,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #deag  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bi1 #bjad    
,mr4 ,schrader introduced the following 
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,armed ,services1 and in  
addition to the ,committee on ,veterans'
 ,affairs1 for a period to be           
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the provision  
of health care for certain individuals  
exposed to environmental hazards at     
,atsugi ,naval ,air ,facility1 to       
establish an advisory board to examine  
exposures to environmental hazards at   
such ,air ,facility1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,examination of     
,exposures to ,environmental ,hazards   
,during ,military ,service and ,health  
,care for ,atsugi ,naval ,air ,facility 
,veterans and their ,families ,act of   

#bjad4  #b4 ,advisory ,board on         
,environmental ,exposures at ,atsugi    
,naval ,air ,facility  7a7              
,establishment ,the ,secretary of       
,defense and the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs shall jointly establish an    
advisory board 7to be known as the      
,advisory ,board on ,environmental      
,exposures at ,atsugi ,naval ,air       
,facility7 to provide expert advice to  
the ,department of ,defense and the     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs on    
matters relating to the exposure of     
current and former members of the ,armed
 ,forces and their dependants to        
environmental hazards at ,atsugi ,naval 
,air ,facility1 ,japan1 during the      
period beginning in #aihc1 as determined
 by the ,advisory ,board1 in which the  
air1 water1 or soil at ,atsugi ,naval   
,air ,facility were contaminated due to 
an incinerator4  7b7 ,composition ,the  
,advisory ,board shall consist of seven 
members1 appointed by the ,president1 in
 consultation with the ,secretary of    

,defense and the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs1 of whom--  7#a7 two members  
shall be members of military service    
organizations or organizations          
recognized by the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs under section #eijb  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code     
7commonly referred to as veterans       
service organizations72  7#b7 two       
members shall be officials of           
appropriate ,federal agencies1 other    
than the ,department of ,defense or the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 with 
experience in environmental exposure or 
environmental exposure assessments1     
health monitoring1 or other relevant    
fields2 and  7#c7 three members shall be
 scientists who--  7,a7 have backgrounds
 in environmental exposure or           
environmental exposure assessments1     
health monitoring1 or other relevant    
fields2 and  7,b7 are not officials or  
employees of the ,federal ,government4  
7c7 ,appointments  7#a7 ,deadline ,all  
members of the ,advisory ,board shall be

 appointed not later than #ij days after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act4
  7#b7 ,duration ,members of the        
,advisory ,board shall serve for        
three-year terms1 subject to renewal1   
but not longer than six years in total4 
7#c7 ,vacancies ,a vacancy in the       
,advisory ,board shall be filled in the 
manner in which the original appointment
 was made4  7d7 ,chairperson ,the       
members of the ,advisory ,board shall   
select from among its membership a      
,chairperson to serve a one-year term4  
7e7 ,quorum ,a majority of the members  
of the ,board shall constitute a quorum4
  7f7 ,meetings ,the ,board shall meet  
at the call of the ,chairperson4  7g7   
,compensation  7#a7 ,officers of the    
federal government  7,a7 ,in general ,a 
member of the ,board who is an employee 
of the ,federal ,government may not     
receive additional pay1 allowances1 or  
benefits by reason of the member's      
service on the ,board4  7,b7 ,travel    
expenses ,each such member of the ,board

 shall receive travel expenses1         
including per diem in lieu of           
subsistence1 in accordance with         
applicable provisions under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code4  7#b7 ,other members     
7,a7 ,in general ,except as provided in 
subparagraph 7,b71 a member of the      
,advisory ,board who is not an employee 
of the ,federal ,government--  7i7 shall
 be paid compensation out of funds made 
available for the purposes of this title
 at the daily equivalent of the highest 
rate payable under section #eccb of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 for    
each day 7including travel time7 during 
which the member is engaged in the      
actual performance of duties as a member
 of the ,advisory ,board2 and  7ii7     
while away from the member's home or    
regular place of business on necessary  
travel in the actual performance of     
duties as a member of the ,advisory     
,board1 shall be paid per diem1 travel1 
and transportation expenses in the same 

manner as is provided under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code4  7,b7 ,limitation ,a     
member of the ,advisory ,board may not  
be paid compensation under subparagraph 
7,a77ii7 for more than #abj days in any 
calendar year4  7h7 ,staff  7#a7 ,in    
general ,the ,chairperson of the        
,advisory ,board may1 without regard to 
the civil service laws and regulations1 
appoint an executive director of the    
,advisory ,board1 who shall be a        
civilian employee of the ,department of 
,defense1 and such other personnel as   
may be necessary to enable the ,advisory
 ,board to perform its duties4 ,the     
appointment of an executive director    
shall be subject to approval by the     
,advisory ,board4  7#b7 ,compensation   
,the ,chairperson of the ,advisory      
,board may fix the compensation of the  
executive director and other personnel  
without regard to the provisions of     
chapter #ea and subchapter ,,iii of     
chapter #ec of title #e1 ,united ,states

 ,code1 relating to classification of   
positions and ,general ,schedule pay    
rates1 except that the rate of pay for  
the executive director and other        
personnel may not exceed the rate       
payable for level ,v of the ,executive  
,schedule under section #ecaf of such   
title4  7i7 ,detail of government       
employees ,upon request of the          
,chairperson of the ,advisory ,board1   
the head of any ,federal department or  
agency may detail1 on a nonreimbursable 
basis1 any personnel of that department 
or agency to the ,advisory ,board to    
assist it in carrying out its duties4   
7j7 ,termination ,notwithstanding       
section #ad of the ,federal ,advisory   
,committee ,act 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app471   
the ,advisory ,board shall terminate on 
the date that is #ab years after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act4  #c4
 ,consideration of environmental        
exposures at ,atsugi ,naval ,air        
,facility1 ,japan  7a7 ,in general ,the 
purpose of the ,advisory ,board         

established under section #c is to      
consider and study cases of exposure of 
current and former members of the ,armed
 forces and their dependants to         
potential environmental hazards at      
,atsugi ,naval ,air ,facility1 ,japan1  
during the period beginning in #aihc1 as
 determined by the ,advisory ,board1 in 
which the air1 water1 or soil at ,atsugi
 ,naval ,air ,facility were contaminated
 due to an incinerator4 ,the ,advisory  
,board shall evaluate claims related to 
hazardous environmental exposures at    
such ,air ,facility that are submitted  
to the ,advisory ,board by members of   
the ,armed ,forces1 veterans1 dependants
 of members of the ,armed ,forces and   
veterans1 veterans advocacy groups1 and 
officials of the ,department of ,defense
 and the ,department of ,veterans       
,affairs with responsibility or         
experience monitoring the health of     
current and former members of the ,armed
 ,forces4  7b7 ,consideration of        
exposure claims ,not later than #ahj    

days after receiving such a claim1 the  
,advisory ,board shall consider the     
claim and take one of the following     
actions3  7#a7 ,if the ,advisory ,board 
determines that further consideration of
 the claim is necessary to adequately   
assess the extent of exposure1 the      
,advisory ,board shall convene a science
 review panel under subsection 7c7 to   
make such assessment and report its     
findings to the ,advisory ,board4  7#b7 
,if the ,advisory ,board determines that
 the extent of exposure is insufficient 
to warrant further consideration of the 
claim1 the ,advisory ,board shall make a
 recommendation of such finding to the  
,secretary of ,defense and the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#c7 
,if the ,advisory ,board determines that
 during the time period covered by such 
claim1 members of the ,armed ,forces and
 their dependants were exposed to       
sufficient amounts of environmental     
hazards to warrant health care or       
compensation1 the ,advisory ,board shall

 submit to the ,secretary of ,defense   
and the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs
 a report that includes the following3  
7,a7 ,recommendations that--  7i7 such  
members should receive--  7,i7 health   
care benefits through the ,department of
 ,defense specifically designed to      
address such exposure1 as determined by 
the ,secretary of ,defense2 or  7,,ii7  
veterans health care or compensation    
specifically designed to address such   
exposure2 and  7ii7 dependents of such  
members should receive health care      
benefits through the ,department of     
,defense specifically designed to       
address such exposure1 as determined by 
the ,secretary of ,defense1 or financial
 compensation1 or both4  7,b7           
,information on cost and attributable   
exposure1 as defined in regulations     
prescribed pursuant to this ,act4  7c7  
,science advisory panels  7#a7          
,establishment ,the ,advisory ,board may
 convene a science advisory panel to    
assist in the consideration of a claim  

under this section4  7#b7 ,composition  
,a science advisory panel convened under
 this subsection shall consist of seven 
scientists who--  7,a7 have backgrounds 
in environmental exposure or            
environmental exposure assessments1     
health monitoring1 or other relevant    
fields2 and  7,b7 are not officials or  
employees of the ,federal ,government4  
7#c7 ,chairperson ,the ,chairperson of  
the ,advisory ,board shall select from  
among the membership of a science       
advisory panel an individual to serve as
 ,chairperson of the panel4 ,the        
individual so selected shall serve a    
one-year term as ,chairperson of the    
panel4  7#d7 ,consideration of military 
exposure claims ,not later than #ahj    
days after requested by the ,advisory   
,board to review a claim1 a science     
advisory panel shall submit a report to 
the ,advisory ,board with one of the    
following recommendations3  7,a7 ,a     
recommendation that there is            
insufficient exposure to warrant further

 consideration of the claim4  7,b7 ,a   
recommendation that further study of the
 claim is necessary1 to be carried out  
by1 or under the direction of1 the      
science advisory panel in coordination  
with the ,advisory ,board4  7,c7 ,a     
recommendation that1 during the time    
period covered by such claim1 members of
 the ,armed ,forces and their dependants
 were exposed to a sufficient risk of   
exposure to environmental hazards to    
warrant compensation or health care4    
7d7 ,subpoena authority ,the ,advisory  
,board and each science advisory panel  
convened by the ,advisory ,board under  
subsection 7c7 are authorized to require
 by subpoena the attendance and         
testimony of witnesses necessary to     
consider hazardous environmental        
exposure cases under this section4  7e7 
,cooperation of ,federal agencies ,the  
head of each relevant ,federal agency1  
including the ,administrator of the     
,environmental ,protection ,agency1     
shall cooperate fully with the ,advisory

 ,board and each science advisory panel 
convened by the ,advisory ,board under  
subsection 7c7 for purposes of          
considering hazardous environmental     
exposure cases under this section4  7f7 
,termination ,notwithstanding section   
#ad of the ,federal ,advisory ,committee
 ,act 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app471 the         
,advisory ,board shall terminate on the 
date that is #ab years after the date of
 the enactment of this ,act4  #d4       
,health care services for certain       
individuals at ,atsugi ,naval ,air      
,facility1 ,japan  7a7 ,in general ,not 
later than #ij days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,defense1 in coordination 
with the ,secretary of ,veterans        
,affairs1 shall establish procedures for
 identifying and compiling a list of    
individuals exposed to environmental    
hazards at ,atsugi ,naval ,air          
,facility1 ,japan1 during the period    
beginning in #aihc1 as determined by the
 ,secretaries1 in which the air1 water1 

or soil at ,atsugi ,naval ,air ,facility
 were contaminated due to an            
incinerator4 ,the list may include      
individuals who were exposed to such    
hazards as fetuses in utero4  7b7       
,eligibility for health care            
,individuals included on the list       
compiled under subsection 7a7 shall be  
immediately eligible for health care as 
follows3  7#a7 ,dependents shall be     
eligible for health care benefits       
through the ,department of ,defense1 as 
determined by the ,secretary of         
,defense1 for any condition1 or any     
disability that is associated with such 
condition1 that is associated with      
exposure to the contaminants in the air 
from an incinerator at ,atsugi ,naval   
,air ,facility4  7#b7 ,current and      
former members of the ,armed ,forces    
shall be eligible to receive one of the 
following3  7,a7 ,health care benefits  
through the ,department of ,defense     
specifically designed to address such   
exposure1 as determined by the          

,secretary of ,defense4  7,b7 ,health   
care benefits through the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs specifically        
designed to address such exposure4  7c7 
,report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later    
than #cj days after compiling the list  
required under subsection 7a71 the      
,secretary of ,defense1 in coordination 
with the ,secretary of ,veterans        
,affairs1 shall submit to the ,committee
 on ,armed ,services and the ,committee 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   
and the ,committee on ,armed ,services  
and the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives a report on the        
compilation of such list4  7#b7 ,content
 ,the report required under paragraph   
7#a7 shall include--  7,a7 the evidence 
considered in selecting the covered     
period of air contamination at ,atsugi  
,naval ,air ,facility2 and  7,b7 the    
criteria used to determine whether an   
individual was exposed to a contaminant 
during the covered period and the       

rationale for using those criteria4  #e4
 ,annual report  7a7 ,in general ,not   
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 and annually
 thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,defense1
 in consultation with the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs1 shall submit to the 
,committee on ,armed ,services and the  
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on ,armed   
,services and the ,committee on         
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report on health care
 and other benefits provided under this 
,act4  7b7 ,content ,the report required
 under subsection 7a7 shall include the 
following3  7#a7 ,a description of the  
classes of individuals who have received
 health care and other benefits under   
this ,act during the reporting period4  
7#b7 ,a description of the health care  
benefits that have been provided to such
 individuals4  7#c7 ,a description of   
the procedures used to identify         
individuals exposed to environmental    

hazards at ,atsugi ,naval ,air          
,facility1 ,japan4  7#d7                
,recommendations for any additional     
legislation necessary to implement this 
,act4  #f4 ,regulations ,the ,secretary 
of ,defense and the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs shall jointly        
prescribe regulations to carry out the  
provisions of this ,act1 including      
guidelines regarding health conditions  
and symptoms that may be attributed to  
hazardous environmental exposures at    
,atsugi ,naval ,air ,facility1 ,japan4  
#g4 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there are authorized to be appropriated
 such sums as may be necessary to carry 
out this ,act4