[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 277 Reported in Senate (RS)]

                                                       Calendar No. 123
112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 277

                          [Report No. 112-42]

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital care, 
medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed 
 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at 
                 Camp Lejeune, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 3, 2011

Mr. Burr (for himself, Mrs. Hagan, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Grassley, 
 Mr. Johanns, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Graham, and Mr. Isakson) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

                             August 1, 2011

               Reported by Mrs. Murray, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital care, 
medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed 
 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at 
                 Camp Lejeune, and for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Caring for Camp Lejeune 
Veterans Act of 2011''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. HOSPITAL CARE, MEDICAL SERVICES, AND NURSING HOME CARE 
              FOR VETERANS STATIONED AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, 
              WHILE THE WATER WAS CONTAMINATED AT CAMP 
              LEJEUNE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Section 1710(e)(1) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(F) Subject to paragraph (2), a veteran who, as a member 
of the Armed Forces, was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 
during a period, determined by the Secretary in consultation with the 
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, in which the water at 
Camp Lejeune was contaminated by volatile organic compounds, including 
known human carcinogens and probable human carcinogens, is eligible for 
hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care under subsection 
(a)(2)(F) for any illness, notwithstanding that there is insufficient 
medical evidence to conclude that such illness is attributable to such 
contamination.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Family Members.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 of 
        title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
        the following new section:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 1787. Health care of family members of veterans 
              stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the 
              water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(a) In General.--A family member of a veteran described 
in subparagraph (F) of section 1710(e)(1) of this title who resided at 
Camp Lejeune during the period described in such subparagraph or who 
was in utero during such period while the mother of such family member 
resided at such location shall be eligible for hospital care, medical 
services, and nursing home care furnished by the Secretary for any 
condition, or any disability that is associated with such condition, 
that is associated with exposure to the contaminants in the water at 
Camp Lejeune during such period.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(b) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe 
regulations that specify which--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) conditions are associated with exposure to 
        the contaminants described in subsection (a); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) disabilities are associated with such 
        conditions.''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at 
        the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item relating to section 1786 the following new item:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``1787. Health care of family members of veterans stationed at 
                            Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the 
                            water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune.''.

</DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act 
of 2011.

SEC. 2. HOSPITAL CARE, MEDICAL SERVICES, AND NURSING HOME CARE FOR 
              VETERANS STATIONED AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, WHILE 
              THE WATER WAS CONTAMINATED AT CAMP LEJEUNE.

    (a) In General.--Section 1710(e)(1) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subparagraph:
    ``(F) Subject to paragraph (2), a veteran who, as a member of the 
Armed Forces, was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, during a 
period, determined by the Secretary in consultation with the Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, in which the water at Camp 
Lejeune was contaminated by volatile organic compounds, including known 
human carcinogens and probable human carcinogens, is eligible for 
hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care under subsection 
(a)(2)(F) for any illness, notwithstanding that there is insufficient 
medical evidence to conclude that such illness is attributable to such 
contamination.''.
    (b) Family Members.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 is amended 
        by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1787. Health care of family members of veterans stationed at 
              Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was 
              contaminated at Camp Lejeune
    ``(a) In General.--A family member of a veteran described in 
subparagraph (F) of section 1710(e)(1) of this title who resided at 
Camp Lejeune during the period described in such subparagraph or who 
was in utero during such period while the mother of such family member 
resided at such location shall be eligible for hospital care, medical 
services, and nursing home care furnished by the Secretary for any 
condition, or any disability that is associated with such condition, 
that is associated with exposure to the contaminants in the water at 
Camp Lejeune during such period.
    ``(b) Limitation.--The Secretary may only furnish hospital care, 
medical services, and nursing home care under subsection (a) to the 
extent and in the amount provided in advance in appropriations Acts for 
such purpose.
    ``(c) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations that 
specify which--
            ``(1) conditions are associated with exposure to the 
        contaminants described in subsection (a); and
            ``(2) disabilities are associated with such conditions.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item relating to section 1786 the following new item:

``1787. Health care of family members of veterans stationed at Camp 
                            Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water 
                            was contaminated at Camp Lejeune.''.
    (c) Reimbursement by Secretary of Defense.--Section 8111 is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections 
        (g) and (h), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
        subsection (f):
    ``(f) Camp Lejeune.--(1) The Secretary of Defense shall enter into 
an agreement with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under subsection 
(a) to reimburse the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, from amounts 
appropriated to the Secretary of Defense, for the costs of all hospital 
care, medical services, and nursing home care provided under sections 
1710(e)(1)(F) and 1787 of this title.
    ``(2) Costs described in paragraph (1) shall include reasonable and 
customary charges associated with oversight and administration of the 
care and services described in such paragraph.
    ``(3) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use the authority 
provided under section 1781 of this title, or such other existing 
discretionary authorities as the Secretary considers appropriate, to 
arrange for care and services described in paragraph (1).''.
    (d) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--The provisions of this section and the 
        amendments made by this section shall take effect on October 1, 
        2012.
            (2) Applicability.--Subparagraph (F) of section 1710(e)(1) 
        of such title, as added by subsection (a), and section 1787 of 
        such title, as added by subsection (b), shall apply with 
        respect to hospital care, medical services, and nursing home 
        care provided on or after October 1, 2012.

SEC. 3. MERGER AND CONSOLIDATION OF DEFENSE COMMISSARY AND EXCHANGE 
              SYSTEMS.

    (a) Merger and Consolidation.--
            (1) In general.--Commencing in fiscal year 2012, the 
        Secretary of Defense shall merge and consolidate the system of 
        commissary stores and the system of exchange stores operated 
        under chapter 147 of title 10, United States Code, into a 
        single world-wide system of commissary stores and exchange 
        stores in order to achieve a single system of stores that 
        operates on a self-sufficient basis without the need for 
        financial support through appropriated funds by not later than 
        September 30, 2015.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 2481 of title 10, 
        United States Code, is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) by striking ``Separate Systems.--'' and 
                        inserting ``In General.--''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``a world-wide system'' 
                        and all that follows through ``The stores of 
                        each system'' and inserting ``a single world-
                        wide system of commissary stores and exchanges 
                        stores. The stores of such system'';
                    (B) in subsection (b)--
                            (i) by striking ``Purpose of Systems.--'' 
                        and inserting ``Purpose of System.--''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``commissary system and 
                        the exchange system'' and inserting 
                        ``commissary and exchange system'';
                    (C) in subsection (c)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``both 
                        the defense commissary system and the exchange 
                        system'' and inserting ``the commissary and 
                        exchange system''; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (2), by striking 
                        ``exchange systems'' and all that follows and 
                        inserting ``exchange system.'';
                    (D) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection 
                (e); and
                    (E) by inserting after subsection (c) the following 
                new subsection (d):
    ``(d) Construction of References.--Any reference in this subchapter 
to a commissary store shall be deemed to be a reference to a store 
operated under the single system of commissary stores and exchange 
stores required by subsection (a). Any reference in this subchapter to 
the defense commissary system shall be deemed to be a reference to such 
system of commissary stores and exchange stores.''.
            (3) Construction of provisions.--This subsection and the 
        amendments made by this subsection are intended as a specific 
        authorization by Act of Congress for the consolidation and 
        merger of the system of commissary stores and the system of 
        exchange stores operated and maintained by the Department of 
        Defense under chapter 147 of title 10, United States Code, 
        within the meaning of section 2487(b) of such title.
            (4) Prohibition on use of appropriated funds after fiscal 
        year 2015.--Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 147 of 
        title 10, United States Code, or any other provision of law, 
        funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the 
        Department of Defense may not be obligated or expended for or 
        in connection with the system of commissary stores and exchange 
        stores operated by the Department of Defense under that chapter 
        on or after October 1, 2015.
    (b) Conforming Repeals.--Sections 2487 and 2488 of title 10, United 
States Code, are repealed.
    (c) Clerical Amendments.--
            (1) Heading amendment.--The heading of section 2481 of such 
        title is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 2481. Commissary and exchange system: existence and purpose''.
            (2) Subchapter i.--The table of sections at the beginning 
        of subchapter I of chapter 147 of such title is amended by 
        striking the item relating to section 2481 and inserting the 
        following new item:

``2481. Commissary and exchange system: existence and purpose.''.
            (3) Subchapter ii.--The table of sections at the beginning 
        of subchapter II of such chapter 147 is amended by striking the 
        items relating to sections 2486 and 2487.
    (d) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this 
section shall take effect on October, 1, 2012.
                                                       Calendar No. 123

112th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 277

                          [Report No. 112-42]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital care, 
medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed 
 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at 
                 Camp Lejeune, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             August 1, 2011

                       Reported with an amendment