[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1798 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1798

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an open burn 
 pit registry to ensure that members of the Armed Forces who may have 
  been exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits 
  while deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq receive information regarding 
                 such exposure, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 3, 2011

 Mr. Udall of New Mexico (for himself, Mr. Corker, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. 
 Bingaman, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Udall of Colorado, 
and Mr. Alexander) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
           and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an open burn 
 pit registry to ensure that members of the Armed Forces who may have 
  been exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits 
  while deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq receive information regarding 
                 such exposure, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF REGISTRY.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
            (1) establish and maintain an open burn pit registry for 
        eligible individuals who may have been exposed to toxic 
        chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits;
            (2) include any information in such registry that the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines necessary to ascertain 
        and monitor the health effects of the exposure of members of 
        the Armed Forces to toxic chemicals and fumes caused by open 
        burn pits;
            (3) develop a public information campaign to inform 
        eligible individuals about the open burn pit registry, 
        including how to register and the benefits of registering; and
            (4) periodically notify eligible individuals of significant 
        developments in the study and treatment of conditions 
        associated with exposure to toxic chemicals and fumes caused by 
        open burn pits.

SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Report by Independent Scientific Organization.--The Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall enter into an agreement with an independent 
scientific organization to develop a report containing the following:
            (1) An assessment of the effectiveness of actions taken by 
        the Secretaries to collect and maintain information on the 
        health effects of exposure to toxic chemicals and fumes caused 
        by open burn pits.
            (2) Recommendations to improve the collection and 
        maintenance of such information.
            (3) Using established and previously published 
        epidemiological studies, recommendations regarding the most 
        effective and prudent means of addressing the medical needs of 
        eligible individuals with respect to conditions that are likely 
        to result from exposure to open burn pits.
    (b) Submittal to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date 
on which the registry under section 2 is established, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress the report developed under 
subsection (a).

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) The term ``open burn pit'' means an area of land 
        located in Afghanistan or Iraq that--
                    (A) is designated by the Secretary of Defense to be 
                used for disposing solid waste by burning in the 
                outdoor air; and
                    (B) does not contain a commercially manufactured 
                incinerator or other equipment specifically designed 
                and manufactured for the burning of solid waste.
            (2) The term ``eligible individual'' means any individual 
        who, on or after September 11, 2001--
                    (A) was deployed in support of a contingency 
                operation while serving in the Armed Forces; and
                    (B) during such deployment, was based or stationed 
                at a location where an open burn pit was used.
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