,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cagf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #d1  
#bjba,mr4 ,tillis 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,burr1 and ,mr4       
,peters7 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 ,north ,carolina1 and   
for other purposes4  #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 ,lejeune1 ,north         
,carolina  7a7 ,in general ,an          
individual1 including a veteran 7as     
defined in section #aja of title #ch1   
,united ,states ,code71 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 on ,august #a1 #aiec1  

and ending on ,december #ca1 #aihg1 to  
water at ,camp ,lejeune1 ,north         
,carolina1 that was supplied by1 or on  
behalf of1 the ,united ,states may bring
 an action in the ,united ,states       
,district ,court for the ,eastern       
,district of ,north ,carolina to obtain 
appropriate relief for harm that was    
caused by exposure to the water at ,camp
 ,lejeune4  7b7 ,burdens 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 relationships
 between the water at ,camp ,lejeune and
 the harm4  7#b7 ,standards ,to meet the
 burden of proof described in paragraph 
7#a71 a party shall produce evidence    
showing that the relationship between   
exposure to the water at ,camp ,lejeune 
and the harm is-- 7,a7 sufficient to    
conclude that a causal relationship     
exists2 or  7,b7 sufficient to conclude 
that a causal relationship is at least  
as likely as not4  7c7 ,exclusive       
jurisdiction and venue ,the ,united     

,states ,district ,court for the        
,eastern ,district of ,north ,carolina  
shall have exclusive jurisdiction over  
any action filed under subsection 7a71  
and shall be the exclusive venue for    
such an action4 ,nothing in this        
subsection shall impair the right of any
 party to a trial by jury4  7d7         
,exclusive remedy  7#a7 ,in general ,an 
individual1 or legal representative of  
an individual1 who brings an action     
under this section for a harm described 
in subsection 7a71 including a latent   
disease1 may not thereafter bring a tort
 action against the ,united ,states for 
such harm pursuant to any other law4    
7#b7 ,health and disability benefits    
relating to water exposure ,any award   
made to an individual1 or legal         
representative of an individual1 under  
this section shall be offset by the     
amount of any disability award1 payment1
 or benefit provided to the individual1 
or legal representative-- 7,a7 under--  
7i7 any program under the laws          

administered by the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs2  7ii7 the ,medicare 
program under title ,,xviii of the      
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acie et seq472 or  7iii7 the ,medicaid 
program under title ,,xix of the ,social
 ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et 
seq472 and  7,b7 in connection with     
health care or a disability relating to 
exposure to the water at ,camp ,lejeune4
  7e7 ,immunity limitation ,the ,united 
,states may not assert any claim to     
immunity in an action under this section
 that 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        
section4  7g7 ,disposition by ,federal  
agency required ,an individual may not  
bring an action under this section      
before 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 ,applicability2 period for
 filing  7#a7 ,applicability ,this      
section shall apply only to a claim     
arising before the date of enactment of 
this ,act4  7#b7 ,statute of limitations
 ,a claim in an action under this       
section may not be commenced after the  
later of-- 7,a7 the date that is #b     
years after the date of enactment of    
this ,act2 or  7,b7 the date that is    
#ahj days after the date on which the   
claim is denied under section #bfge of  
title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#c7 
,inapplicability of other limitations   
,any applicable statute of repose or    
statute of limitations1 other than under
 paragraph 7#b71 shall not apply to a   
claim under this section4