,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dgaf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bd1
 #bjbj,mr4 ,tillis introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish a  
cause of action for those harmed by     
exposure to water at ,camp ,lejeune1 and
 for other purposes4  #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 of the 

,eastern ,district of ,north ,carolina  
to obtain appropriate relief for harm   
which-- 7#a7 was caused by exposure to  
the water2 or  7#b7 was associated with 
exposure to the water4  7b7 ,burden and 
standard of proof  7#a7 ,in general ,the
 burden of proof shall be on the party  
filing the action to show that the water
 proximately caused 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  7c7 ,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 action4 ,nothing in   
this subsection shall impair any party's
 right to a trial by jury4  7d7         
,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 not impede or limit the           
individual's continued or future        
entitlement to disability awards1       
payments1 or benefits under any         
,veteran's ,administration program4  7e7
 ,immunity limitation ,the ,united      
,states may not assert any claim to     
immunity in an action under this section
 which would otherwise be available     
under section #bfhj7;a7 of title #bh1   
,united ,states ,code4  7f7 ,no punitive
 damages ,punitive damages may not be   

awarded in any action under this ,act4  
7g7 ,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  7h7        
,exception for combatant activities     
,this section does not apply to any     
claim or action arising out of the      
combatant activities of the ,armed      
,forces4  7i7 ,period for filing  7#a7  
,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  7#b7 ,statute of
 repose ,any applicable statute of      
repose does not apply to claims under   
this ,act4  7j7 ,effective date ,this   
,act shall apply to a claim arising     
before the date of the enactment of this

 ,act1 if filed within two years of the 
date of enactment4