In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
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Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coordination of Wind and Flood 
Perils Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. PAYMENT OF MULTIPERIL CLAIMS.

    The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 is amended by inserting 
after section 1312 (42 U.S.C. 4019) the following new section:

``SEC. 1312A. PAYMENT OF MULTIPERIL CLAIMS.

    ``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
            ``(1) to allow an insured individual or small business to 
        commence repairs or replacement, or both, of insured property 
        and to recommence business operations as soon as possible after 
        a natural disaster; and
            ``(2) to remove the burden of determining flood and wind 
        loss allocation for the purpose of insurance claims from the 
        insured and to place such burden on the entities that are 
        responsible for the payment of such claims.
    ``(b) Payment of Multiperil Claims.--
            ``(1) In general.--In the event of an occurrence of loss 
        resulting from physical damage to or loss of real property or 
        personal property related thereto located in the United States 
        arising from the combined perils of flood and wind, the 
        Administrator and any insurer (including a State-run windpool) 
        that insures the wind peril shall enter into good faith 
        negotiations regarding--
                    ``(A) the general method or methods by which proven 
                claims for such multiperil losses shall be adjusted and 
                paid; and
                    ``(B) the allocation of such payments between the 
                insurer, the Administrator, and the insured.
            ``(2) Limitation.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In the event that the 
                Administrator and an insurer (including a State-run 
                windpool) that insures the wind peril cannot agree as 
                to the specific distribution of perils that resulted in 
                a loss described under paragraph (1), the Administrator 
                shall pay 50 percent of the disputed claim until the 
                claim can be settled.
                    ``(B) Fair share.--The terms of any agreement or 
                negotiations entered into pursuant to paragraph (1) 
                shall require that, in order to fully compensate the 
                insured for his, her, or its loss as soon as 
                practicable after the occurrence of such loss, an 
                insurer (including a State-run windpool) that insures 
                the wind peril pay 50 percent of any disputed claim 
                until the claim can be settled.
                    ``(C) No overcompensation.--The Administrator and 
                an insurer (including a State-run windpool) that 
                insures the wind peril shall work collaboratively to 
                ensure that an insured policyholder does not receive 
                payments under this section in excess of the amount of 
                the insured's actual loss.
                    ``(D) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this 
                section shall be construed to negate, set aside, or 
                void any policy limit, including any loss limitation, 
                set forth in a standard flood insurance policy.
    ``(c) Failure To Reach Agreement on Loss Allocation.--The terms of 
any agreement or negotiations entered into pursuant to subsection 
(b)(1) shall require that if an insurer (including a State-run 
windpool) that insures the wind peril and the Administrator fail to 
reach an agreement regarding multiperil losses pursuant to subsection 
(b), including as to the cause or allocation of a multiperil loss, then 
each such entity shall agree to have any dispute relating to multiperil 
losses resolved by the arbitration panel established under subsection 
(d).
    ``(d) Arbitration Panel.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--As allowed under section 1307(e) of 
        the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4104), and 
        notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later than 90 
        days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
        of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall establish an 
        arbitration panel to efficiently and clearly resolve disputes 
        relating to multiperil losses between the Administrator and an 
        insurer (including a State-run windpool) that insures the wind 
        peril.
            ``(2) Membership.--The arbitration panel established under 
        paragraph (1) shall be comprised of 5 members.
            ``(3) Required qualifications.--
                    ``(A) Administrative law expertise.--At least 1 
                member of the arbitration panel established under 
                paragraph (1) shall have expertise in administrative 
                law.
                    ``(B) Water resources expertise.--At least 1 member 
                of the arbitration panel established under paragraph 
                (1) shall have expertise in water resources.
                    ``(C) Hurricane modeling expertise.--At least 1 
                member of the arbitration panel established under 
                paragraph (1) shall have expertise in hurricane 
                modeling.
            ``(4) No fema employees.--No member of the arbitration 
        panel established under paragraph (1) may be a current or 
        former employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
            ``(5) Independence.--Each member of the arbitration panel 
        established under paragraph (1) shall be independent and 
        neutral.''.

Answer: Coordination of Wind and Flood Perils Act of 2010 - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to direct the Administrator of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and any insurer (including a state-run windpool), in the event of loss resulting from physical damage to real property or personal property arising from the combined perils of flood and wind, to enter into good faith negotiations regarding: (1) payment and adjustment of proven claims for multiperil losses; and (2) the allocation of such payments among the insurer, the Administrator, and the insured.

Directs the Administrator to pay 50% percent of the disputed claim until it can be settled, if the Administrator and the insurer cannot agree as to the specific distribution of perils that resulted in a loss.

Requires such good faith negotiations to require that: (1) in order to fully compensate the insured for losses as soon as practicable, the insurer against wind peril shall pay 50% of any disputed claim until the claim can be settled; and (2) if an insurer against wind peril and the Administrator fail to agree regarding multiperil losses, then each shall agree to have any dispute resolved by the arbitration panel established under this Act.

Directs the Administrator to establish an arbitration panel to resolve disputes relating to multiperil losses between the Administrator and an insurer against wind peril.


Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to the University of North Carolina's Center 
        for Health Services Research, 55 rural hospitals have closed in 
        the Unites States since January 2010.
            (2) In 2014, iVantage conducted a study for the National 
        Rural Health Association and found 283 hospitals at risk of 
        closure based upon performance indicators that matched those 
        facilities already forced to close in this decade.
            (3) Researchers at the University of North Carolina 
        identified inpatient volume as a substantial contributing 
        factor to the financial performance of rural hospitals, with 
        many of the at-risk hospitals having an average daily bed 
        census of less than 2.
            (4) Adverse impacts to the local economy and the loss of 
        timely access to emergency medical care are 2 major effects of 
        rural hospital closures.
            (5) According to the National Center for Rural Health 
        Works, the typical rural hospital creates over 140 jobs and 
        generates $6,800,000 in compensation while serving an average 
        population of 14,600.
            (6) The 2014 iVantage study estimates that the 283 at-risk 
        hospitals could result in the loss of 36,000 health care jobs, 
        50,000 community jobs, and $10,600,000,000 in gross domestic 
        product.
            (7) Time is the most critical factor for achieving 
        successful outcomes in emergency medicine, and emergency 
        medical clinicians refer to the time-sensitive period during 
        which successful outcomes may be best achieved as the ``golden 
        hour''.
            (8) The National Conference of State Legislatures states 
        that 60 percent of trauma deaths in the United States occur in 
        rural areas, where only 15 percent of the population is 
        represented.
            (9) The disproportionate percentage of trauma deaths in 
        rural areas is likely attributable in large part to a 
        combination of response time to the scene and distance to the 
        nearest emergency room to stabilize trauma victims.
            (10) The percentage of trauma deaths occurring in rural 
        areas could continue to increase as more rural hospitals close, 
        further limiting access to emergency services and requiring 
        patients to travel longer distances to receive emergency 
        medical care.
            (11) The creation of a rural emergency hospital designation 
        under the Medicare program will allow facilities in rural areas 
        to provide emergency medical services without having to 
        maintain inpatient beds.
            (12) In addition to providing emergency care, rural 
        emergency hospitals could convert the space previously used for 
        inpatient services to provide other medical services including, 
        but not limited to, observation care, skilled nursing facility 
        care, infusion services, hemodialysis, home health, hospice, 
        nursing home care, population health, and telemedicine 
        services.

SEC. 3. RURAL EMERGENCY HOSPITAL PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Rural emergency hospital and services defined.--Section 
        1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (e), in the last sentence of the 
                matter following paragraph (9), by inserting ``or a 
                rural emergency hospital (as defined in section 
                1861(iii)(1))'' before the period at the end; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following subsection:

    ``Rural Emergency Hospital; Rural Emergency Hospital Outpatient 
                                Services

    ``(iii)(1) The term `rural emergency hospital' means a facility 
that--
            ``(A)(i) as of December 31, 2014--
                            ``(I) was a critical access hospital; or
                            ``(II) was a hospital with not more than 50 
                        beds located in a county (or equivalent unit of 
                        local government) in a rural area (as defined 
                        in section 1886(d)(2)(D)), or was a hospital 
                        with not more than 50 beds that was treated as 
                        being located in a rural area pursuant to 
                        section 1886(d)(8)(E); or
                    ``(ii) was a critical access hospital described in 
                clause (i)(I) or a hospital described in clause (i)(II) 
                that ceased operations during the period beginning on 
                the date that is 5 years prior to the date of the 
                enactment of this subsection and ending on December 30, 
                2014;
            ``(B) provides 24-hour emergency medical care and 
        observation care that does not exceed an annual per patient 
        average of 24 hours or more than 1 midnight;
            ``(C) does not provide any acute care inpatient beds and 
        has protocols in place for the timely transfer of patients who 
        require acute care inpatient services or other inpatient 
        services;
            ``(D) has elected to be designated as a rural emergency 
        hospital;
            ``(E) has received approval to operate as a rural emergency 
        hospital from the State under section 1834(r)(3)(A); and
            ``(F) is certified by the Secretary under section 
        1834(r)(3)(B).
    ``(2) The term `rural emergency hospital outpatient services' means 
medical and other health services furnished by a rural emergency 
hospital on an outpatient basis.
    ``(3) Nothing in this subsection or section 1834(r)(3) shall be 
construed to prohibit a rural emergency hospital from providing 
extended care services.''.
            (2) Payment for rural emergency hospital services.--
                    (A) In general.--Section 1833(a) of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)) is amended--
                            (i) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' 
                        at the end;
                            (ii) in paragraph (9), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by inserting after paragraph (9) the 
                        following new paragraph:
            ``(10) in the case of rural emergency hospital emergency 
        services and services provided by a rural emergency hospital or 
        other provider of ambulance services to transport patients who 
        require acute care inpatient services or other inpatient 
        services from such rural emergency hospital to a hospital or 
        critical access hospital, the amounts described in section 
        1834(r).''.
                    (B) Payment amount.--Section 1834 of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m) is amended by adding at 
                the end the following subsection:
    ``(r) Payment Rules Relating to Rural Emergency Hospitals.--
            ``(1) Payment for rural emergency hospital outpatient 
        services.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The amount of payment for rural 
                emergency hospital outpatient services of a rural 
                emergency hospital is equal to 110 percent of the 
                reasonable costs of providing such services.
                    ``(B) Telehealth services.--For purposes of this 
                paragraph, in determining the reasonable costs of 
                providing rural emergency hospital outpatient services, 
                costs associated with having a backup physician 
                available via a telecommunications system shall be 
                considered reasonable costs.
            ``(2) Payment for transportation services.--The amount of 
        payment for services provided by a rural emergency hospital or 
        other provider of ambulance services to transport patients who 
        require acute care inpatient services or other inpatient 
        services from such rural emergency hospital to a hospital or 
        critical access hospital is equal to 110 percent of the 
        reasonable costs of providing such services.
            ``(3) Requirements for rural emergency hospitals.--
                    ``(A) State approval to operate as a rural 
                emergency hospital.--No payment shall be made under 
                this subsection to a facility, or to a provider of 
                ambulance services providing transportation services 
                from such facility, unless the State in which the 
                facility is located has approved the facility's 
                designation as a rural emergency hospital.
                    ``(B) Certification of rural emergency hospital.--
                            ``(i) In general.--No payment shall be made 
                        under this subsection to a facility, or to a 
                        provider of ambulance services providing 
                        transportation services from such facility, 
                        unless the facility has been certified by the 
                        Secretary as a rural emergency hospital.
                            ``(ii) Certification requirements.--The 
                        Secretary shall certify a facility as a rural 
                        emergency hospital if the facility--
                                    ``(I) meets the criteria for rural 
                                emergency hospitals described in 
                                subparagraphs (A) through (E) of 
                                section 1861(iii)(1);
                                    ``(II) either--
                                            ``(aa) is verified by the 
                                        American College of Surgeons as 
                                        having the resources required 
                                        of a level IV trauma center or 
                                        higher; or
                                            ``(bb) employs healthcare 
                                        professionals that successfully 
                                        completed the Advanced Trauma 
                                        Life Support Course offered by 
                                        the American College of 
                                        Surgeons within the preceding 4 
                                        years;
                                    ``(III) has in effect a transfer 
                                agreement with a level I or level II 
                                trauma center; and
                                    ``(IV) meets such staff training 
                                and certification requirements as the 
                                Secretary may require.
            ``(4) Coinsurance.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The amount of payment for rural 
                emergency hospital services or transportation services 
                made to a rural emergency hospital or other provider of 
                ambulance services under this subsection shall be 
                reduced by the coinsurance amount described in 
                subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Coinsurance amount.--The coinsurance amount 
                described in this subparagraph, with respect to an item 
                or service provided by a rural emergency hospital or 
                provider of ambulance services, shall be calculated in 
                the same manner as the coinsurance amount for an 
                outpatient critical access hospital service is 
                calculated under section 1866(a)(2).''.
    (b) Waiver of Distance Requirement for Replacement CAHs; Subsequent 
Redesignation of Rural Emergency Hospitals as CAHs.--Section 1820(c)(2) 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-4(c)(2)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B)(i)(I), by inserting ``subject to 
        subparagraph (F),'' before ``is located''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
                    ``(F) Option to waive distance requirement.--
                Beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
                subparagraph, for every critical access hospital 
                located in a State that is certified as a rural 
                emergency hospital under section 1834(r)(3)(B), the 
                State shall have the option of waiving the distance 
                requirement described in subparagraph (B)(i)(I) with 
                respect to another facility located in the State that 
                is seeking designation as a critical access hospital 
                under this paragraph.
                    ``(G) Redesignation of a rural emergency hospital 
                as a critical access hospital.--A rural emergency 
                hospital that was previously designated as a critical 
                access hospital under this paragraph may elect to be 
                redesignated as a critical access hospital (in the same 
                manner that the hospital was originally designated as a 
                critical access hospital) at any time, subject to such 
                conditions as the Secretary may establish.''.
    (c) Studies and Reports.--
            (1) Studies.--The Secretary of Health & Human Services 
        shall conduct 3 studies to evaluate the impact of rural 
        emergency hospitals on the availability of health care and 
        health outcomes in rural areas (as defined in section 
        1886(d)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww)). 
        The Secretary shall conduct a study--
                    (A) 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act;
                    (B) 5 years after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act; and
                    (C) 10 years after the date of the enactment of 
                this Act.
            (2) Reports.--Not later than 6 months after each date that 
        the Secretary of Health & Human Services is required to conduct 
        a study under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit a 
        report to Congress containing the results of each such study.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to items and services furnished on or after the date that is 1 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. INCLUSION OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AS HEALTH SERVICES UNDER THE 
              NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS.

    Section 331(a)(3)(D) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
254d(a)(3)(D)) is amended by inserting ``, and includes emergency 
medicine provided by physicians in a rural emergency hospital (as 
defined in section 1861(iii) of the Social Security Act)'' before the 
period.

SEC. 5. PERMITTING HOSPITALS WITH APPROVED RESIDENCY PROGRAMS IN 
              EMERGENCY MEDICINE TO INCLUDE TIME SPENT BY INTERNS AND 
              RESIDENTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF A RURAL HOSPITAL 
              IN FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT COUNT.

    (a) Indirect Medical Education.--Section 1886(d)(5)(B)(iv) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(B)(iv)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subclause:
            ``(III) Effective for discharges occurring on or after 
        October 1, 2015, all of the time spent in patient care 
        activities in the emergency department of a rural hospital by 
        interns and residents in emergency medicine from a hospital 
        with an approved medical residency training program (as defined 
        in subsection (h)(5)(A)) in such specialty shall be included in 
        determining the number of full-time equivalent interns and 
        residents in such program if the hospital with such program 
        incurs the costs of the stipends and fringe benefits of the 
        interns or residents during the time the interns or residents 
        spend in that rural hospital in accordance with subclause (II). 
        In this subclause, the term `rural hospital' means a hospital 
        that is located in a rural area (as defined for purposes of 
        paragraph (2)(D)).''.
    (b) Direct Medical Education.--Section 1886(h)(4)(E) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395(h)(4)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and'';
            (2) by inserting after clause (ii) the following new 
        clause:
                            ``(iii) effective for cost reporting 
                        periods beginning on or after July 1, 2015, all 
                        of the time so spent in the emergency 
                        department of a rural hospital by residents in 
                        emergency medicine from a hospital with an 
                        approved medical residency training program in 
                        such specialty shall be counted towards the 
                        determination of full-time equivalency in such 
                        program if the hospital with such program bears 
                        all, or substantially all, of the costs of 
                        training such residents in the rural hospital. 
                        In this subparagraph, the term `rural hospital' 
                        means a hospital that is located in a rural 
                        area (as defined for purposes of subsection 
                        (d)(2)(D)).''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``For 
        purposes of this subparagraph, the emergency department of a 
        rural hospital described in clause (iii) is a nonprovider 
        setting.''.

Answer: Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital Act  This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to designate as a rural emergency hospital any facility that as of December 31, 2014, was:   a critical access hospital (CAH) or a hospital with at most 50 beds located in a county in a rural area or treated as located in a rural area, or one of such hospitals that ceased operations during the period beginning five years before enactment of this Act and ending on December 30, 2014.  A rural emergency hospital:  must provide 24-hour emergency medical care and observation care not exceeding an annual per patient average of 24 hours or more than 1 midnight, does not provide any acute care inpatient beds and has protocols in place for the timely transfer of patients who require acute care inpatient services or other inpatient services, has elected to be designated as a rural emergency hospital, has received approval to operate as one from the state, and is certified by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits) shall cover rural emergency hospital emergency services as well as ambulance services provided by a rural emergency hospital or other provider to transport patients who require acute care inpatient services or other inpatient services from the rural emergency hospital to a hospital or a CAH. Payment for rural emergency hospital outpatient services of a rural emergency hospital, including telehealth and ambulance services, shall be 110% percent of their reasonable costs. Rural emergency hospitals must be approved by the state and certified by HHS. States shall have the option of waiving a specified distance requirement between a CAH certified as a rural emergency hospital and another facility located in the state that is seeking designation as a CAH. Primary health services which the National Health Service Corps may provide under the Public Health Service Act shall include emergency medicine provided by physicians in a rural emergency hospital. Hospitals with approved residency programs in emergency medicine shall include time spent by interns and residents in the emergency department of a rural hospital in the full-time equivalent count with respect to reimbursement for the indirect (stipend, fringe benefit) and direct (all or substantially all training) costs of medical education in subsection (d) hospitals. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)


Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Veterans Exposed to Toxic 
Chemicals Act''.

SEC. 2. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, MITIGATION, 
              TREATMENT, AND REHABILITATION OF HEALTH CONDITIONS 
              RELATING TO EXPOSURE TO OPEN BURN PITS AND OTHER EXPOSURE 
              TO OPEN BURN PITS AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish within 
the Department of Defense three centers of excellence in the 
prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of 
health conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and other 
environmental exposures to carry out the responsibilities specified in 
subsection (c). Such centers shall be established using--
            (1) the directives, policies, and Comptroller General and 
        Inspector General recommendations in effect as of the date of 
        the enactment of this Act; and
            (2) guidance issued pursuant to section 313 of the National 
        Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112-
        239; 126 Stat. 1692; 10 U.S.C. 1074 note).
    (b) Selection of Sites.--In selecting sites for the centers of 
excellence under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall select 
entities that--
            (1) are equipped with the specialized equipment needed to 
        study, diagnose, and treat health conditions relating to 
        exposure to open burn pits and other environmental exposures;
            (2) have a publication track record of post-deployment 
        health exposures among veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan;
            (3) have collaborated with a geosciences department that 
        has a medical geology division;
            (4) have developed animal models and in vitro models of 
        dust immunology and lung injury from Iraq and Afghanistan; and
            (5) have expertise in allergy and immunology, pulmonary 
        diseases, and industrial and management engineering.
    (c) Partnerships.--The Secretary shall ensure that the centers 
collaborate to the maximum extent practicable with the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, institutions of higher education, and other 
appropriate public and private entities (including international 
entities) to carry out the responsibilities specified in subsection 
(d).
    (d) Responsibilities.--The center shall have responsibilities as 
follows:
            (1) To implement the comprehensive plan and strategy for 
        the Department of Defense for the prevention, diagnosis, 
        mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions 
        relating to exposure to open burn pits and other environmental 
        exposures.
            (2) To provide for the development, testing, and 
        dissemination within the Department of best practices for the 
        treatment of health conditions relating to exposure to open 
        burn pits and other environmental exposures.
            (3) To provide guidance for the health system of the 
        Department in determining the personnel required to provide 
        quality health care for members of the Armed Forces with health 
        conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and other 
        environmental exposures.
            (4) To establish, implement, and oversee a comprehensive 
        program to train health professionals of the Department in the 
        treatment of health conditions relating to exposure to open 
        burn pits and other environmental exposures.
            (5) To facilitate advancements in the study of the short-
        term and long-term effects of exposure to open burn pits and 
        other environmental exposures.
            (6) To disseminate within the military medical treatment 
        facilities of the Department best practices for training health 
        professionals with respect to health conditions relating to 
        exposure to open burn pits and other environmental exposures.
            (7) To conduct basic science and translational research on 
        health conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and 
        other environmental exposures for the purposes of understanding 
        the etiology of such conditions and developing preventive 
        interventions and new treatments.
            (8) To provide medical treatment to all veterans identified 
        as part of the burn pits registry established under section 201 
        of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits 
        Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-260; 38 U.S.C. 527 
        note).
    (e) Use of Burn Pits Registry Data.--In carrying out its 
responsibilities under subsection (c), the center shall have access to 
and make use of the data accumulated by the burn pits registry 
established under section 201 of the Dignified Burial and Other 
Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-260; 38 
U.S.C. 527 note).
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``open burn pit'' means an area of land 
        located in Afghanistan or Iraq that--
                    (A) is designated by the Secretary of Defense to be 
                used for disposing solid waste by burning in the 
                outdoor air; and
                    (B) does not contain a commercially manufactured 
                incinerator or other equipment specifically designed 
                and manufactured for the burning of solid waste.
            (2) The term ``other environmental exposures'' means 
        exposure to environmental hazards, including burn pits, dust or 
        sand, hazardous materials, and waste at any site in Afghanistan 
        or Iraq that emits smoke containing pollutants present in the 
        environment or smoke from fires or explosions.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2014 through 2019.

Answer:
Helping Veterans Exposed to Toxic Chemicals Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish within the Department of Defense (DOD) three centers of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and other environmental exposures. Requires the Secretary to select for such centers entities that: (1) are equipped with the specialized equipment needed to study, diagnose, and treat health conditions relating to such exposure; (2) have a publication track record of post-deployment health exposures among veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan; (3) have collaborated with a geosciences department that has a medical geology division; (4) have developed animal models and in vitro models of dust immunology and lung injury from Iraq and Afghanistan; and (5) have expertise in allergy and immunology, pulmonary diseases, and industrial and management engineering. Directs the Secretary to ensure that the centers collaborate with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), institutions of higher education, and other appropriate public and private entities to carry out specified responsibilities, including to: (1) implement the comprehensive plan and strategy for DOD for the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to such exposure; and (2) provide for dissemination within DOD of best practices for the treatment of such conditions and the training of health professionals. Requires the center to have access to and make use of the data accumulated by the burn pits registry established under the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012.