[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 373 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 373

 To require the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on 
  hearing loss, tinnitus, and noise pollution due to small arms fire.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2017

   Mr. Hatch introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

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                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on 
  hearing loss, tinnitus, and noise pollution due to small arms fire.

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

SECTION 1. REPORT ON HEARING LOSS, TINNITUS, AND NOISE POLLUTION DUE TO 
              SMALL ARMS FIRE.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that hearing 
loss, tinnitus, and noise pollution due to small arms fire has a 
detrimental impact on the readiness and budget of the Department of 
Defense.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
        submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
        the House of Representatives (and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives upon the request 
        of either committee) and the President pro tempore of the 
        Senate, a report on hearing loss, tinnitus, and noise pollution 
        due to small arms fire.
            (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A verification and validation of the results 
                included in published findings on hearing loss and 
                tinnitus due to small arms fire (including the 
                ``Clinical Study Design of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss 
                in Marine Recruits'' published by E.A. Williams (nee 
                Edelstein)).
                    (B) A description of the impact on the Department 
                of Defense of noise pollution and noise ordinance 
                requirements, as set forth under title IV of the Clean 
                Air Act (relating to noise pollution) (42 U.S.C. 7641 
                et seq.), for small arms fire (including the impact on 
                training ranges, training schedules, operational 
                readiness, and mission parameters).
                    (C) Data on the severity and rates of noise-induced 
                hearing loss and tinnitus experienced by personnel of 
                the Department due to small arms fire in training and 
                operational environments, including costs currently 
                incurred by the health care systems of the Department 
                of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
                treat noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.
                    (D) A description of alternative methods and 
                strategies currently being employed by the Department 
                of Defense, as well as alternative methods, 
                technologies, and techniques being considered, for the 
                mitigation of hearing loss, tinnitus, and noise 
                pollution due to small arms fire.
                    (E) A description of current mitigation strategies 
                available to reduce hearing loss, tinnitus, and noise 
                pollution as a whole and not as separate issues.
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