,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dggg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #aa1     
#bjbf,mr4 ,banks introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
establish the ,blast ,overpressure ,task
 ,force of the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs1 and for other purposes4  #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 shall1 through the ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs-,department of    
,defense ,joint ,executive ,committee   
under section #cbj of title #ch1 ,united
 ,states ,code-- 7#a7 establish the     
,blast ,overpressure ,task ,force of the

 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs 7in  
this section referred to as the ,task   
,force72 and  7#b7 appoint the members  
of the ,task ,force4  7b7 ,membership   
,each member of the ,task ,force        
appointed under subsection 7a77#b7 shall
 be a member of the ,health ,executive  
,committee under section #cbj7;b77#b7 of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 who1 
at the time of appointment1 is involved 
in research regarding the mitigation and
 treatment of blast overpressure or     
blast exposure4  7c7 ,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 of ,veterans ,affairs       
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 ,secretary of        
,veterans ,affairs4  7#e7 ,to monitor   
sensory decline 7including with respect 
to vision1 hearing1 and vestibular      
function7 and stress-related impairments
 among such veterans and members4  7#f7 
,to support continuity of such health   
care by integrating mobile and          
longitudinal diagnostic tools4  7d7     

,reports  7#a7 ,in general ,not later   
than one year after the establishment of
 the ,task ,force under subsection 7a71 
and not less frequently than annually   
thereafter1 the ,task ,force shall      
submit to the ,committee on ,veterans'  
,affairs and the ,committee on ,armed   
,services of the ,senate and the        
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs and   
the ,committee on ,armed ,services of   
the ,house of ,representatives a report 
on the activities of the ,task ,force4  
7#b7 ,elements ,each report under       
paragraph 7#a7 shall include the        
following3 7,a7 ,details of research    
initiatives1 coordination outcomes1 and 
clinical advancements of the ,task      
,force4  7,b7 ,recommendations of the   
,task ,force regarding-- 7i7 how claims 
processors of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs should evaluate      
evidence that links conditions          
researched by the ,task ,force to active
 military1 naval1 air1 or space service 
7as defined in section #aja of title    

#ch1 ,united ,states ,code72 and  7ii7  
best practices regarding the evaluation 
of neurological injuries in examinations
 for benefits under chapter #aa or #ae  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7e7 ,sunset ,the ,task ,force shall     
terminate on ,september #cj1 #bjbi4