[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1612 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1612

    To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a commission on 
                               urotrauma.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 15, 2011

   Mr. Guthrie (for himself, Mr. Stivers, and Mr. King of New York) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
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 establish a commission on 
                               urotrauma.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. COMMISSION ON UROTRAUMA.

    (a) Establishment.--In order to continue and expand the study of 
urotrauma conducted by the Secretary of Defense in 2011, subject to the 
availability of appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary shall 
establish a commission to be known as the ``Commission on Urotrauma'' 
(in this section referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary of 
Defense shall consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services.
    (c) Duties.--The Commission shall conduct a study on urotrauma 
among members of the Armed Forces and veterans, including--
            (1) an analysis of the incidence, duration, morbidity rate, 
        and mortality rate of urotrauma;
            (2) an analysis of the social and economic costs and 
        effects of urotrauma;
            (3) with respect to the Department of Defense and 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, an evaluation of the 
        facilities, access to private facilities, resources, personnel, 
        and research activities that are related to the diagnosis, 
        prevention, and treatment of urotrauma;
            (4) an evaluation of programs (including such biological, 
        behavioral, environmental, and social programs) that improve 
        the prevention or treatment of urotrauma;
            (5) a long-term plan for the use and organization of the 
        resources of the Federal Government to improve the prevention 
        and treatment of urotrauma; and
            (6) updates to any study on urotrauma conducted by the 
        Secretary of Defense in 2011.
    (d) Membership.--
            (1) Appointed members.--In addition to the ex officio 
        members described in paragraph (2), the Committee shall be 
        composed of 19 members as follows:
                    (A) Sixteen members appointed by the Secretary of 
                Defense.
                    (B) One member appointed by the Secretary of Health 
                and Human Services from among officers or employees of 
                the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and 
                Kidney Diseases whose primary interest is in the field 
                of urotrauma.
                    (C) The Chief of the Department of Surgery of 
                Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
                    (D) The Chief Medical Director of the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Ex officio members.--The nonvoting, ex officio members 
        of the Commission are as follows:
                    (A) The Surgeon General of the Navy.
                    (B) The Surgeon General of the Army.
                    (C) The Surgeon General of the Air Force.
                    (D) The Medical Officer of the Marine Corps.
                    (E) The Director of the National Institutes of 
                Health.
                    (F) The Director of the National Institute of 
                Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
                    (G) The Director of the Division of Kidney, 
                Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases of the National 
                Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases.
                    (H) The Director of the National Institute of 
                Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.
            (3) Qualifications.--In appointing members under paragraph 
        (1)(A), the Secretary of Defense shall appoint individuals with 
        experience related to--
                    (A) studying or researching urotrauma;
                    (B) preventing or treating urotrauma; or
                    (C) suffering from urotrauma.
            (4) Term.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of 
        the Commission.
            (5) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled 
        in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
            (6) Pay.--
                    (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (C), members 
                of the Commission shall serve without pay.
                    (B) Except as provided in subparagraph (C), members 
                of the Commission who are full-time officers or 
                employees of the United States may not receive 
                additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of 
                their service on the Commission.
                    (C) Each member shall receive travel expenses, 
                including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
                accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter 
                I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
            (7) Quorum.--A majority of members of the Commission shall 
        constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
            (8) Chairperson.--The Secretary of Defense shall designate 
        a member as the chairperson of the Committee.
            (9) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
        chairperson.
    (e) Staff.--
            (1) Director.--The Commission shall have a director who 
        shall be appointed by the chairperson.
            (2) Staff.--Subject to rules prescribed by the Commission, 
        the chairperson may appoint additional personnel as the 
        chairperson considers appropriate.
            (3) Applicability of certain civil service laws.--The 
        director and staff of the Commission shall be appointed subject 
        to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
        appointments in the competitive service, and shall be paid in 
        accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III 
        of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and 
        General Schedule pay rates.
            (4) Experts and consultants.--Subject to rules prescribed 
        by the Commission, the chairperson may procure temporary and 
        intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
        States Code.
            (5) Staff to federal agencies.--Upon request of the 
        chairperson, the head of any Federal department or agency may 
        detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that 
        department or agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying 
        out its duties under this section.
    (f) Powers of Commission.--
            (1) Hearings and sessions.--The Commission may, for the 
        purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings, sit and 
        act at times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence 
        as the Commission considers appropriate. The Commission may 
        administer oaths or affirmations to witnesses appearing before 
        it.
            (2) Powers of members and agents.--Any member or agent of 
        the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any 
        action which the Commission is authorized to take by this 
        section.
            (3) Obtaining official data.--The Commission may secure 
        directly from any department or agency of the United States 
        information necessary to enable it to carry out this section. 
        Upon request of the chairperson of the Commission, the head of 
        that department or agency shall furnish that information to the 
        Commission.
            (4) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails 
        in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
        departments and agencies of the United States.
            (5) Administrative support services.--Upon the request of 
        the Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall 
        provide to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the 
        administrative support services necessary for the Commission to 
        carry out its responsibilities under this section.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) Interim report.--Not later than one year after the date 
        on which the members are appointed under subsection (d)(1), the 
        Commission shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
        committees an interim report on the study conducted under 
        subsection (c).
            (2) Final report.--Not later than two years after the date 
        on which the members are appointed under subsection (d)(1), the 
        Commission shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
        committees a final report on the study conducted under 
        subsection (c), including any recommendations the Commission 
        considers appropriate to improve the prevention and treatment 
        of urotrauma among members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
    (h) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the date that 
is 60 days after the date on which the Commission submits the final 
report under subsection (g)(2).
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Committees on Armed Services of the House 
                of Representatives and Senate; and
                    (B) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
                House of Representatives and Senate.
            (2) The term ``urotrauma'' means injury to the urinary 
        tract (including the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, 
        urethra, and female and male genitalia) from a penetrating, 
        blunt, blast, thermal, chemical, or biological cause.
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) Authorization.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out this section $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
        2012 through 2015.
            (2) Offset.--The amount otherwise authorized to be 
        appropriated for operation and maintenance, Defense-wide, for 
        the Office of the Secretary of Defense for each of fiscal years 
        2012 through 2015 is reduced by $1,000,000.
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