,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #beaj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bf1 #bjac ,mr4
 ,bishop of ,new ,york 7for himself1    
,mr4 ,jones1 ,ms4 ,de,gette1 and ,mr4   
,cooper7 introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,armed ,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct 
the ,secretary of ,defense to establish 
within the ,department of ,defense      
centers of excellence in the prevention1
 diagnosis1 mitigation1 treatment1 and  
rehabilitation of health conditions     
relating to exposure to open burn pits4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,helping ,veterans ,exposed to  
,toxic ,chemicals ,act4  #b4 ,centers of
 excellence in prevention1 diagnosis1   
mitigation1 treatment1 and              
rehabilitation of health conditions     
relating to exposure to open burn pits  
and other exposure to open burn pits and
 other environmental exposures  7a7     
,establishment ,the ,secretary of       
,defense shall establish within the     

,department of ,defense three centers of
 excellence in the prevention1          
diagnosis1 mitigation1 treatment1 and   
rehabilitation of health conditions     
relating to exposure to open burn pits  
and other environmental exposures to    
carry out the responsibilities specified
 in subsection 7c74 ,such centers shall 
be established using--  7#a7 the        
directives1 policies1 and ,comptroller  
,general and ,inspector ,general        
recommendations in effect as of the date
 of the enactment of this ,act2 and     
7#b7 guidance issued pursuant to section
 #cac of the ,national ,defense         
,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year   
#bjac 7,public ,law #aab-bci2 #abf      
,stat4 #afib2 #aj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgd note74
  7b7 ,selection of sites ,in selecting 
sites for the centers of excellence     
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of 
,defense shall select entities that--   
7#a7 are equipped with the specialized  
equipment needed to study1 diagnose1 and
 treat health conditions relating to    

exposure to open burn pits and other    
environmental exposures2  7#b7 have a   
publication track record of             
post-deployment health exposures among  
veterans from ,iraq and ,afghanistan2   
7#c7 have collaborated with a           
geosciences department that has a       
medical geology division2  7#d7 have    
developed animal models and in vitro    
models of dust immunology and lung      
injury from ,iraq and ,afghanistan2 and 
7#e7 have expertise in allergy and      
immunology1 pulmonary diseases1 and     
industrial and management engineering4  
7c7 ,partnerships ,the ,secretary shall 
ensure that the centers collaborate to  
the maximum extent practicable with the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1       
institutions of higher education1 and   
other appropriate public and private    
entities 7including international       
entities7 to carry out the              
responsibilities specified in subsection
 7d74  7d7 ,responsibilities ,the center
 shall have responsibilities as follows3

  7#a7 ,to implement the comprehensive  
plan and strategy for the ,department of
 ,defense for the prevention1 diagnosis1
 mitigation1 treatment1 and             
rehabilitation of health conditions     
relating to exposure to open burn pits  
and other environmental exposures4  7#b7
 ,to provide for the development1       
testing1 and dissemination within the   
,department of best practices for the   
treatment of health conditions relating 
to exposure to open burn pits and other 
environmental exposures4  7#c7 ,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 exposures4  7#d7 ,to      
establish1 implement1 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 exposures4  7#e7 ,to      
facilitate advancements in the study of 
the short-term and long-term effects of 
exposure to open burn pits and other    
environmental exposures4  7#f7 ,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       
exposures4  7#g7 ,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 treatments4  7#h7 
,to provide medical treatment to all    
veterans identified as part of the burn 
pits registry established under section 
#bja of the ,dignified ,burial and      
,other ,veterans' ,benefits ,improvement
 ,act of #bjab 7,public ,law #aab-bfj2  

#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #ebg note74  7e7 ,use of  
burn pits registry data ,in carrying out
 its responsibilities under subsection  
7c71 the center shall have access to and
 make use of the data accumulated by the
 burn pits registry established under   
section #bja of the ,dignified ,burial  
and ,other ,veterans' ,benefits         
,improvement ,act of #bjab 7,public ,law
 #aab-bfj2 #ch ,u4,s4,c4 #ebg note74    
7f7 ,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7
 ,the term open burn pit means an area  
of land located in ,afghanistan or ,iraq
 that--  7,a7 is designated by the      
,secretary of ,defense to be used for   
disposing solid waste by burning in the 
outdoor air2 and  7,b7 does not contain 
a commercially manufactured incinerator 
or other equipment specifically designed
 and manufactured for the burning of    
solid waste4  7#b7 ,the term other      
environmental exposures means exposure  
to environmental hazards1 including burn
 pits1 dust or sand1 hazardous          
materials1 and waste at any site in     

,afghanistan or ,iraq that emits smoke  
containing pollutants present in the    
environment or smoke from fires or      
explosions4  7g7 ,authorization of      
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to carry out this       
section #cj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal  
years #bjad through #bjai4