[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3226 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3226

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a registry of 
certain veterans who participated in a radiation cleanup mission in the 
 Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands during the period beginning on 
    January 1, 1977, and ending on December 31, 1980, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 14, 2016

 Ms. Collins (for herself and Mr. King) 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 a registry of 
certain veterans who participated in a radiation cleanup mission in the 
 Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands during the period beginning on 
    January 1, 1977, and ending on December 31, 1980, 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 ``Enewetak Atoll Cleanup Veterans 
Registry and Study Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. ENEWETAK ATOLL CLEANUP REGISTRY.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish and maintain a registry to be known as the ``Enewetak Atoll 
Veterans Health Registry'' (in this section referred to as the 
``Registry'').
    (b) Contents.--Except as provided in subsection (c), the Registry 
shall include the following information:
            (1) A list containing the name of each individual who--
                    (A) while serving as a member of the Armed Forces, 
                performed a radiation cleanup mission in the Enewetak 
                Atoll in the Marshall Islands at any time during the 
                period beginning on January 1, 1977, and ending on 
                December 31, 1980; and
                    (B)(i) applies for care or services from the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs under chapter 17 of 
                title 38, United States Code;
                    (ii) files a claim for compensation under chapter 
                11 of such title on the basis of any disability that 
                may be associated with such service;
                    (iii) dies and is survived by a spouse, child, or 
                parent who files a claim for dependency and indemnity 
                compensation under chapter 13 of such title on the 
                basis of such service;
                    (iv) requests from the Secretary a health 
                examination under subsection (d)(1); or
                    (v)(I) receives from the Secretary a health 
                examination similar to the health examination under 
                subsection (d)(1); and
                    (II) submits to the Secretary a request to be 
                included in the Registry.
            (2) Relevant medical data relating to the health status of, 
        and other information that the Secretary considers relevant and 
        appropriate with respect to, each individual described in 
        paragraph (1) who--
                    (A) grants to the Secretary permission to include 
                such information in the Registry; or
                    (B) at the time the name of the individual is added 
                to the Registry, is deceased.
    (c) Individuals Submitting Claims or Making Requests Before Date of 
Enactment.--If an application, claim, or request referred to in 
paragraph (1) of subsection (b) was submitted, filed, or made with 
respect to an individual described in that paragraph before the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, to the extent feasible, 
include in the Registry the information described in that subsection 
relating to that individual.
    (d) Examinations.--
            (1) In general.--Upon the request of an individual 
        described in subsection (b)(1)(A), the Secretary shall provide 
        the individual with--
                    (A) a health examination (including any appropriate 
                diagnostic tests); and
                    (B) consultation and counseling with respect to the 
                results of the examination and tests.
            (2) Consultation and counseling to family members.--In the 
        case of an individual described in subsection (b)(1)(A) who is 
        deceased, upon the request of a spouse, child, or parent of 
        that individual, the Secretary shall provide that spouse, 
        child, or parent with consultation and counseling with respect 
        to the results of the examination and tests under paragraph 
        (1)(A) or the results of an examination similar to that 
        examination with respect to that individual.
    (e) Outreach.--
            (1) Ongoing outreach to individuals listed in the 
        registry.--The Secretary shall, from time to time, notify 
        individuals listed in the Registry of significant developments 
        in research on the health consequences of potential exposure to 
        radiation related to service at Enewetak Atoll during the 
        period beginning on January 1, 1977, and ending on December 31, 
        1980.
            (2) Examination outreach.--The Secretary shall carry out 
        appropriate outreach activities with respect to the provision 
        of any health examinations (including any diagnostic tests) and 
        consultation and counseling services under subsection (d).
    (f) Department of Defense Information.--The Secretary of Defense 
shall furnish to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs such information 
maintained by the Secretary of Defense as the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs considers necessary to establish and maintain the Registry.
    (g) Independent Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        provide for a study on the potential exposure of individuals to 
        radiation related to service at Enewetak Atoll at any time 
        during the period beginning on January 1, 1977, and ending on 
        December 31, 1980.
            (2) Independent entity.--The study required by paragraph 
        (1) shall be carried out by an entity that--
                    (A) has experience conducting studies with respect 
                to the exposure of individuals to radiation; and
                    (B) is not affiliated with the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs.
            (3) Deadline for completion.--The study required by 
        paragraph (1) shall be completed not later than one year after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (h) Annual Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than 
        annually thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
        the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the Registry.
            (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) The number of veterans included in the 
                Registry.
                    (B) Any trend in claims for compensation under 
                chapter 11 or 13 of title 38, United States Code, with 
                respect to veterans included in the Registry.
                    (C) A description of the outreach efforts made by 
                the Secretary under subsection (e) during the one-year 
                period ending on the date of such report.
                    (D) Such other matters as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate.
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