[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 13, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5676-S5677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1011. Mr. HATCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1003 proposed by Mr. McCain (for himself and Mr. Reed) to 
the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 
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 C of title VII, add the following:

     SEC. 737. 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,

[[Page S5677]]

     tinnitus, and noise pollution as a whole and not as separate 
     issues.
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