,i  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #baib  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #bf1 #bjba    
,mr4 ,cartwright 7for himself1 ,mr4     
,murphy of ,north ,carolina1 ,mr4 ,price
 of ,north ,carolina1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mr4 
,budd1 ,mr4 ,butterfield1 ,mr4          
,hastings1 ,mr4 ,hudson1 ,mr4 ,lieu1    
,ms4 ,manning1 ,mr4 ,mc,henry1 ,ms4     
,norton1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,ms4 ,ross1 and  
,mr4 ,rouzer7 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     
#bjba4  #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 for 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 ,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   
7c7 ,exclusive jurisdiction and venue   
,the district court for 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 have 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        
,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  7i7 ,exception for combatant    
activities ,this section does not apply 
to any claim or action arising out of   

the combatant activities of the ,armed  
,forces4  7j7 ,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  7#c7 ,statute  
of repose ,any applicable statute of    
repose does not apply to claims under   
this ,act4  7k7 ,effective date ,this   
,act shall apply to--  7#a7 a claim     
arising on or after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act2 and  7#b7 a     

claim arising before the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 if filed within 
two years of the date of enactment4