I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2506 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 19, 2009 Mr. Teague introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To direct the Secretary of Defense to ensure the members of the Armed Forces receive mandatory hearing screenings before and after deployments and to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to mandate that tinnitus be listed as a mandatory condition for treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs Auditory Centers of Excellence and that research on the preventing, treating, and curing of tinnitus be conducted.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Veterans Hearing and Assessment Act.

2.

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that tinnitus is one of the leading service-connected disability issues that is not being addressed.

3.

Mandatory hearing evaluations for members of the Armed Forces

The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that each member of the Armed Forces receives a hearing evaluation that includes a screening for tinnitus before the member is deployed and after the member returns from a deployment.

4.

Research and treatment of tinnitus by Secretary of Veterans Affairs

(a)

Recognition

The Secretary of Veterans affairs shall recognize tinnitus as a mandatory condition for research and treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs Auditory Centers of Excellence. (b)

Research

The Secretary for Veterans Affairs shall ensure that research is conducted at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities on the prevention, treatment, and curing of tinnitus.