,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fddd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #d1        
#bjbe,mr4 ,jackson of ,texas 7for       
himself1 ,mr4 ,alford1 ,mr4 ,smith of   
,new ,jersey1 and ,mr4 ,tiffany7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs1 and in addition to 
the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 for 
a period to be subsequently determined  
by the ,speaker1 in each case for       
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
direct the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs to establish a ,blast          
,overpressure ,task ,force4  #a4 ,short 
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,blast ,overpressure ,research and      
,mitigation ,task ,force ,act4  #b4     
,establishment of the ,blast            
,overpressure ,task ,force of the       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,establishment ,not later than #ahj days

 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs shall establish1 through the   
,department of ,veterans                
,affairs-,department of ,defense ,joint 
,executive ,committee under section #cbj
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1   
the ,blast ,overpressure ,task ,force of
 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  
7in this section referred to as the     
,task ,force74  7b7 ,duties ,the duties 
of the ,task ,force are the following3  
7#a7 ,to improve how the ,secretary of  
,veterans ,affairs1 in consultation with
 the ,secretary of ,defense1 provides   
health care and other benefits to       
veterans or members of the ,armed       
,forces diagnosed with traumatic brain  
injury1 post-traumatic stress disorder1 
or other symptoms1 from blast           
overpressure or blast exposure4  7#b7   
,to align research agendas and          
acquisition strategies of the           
,department regarding such health care4 
7#c7 ,to establish physiological and    

cognitive performance baselines for such
 veterans and members4  7#d7 ,to        
prioritize translational research       
regarding such veterans and members1    
including research regarding-- 7,a7     
sleep therapy2  7,b7 blast-related gut  
health2  7,c7 mobile diagnostics2  7,d7 
vestibular dysfunction and balance      
impairment2  7,e7 autonomic nervous     
system dysregulation2  7,f7 cumulative  
mild traumatic brain injury2  7,g7      
neuroinflammation and glial activation2 
and  7,h7 any other issue determined    
appropriate by the ,secretary4  7#e7 ,to
 monitor sensory decline 7including with
 regards to vision1 hearing1 and        
vestibular function7 and stress-related 
impairments among such veterans and     
members4  7#f7 ,to support continuity of
 such care by integrating mobile and    
longitudinal diagnostic tools4  7c7     
,reports ,the ,task ,force shall issue  
annual reports to the ,committees on    
,veterans' ,affairs and on ,armed       
,services of the ,senate and ,house of  

,representatives4 ,each such report     
shall include the following elements3   
7#a7 ,details of research initiatives1  
coordination outcomes1 and clinical     
advancements of the ,task ,force4  7#b7 
,recommendations of the ,task ,force    
regarding-- 7,a7 how claims processors  
of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs
 should evaluate evidence that links    
such conditions to active military1     
naval1 air1 or space service2 and  7,b7 
best practices regarding the evaluation 
of neurological injuries in examinations
 for benefits under chapters #aa or #ae 
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7d7 ,sunset ,the ,task ,force shall     
terminate on ,september #cj1 #bjbi4