,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fbjd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #aa1 #bjbj,mr4
 ,cartwright 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,murphy 
of ,north ,carolina1 ,mr4 ,cunningham1  
,mr4 ,meadows1 ,mr4 ,holding1 and ,mr4  
,mc,henry7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill 
,to provide for recovery by individuals 
who were stationed1 lived1 or worked at 
,camp ,lejeune1 for certain actions of  
omissions by the ,united ,states4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,camp ,lejeune ,justice ,act of     
#bjbj4  #b4 ,federal cause of action    
relating to water at ,camp ,lejeune  7a7
 ,in general ,an individual1 including a
 veteran1 or the legal representative of
 such an individual1 who resided1       
worked1 or was otherwise exposed        
7including in utero exposure7 for not   
less than #cj days during the period    
beginning ,august #a1 #aiec1 and ending 
,december #ca1 #aihg1 to water at ,camp 

,lejeune that was supplied by the       
,united ,states or on its behalf may    
bring an action in the ,united ,states  
,district ,court the ,eastern ,district 
of ,north ,carolina to obtain           
appropriate relief for harm which-- 7#a7
 was caused by exposure to the water2   
7#b7 was associated with exposure to the
 water2  7#c7 was linked to exposure to 
the water2 or  7#d7 the exposure to the 
water increased the likelihood of such  
harm4  7b7 ,prior claims not a bar ,an  
individual described in subsection 7a7  
may bring an action under this section  
regardless of any prior claim or action 
dismissed or otherwise terminated for   
any reason related to the harm described
 in subsection 7a74  7c7 ,burden and    
standard of proof  7#a7 ,in general ,the
 burden of proof shall be on the party  
filing the action to show one or more   
relationship between the water and the  
harm described in paragraphs 7#a7       
through 7#d7 of subsection 7a7 by a     
preponderance of the evidence4  7#b7    

,use of studies ,a study conducted on   
humans or animals1 or from an           
epidemiological study1 which ruled out  
chance and bias with reasonable         
confidence and which concluded1 with    
sufficient evidence1 that exposure to   
the water described in subsection 7a7 is
 one possible cause of the harm1 shall  
be sufficient to satisfy the burden of  
proof described under paragraph 7#a74   
7d7 ,exclusive jurisdiction and venue   
,the district court of the ,eastern     
,district of ,north ,carolina shall have
 exclusive jurisdiction over any action 
under this section1 and shall be the    
exclusive venue for such an action1     
including any multi-district claims4    
,nothing in this subsection shall impair
 any party's right to a trial by jury4  
7e7 ,exclusive remedy  7#a7 ,in general 
,an individual who brings an action     
under this section for an injury1       
including a latent disease1 may not     
thereafter bring a tort action pursuant 
to any other law against the ,united    

,states for such harm4  7#b7 ,no effect 
on disability benefits ,any award under 
this section shall have not impede or   
limit the individual's continued or     
future entitlement to disability awards1
 payments1 or benefits under any        
,veteran's ,administration program4  7f7
 ,immunity waiver ,the ,united ,states  
may not assert any claim to immunity in 
an action under this section which would
 otherwise be available1 including any  
otherwise applicable statute of         
limitation1 statute of repose1          
discretionary function defense1 or      
similar limitation or defense4  7g7 ,no 
punitive damages ,punitive damages may  
not be awarded in any action under this 
,act4  7h7 ,disposition by federal      
agency required ,an individual may not  
bring an action under this section prior
 to complying with section #bfge of     
title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code4  7i7  
,period for filing  7#a7 ,in general    
,the statute of limitations for an      
action under this section is the later  

of-- 7,a7 #b years from the date on     
which the harm occurred or was          
discovered1 whichever is later2 or  7,b7
 #ahj days from the date on which the   
claim is denied under section #bfge of  
title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#b7 
,special rule ,in the case of harm which
 was discovered prior to the date of the
 enactment of this section1 the statute 
of limitations is the later of-- 7,a7 #b
 years after the date of the enactment  
of this section2 or  7,b7 #ahj days from
 the date on which the claim is denied  
under section #bfge of title #bh1       
,united ,states ,code4  7j7 ,attorney   
fees ,attorney fees for services        
provided to an individual seeking a     
remedy under this section shall be in   
accordance with section #bfgh of title  
#bh1 ,united ,states ,code4  7k7        
,judgment fund ,awards made pursuant to 
any action under this section shall be  
made out of the fund established under  
section #acjd of title #ca1 ,united     
,states ,code4  7l7 ,exception for      

combatant activities ,this section does 
not apply to any claim or action arising
 out of the combatant activities of the 
,armed ,forces4  7m7 ,amoritization ,an 
award of money damages under this       
section may include an order that the   
award is to be amortized over a period  
of up to #bj years4 ,the ,government may
 agree to amortize a payment made       
pursuant to a settlement agreement of up
 to #bj years4