,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #chfh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #b1      
#bjbj,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself1 ,mr4 
,rounds1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 and ,mr4      
,sullivan7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary 
of ,defense and the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs to evaluate members  
of the ,armed ,forces and veterans who  
have tested positive for a virus        
certified as a pandemic for potential   
exposure to open burn pits and toxic    
airborne chemicals or other airborne    
contaminants1 to conduct a study on the 
impact of such a pandemic on members and
 veterans with such exposure1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,pandemic ,care
 for ,burn ,pits ,exposure ,act of      
#bjbj4  #b4 ,exposure to open burn pits 
and toxic airborne chemicals or other   
airborne contaminants as part of health 

assessments for members of the ,armed   
,forces and veterans during a pandemic  
and inclusion of information in registry
  7a7 ,health assessment ,the ,secretary
 of ,defense and ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs shall ensure that the first   
health assessment conducted for a member
 of the ,armed ,forces or veteran after 
the individual tested positive for a    
virus certified by the ,federal         
government as a pandemic includes an    
evaluation of whether the individual has
 been-- 7#a7 based or stationed at a    
location where an open burn pit was     
used2 or  7#b7 exposed to toxic airborne
 chemicals or other airborne            
contaminants relating to service in the 
,armed ,forces1 including an evaluation 
of any information recorded as part of  
the ,airborne ,hazards and ,open ,burn  
,pit ,registry4  7b7 ,inclusion of      
individuals in registry ,if an          
evaluation conducted under subsection   
7a7 with respect to an individual       
establishes that the individual was     

based or stationed at a location where  
an open burn pit was used1 or that the  
individual was exposed to toxic airborne
 chemicals or other airborne            
contaminants1 the individual shall be   
enrolled in the ,airborne ,hazards and  
,open ,burn ,pit ,registry unless the   
member elects to not enroll in such     
registry4  7c7 ,rule of construction    
,nothing in this section may be         
construed to preclude eligibility of a  
veteran for benefits under the laws     
administered by the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs by reason of the     
history of exposure of the veteran to an
 open burn pit not being recorded in an 
evaluation conducted under subsection   
7a74  7d7 ,definitions ,in this section3
 7#a7 ,airborne ,hazards and ,open ,burn
 ,pit ,registry ,the term ,airborne     
,hazards and ,open ,burn ,pit ,registry 
means the registry established by the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs 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    
7#b7 ,open burn pit ,the term open burn 
pit has the meaning given that term in  
section #bja7;c7 of the ,dignified      
,burial and ,other ,veterans' ,benefits 
,improvement ,act of #bjab 7,public ,law
 #aab-bfj2 #ch ,u4,s4,c4 #ebg note74    
#c4 ,study on impact of viral pandemics 
on members of ,armed ,forces and        
veterans who have experienced toxic     
exposure  7a7 ,in general ,the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
conduct a study1 through the ,airborne  
,hazards and ,burn ,pits ,center of     
,excellence 7in this section referred to
 as the ,center71 on the health impacts 
of infection with a virus designated as 
a global pandemic1 including a          
coronavirus1 to members of the ,armed   
,forces and veterans who have been      
exposed to open burn pits and other     
toxic exposures for the purposes of     
understanding the health impacts of the 
virus and whether individuals infected  

with the virus are at increased risk of 
severe symptoms due to previous         
conditions linked to toxic exposure4    
7b7 ,preparation for future pandemic    
,the ,secretary1 through the ,center1   
shall analyze potential lessons learned 
through the study conducted under       
subsection 7a7 to assist in preparing   
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
for potential future pandemics4  7c7    
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,coronavirus ,the term coronavirus has  
the meaning given that term in section  
#ejf of the ,coronavirus ,preparedness  
and ,response ,supplemental             
,appropriations ,act1 #bjbj 7,public    
,law #aaf-abc74  7#b7 ,open burn pit    
,the term open burn pit has the meaning 
given that term in section #bja7;c7 of  
the ,dignified ,burial and ,other       
,veterans' ,benefits ,improvement ,act  
of #bjab 7,public ,law #aab-bfj2 #ch    
,u4,s4,c4 #ebg note74