[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2680-S2681]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 550. Mr. CARPER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 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. 727. MEDICAL TESTING AND RELATED SERVICES FOR 
                   FIREFIGHTERS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

       (a) Provision of Services.--During the annual periodic 
     health assessment of each firefighter of the Department of 
     Defense, or at such other intervals as may be indicated in 
     subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the 
     firefighter (at no cost to the firefighter) appropriate 
     medical testing and related services to detect, document the 
     presence or absence of, and prevent, certain cancers.
       (b) Criteria.--Services required to be provided under 
     subsection (a) shall meet, at a minimum, the following 
     criteria:
       (1) Breast cancer.--With respect to breast cancer 
     screening, if the firefighter is a female firefighter--

[[Page S2681]]

       (A) such services shall include the provision of a 
     mammogram to the firefighter--
       (i) if the firefighter is 40 years old to 49 years old 
     (inclusive), not less frequently than twice each year;
       (ii) if the firefighter is 50 years old or older, not less 
     frequently than annually; and
       (iii) as clinically indicated (without regard to age); and
       (B) in connection with the provision of a mammogram under 
     subparagraph (A), a licensed radiologist shall review the 
     most recent mammogram provided to the firefighter, as 
     compared to prior mammograms so provided, and provide to the 
     firefighter the results of such review.
       (2) Colon cancer.--With respect to colon cancer screening--
       (A) if the firefighter is 40 years old or older, or as 
     clinically indicated without regard to age, such services 
     shall include the communication to the firefighter of the 
     risks and benefits of stool-based blood testing;
       (B) if the firefighter is 45 years old or older, or as 
     clinically indicated without regard to age, such services 
     shall include the provision, at regular intervals, of visual 
     examinations (such as a colonoscopy, CT colonoscopy, or 
     flexible sigmoidoscopy) or stool-based blood testing; and
       (C) in connection with the provision of a visual 
     examination or stool-based blood testing under subparagraph 
     (B), a licensed physician shall review and provide to the 
     firefighter the results of such examination or testing, as 
     the case may be.
       (3) Prostate cancer.--With respect to prostate cancer 
     screening, if the firefighter is a male firefighter, such 
     services shall include the communication to the firefighter 
     of the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screenings and 
     the provision to the firefighter of a prostate-specific 
     antigen test--
       (A) not less frequently than annually if the firefighter--
       (i) is 50 years old or older; or
       (ii) is 40 years old or older and is a high-risk 
     individual; and
       (B) as clinically indicated (without regard to age).
       (4) Other cancers.--Such services shall include routine 
     screenings for any other cancer the risk or occurrence of 
     which the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention has identified as higher among firefighters than 
     among the general public, the provision of which shall be 
     carried out during the annual periodic health assessment of 
     the firefighter.
       (c) Optional Nature.--A firefighter of the Department of 
     Defense may opt out of the receipt of medical testing or a 
     related service provided under subsection (a).
       (d) Use of Consensus Technical Standards.--In providing 
     medical testing and related services under subsection (a), 
     the Secretary shall use consensus technical standards in 
     accordance with section 12(d) of the National Technology 
     Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-113; 15 
     U.S.C. 272 note).
       (e) Documentation.--
       (1) In general.--In providing medical testing and related 
     services under subsection (a), the Secretary--
       (A) shall document the acceptance rates of such tests 
     offered and the rates of such tests performed;
       (B) shall document tests results to identify trends in the 
     rates of cancer occurrences among firefighters; and
       (C) may collect and maintain additional information from 
     the recipients of such tests and other services to allow for 
     appropriate scientific analysis.
       (2) Privacy.--In analyzing any information of an individual 
     documented, collected, or maintained under paragraph (1), in 
     addition to complying with other applicable privacy laws, the 
     Secretary shall ensure the name and any other personally 
     identifiable information of the individual is removed from 
     such information prior to the analysis.
       (3) Sharing with centers for disease control and 
     prevention.--The Secretary may share data from any tests 
     performed under subsection (a) with the Director of the 
     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as appropriate, 
     to increase the knowledge and understanding of cancer 
     occurrences among firefighters.
       (f) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Firefighter.--The term ``firefighter'' means someone 
     whose primary job or military occupational specialty is being 
     a firefighter.
       (2) High-risk individual.--The term ``high-risk 
     individual'' means an individual who--
       (A) is African American;
       (B) has at least one first-degree relative who has been 
     diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age; or
       (C) is otherwise determined by the Secretary to be high 
     risk with respect to prostate cancer.
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