of that individual, that may include if that toxic 
        substance was inhaled, ingested, or touched the skin or eyes.
            (3) Exposure.--The term ``exposure'' means, with respect to 
        a toxic substance, an event during which an individual was 
        exposed to that toxic substance.
            (4) Toxic substance.--The term ``toxic substance'' means 
        any substance determined by the Administrator of the 
        Environmental Protection Agency to be harmful to the 
        environment or hazardous to the health of an individual if 
        inhaled or ingested by or absorbed through the skin of that 
        individual.
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