[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 8, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3651-S3652]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4559. Mr. BURR (for himself, Mr. Tillis, and Mr. Nelson) submitted
an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2943, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle I of title X, add the following:
SEC. 1097. REVIEW OF ILLNESSES AND CONDITIONS RELATING TO
VETERANS STATIONED AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH
CAROLINA AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
(a) Review and Publication of Illness or Condition.--Part P
of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 399V-6. REVIEW AND PUBLICATION OF ILLNESSES AND
CONDITIONS.
``(a) In General.--Consistent with section 104(i) of the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980, not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this section, and not less frequently than
once every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary, acting through
the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry, shall--
``(1)(A) review the scientific literature relevant to the
relationship between the employment or residence of
individuals at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for not fewer
than 30 days during the period beginning on August 1, 1953,
and ending on December 21, 1987, and specific illnesses or
conditions incurred by those individuals;
``(B) determine each illness or condition for which there
is evidence that exposure to a toxic substance at Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina, during the period specific in
subparagraph (A) may be a cause of the illness or condition;
and
``(C) with respect to each illness or condition for which a
determination has been
[[Page S3652]]
made under subparagraph (B), categorize the evidence of the
connection of the illness or condition to exposure described
in that subparagraph as--
``(i) sufficient to conclude with reasonable confidence
that the exposure is a cause of the illness or condition;
``(ii) modest supporting causation, but not sufficient to
conclude with reasonable confidence that exposure is a cause
of the illness or condition; or
``(iii) no more than limited supporting causation;
``(2) publish in the Federal Register and on the Internet
website of the Department of Health and Human Services--
``(A) a list of each illness or condition for which a
determination has been made under paragraph (1)(B), including
the categorization of the evidence of causal connection
relating to the illness or condition under paragraph (1)(C);
and
``(B) the bibliographic citations for all literature
reviewed under paragraph (1) for each illness or condition
listed under such paragraph; and
``(3) update the list under paragraph (2), as applicable,
to add an illness or condition for which a determination has
been made under paragraph (1)(B), including the
categorization of the evidence of causal connection relating
to the illness or condition under paragraph (1)(C), since
such list was last updated consistent with the requirements
of this subsection.''.
(b) Eligibility for Health Care From Department of Veterans
Affairs.--
(1) In general.--Section 1710(e)(1)(F) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended--
(A) by redesignating clauses (i) through (xv) as subclauses
(I) through (XV), respectively;
(B) by striking ``(F) Subject to'' and inserting ``(F)(i)
Subject to'';
(C) by striking ``any of the following'' and inserting
``any of the illnesses or conditions for which the evidence
of connection of the illness or condition to exposure to a
toxic substance at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, during such
period is categorized as sufficient or modest in the most
recent list published under section 399V-6(a)(2) of the
Public Health Service Act, which may include any of the
following''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(ii) For the purposes of ensuring continuation of care,
any veteran who has been furnished hospital care or medical
services under this subparagraph for an illness or condition
shall remain eligible for hospital care or medical services
for such illness or condition notwithstanding that the
evidence of connection of such illness or condition to
exposure to a toxic substance at Camp Lejeune, North
Carolina, during the period described in clause (i) is not
categorized as sufficient or modest in the most recent list
published under section 399V-6(a)(2) of the Public Health
Service Act.''.
(2) Family members.--Section 1787 of such title is amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(c) Continuation of Care.--For the purposes of ensuring
continuation of care, any individual who has been furnished
hospital care or medical services under this section for an
illness or condition shall remain eligible for hospital care
or medical services for such illness or condition
notwithstanding that the illness or condition is no longer
described in section 1710(e)(1)(F) of this title.''.
(3) Transfer of amounts for program.--Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, for each of fiscal years 2017 and
2018, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall transfer
$2,000,000 from amounts made available to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for medical support and compliance to the
Chief Business Office and Financial Services Center of the
Department to be used to continue building and enhancing the
claims processing system, eligibility system, and web portal
for the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program of the Department.
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