,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bhhc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ag1      
#bjah,ms4 ,warren 7for herself and ,mrs4
 ,ernst7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,armed ,services  ,a     
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,defense to submit a plan to improve    
research and development on therapies   
for traumatic brain injury and          
post-traumatic stress disorder1 to      
document information on blast exposures 
in service records of military          
personnel1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,blast ,exposure and ,brain ,injury 
,prevention ,act4  #b4 ,measures to     
mitigate traumatic brain injury and     
post-traumatic stress disorder  7a7     
,plan on improvements to research and   
development on therapies for traumatic  
brain injury and post-,traumatic stress 
disorder ,not later than #ahj days after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act1

 the ,secretary of ,defense shall submit
 to the congressional defense committees
 a report setting forth the following3  
7#a7 ,a plan for the ,director of the   
,defense ,health ,agency1 in            
collaboration with the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs1 the ,national       
,institutes of ,health1 and appropriate 
institutions of higher education and    
private entities1 to accelerate         
cooperative research and development on 
therapies for traumatic brain injury and
 post-traumatic stress disorder1        
including the following3  7,a7 ,actions 
to be taken by the ,director to maximize
 the coordination and use of scientific 
research and development efforts on such
 therapies that is carried out by other 
elements of the ,department of ,defense1
 the ,national ,institutes of ,health1  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1  
and such institutions and entities4     
7,b7 ,other actions and processes to be 
taken or developed by the ,director to  
accelerate research and development on  

and delivery of such therapies4  7#b7   
,if legislative or administrative action
 is required to carry out the plan1 such
 recommendations for such legislative or
 administrative action as the ,secretary
 of ,defense considers appropriate4  7b7
 ,documentation of information on blast 
exposures in service records of military
 personnel  7#a7 ,in general ,in        
accordance with such guidance as the    
,secretary of ,defense shall issue for  
purposes of this subsection1 each       
,secretary of a military department     
shall include in the military service   
records of members of the ,armed ,forces
 under the jurisdiction of such         
,secretary appropriate documentation of 
information on any blasts to which such 
members are exposed during service in   
the ,armed ,forces 7whether in combat or
 training71 including the following3    
7,a7 ,the date of exposure4  7,b7 ,the  
duration of exposure1 and the blast     
pressures experienced during exposure4  
7,c7 ,whether exposure occurred during  

combat or training4  7,d7 ,whether a    
weapon was the source of the blast1 and1
 if so1 the type of weapon4  7,e7 ,such 
other information on the exposure as the
 ,secretary of ,defense shall specify in
 the guidance4  7#b7 ,reports ,not later
 than one year after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 and annually    
thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit 
to the ,committees on ,armed ,services  
of the ,senate and the ,house of        
,representatives a report on information
 included in military service records   
under paragraph 7#a7 during the one-year
 period ending on the date of such      
report4 ,each report shall include      
summary descriptions of the information 
specified in each subparagraph of       
paragraph 7#a7 that was included in such
 records during the year covered by such
 report4  7c7 ,review of guidance on    
blast exposure during training  7#a7    
,initial review ,not later than #ahj    
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,assistant ,secretary of 

,defense for ,health ,affairs1 in       
coordination with each ,assistant       
,secretary for ,manpower and ,reserve   
,affairs of a military department1 shall
 review the firing limits for heavy     
weapons during training exercises4  7#b7
 ,elements ,the review required by      
paragraph 7#a7 shall take into account  
current data and evidence on the        
cognitive effects of blast exposure and 
shall include consideration of the      
following3  7,a7 ,the impact of exposure
 over multiple successive days of       
training4  7,b7 ,the impact of multiple 
types of heavy weapons being fired in   
close succession4  7,c7 ,the feasibility
 of cumulative annual or lifetime       
exposure limits4  7,d7 ,the minimum safe
 distance for observers and instructors4
  7#c7 ,updated training guidance ,not  
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the completion of the review under      
paragraph 7#a71 each ,secretary of a    
military department shall update any    
relevant training guidance to account   

for the conclusions of the review4  7#d7
 ,updated review  7,a7 ,in general ,not 
less frequently than once every two     
years after the initial review conducted
 under paragraph 7#a71 the ,assistant   
,secretary of ,defense for ,health      
,affairs1 in coordination with each     
,assistant ,secretary for ,manpower and 
,reserve ,affairs of a military         
department1 shall conduct an updated    
review under such paragraph1 including  
consideration of the matters set forth  
under paragraph 7#b71 and update        
training guidance under paragraph 7#c74 
7,b7 ,consideration of new research and 
evidence ,each updated review conducted 
under subparagraph 7,a7 shall take into 
account new research and evidence that  
has emerged since the previous review4  
7#e7 ,briefing required ,the ,assistant 
,secretary of ,defense for ,health      
,affairs1 in coordination with each     
,assistant ,secretary for ,manpower and 
,reserve ,affairs of a military         
department1 shall brief the ,committees 

on ,armed ,services of the ,senate and  
the ,house of ,representatives on a     
summary of the results of the initial   
review under paragraph 7#a71 each       
updated review conducted under paragraph
 7#d71 and any updates to training      
guidance and procedures resulting from  
any such review or updated review4  7d7 
,research on improved personal          
protective equipment  7#a7 ,in general  
,the ,under ,secretary of ,defense for  
,research and ,engineering shall        
establish a research and development    
program to improve the efficacy of      
personal protective equipment to reduce 
blast pressure or protect against brain 
injury from exposure to blast pressure  
waves4  7#b7 ,report required ,not later
 than one year after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,under      
,secretary of ,defense for ,research and
 ,engineering shall submit to the       
,committees on ,armed ,services of the  
,senate and the ,house of               
,representatives a report on the        

efficacy of existing personal protective
 equipment to protect against blast     
pressure1 and recommendations for       
follow-on research into technology      
advancements that could further improve 
protection from blast pressure4  7#c7   
,elements ,the report required by       
paragraph 7#b7 shall include the        
following3 7,a7 ,an assessment of       
existing helmet designs1 including      
commercially available helmets1 to      
determine their efficacy against blasts 
of various sizes and locations4  7,b7 ,a
 determination of whether certain       
configurations and materials better     
protect against specific types of       
exposure1 including from explosions and 
heavy weaponry4  7,c7 ,a review of      
existing personal protective equipment  
requirements1 including helmets1 to     
determine the adequacy of requirements  
to protect against blast overpressure4  
7,d7 ,an assessment of the feasibility  
of modifications to existing personal   
protective equipment1 including improved

 helmet design4  7,e7 ,an assessment of 
the trade-offs between improved blast   
pressure protection and other factors1  
including weight1 field of vision1 cost1
 and other factors as appropriate4  7,f7
 ,recommendations for modified or       
additional requirements for personal    
protective equipment1 including helmets1
 to protect against blast overpressure4 
7,g7 ,recommendations for additional    
research into personal protective       
equipment advancements that show        
promise1 including new materials1       
technologies1 and passive and active    
off-board measures4