[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2388. Ms. ERNST (for herself, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Fetterman, and Ms. Rosen) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4638, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2025 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 E of title VII, add the following:

     SEC. 750. ESTABLISHMENT OF REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO BLAST 
                   OVERPRESSURE EXPOSURE.

       (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for 
     Personnel and Readiness shall--
       (1) establish a baseline neurocognitive assessment to be 
     conducted during the accession process of members of the 
     Armed Forces before the beginning of training;
       (2) establish annual neurocognitive assessments to monitor 
     the cognitive function of such members to be conducted--
       (A) at least every three years as part of the periodic 
     health assessment of such members;
       (B) as part of the post-deployment health assessment of 
     such members; and
       (C) prior to separation from service in the Armed Forces;
       (3) ensure all neurocognitive assessments of such members, 
     including those required under paragraphs (1) and (2), are 
     maintained in the electronic medical record of such member;
       (4) establish a process for annual review of blast 
     overpressure exposure logs and traumatic brain injury logs 
     for each member of the Armed Forces during the periodic 
     health assessment of such member for cumulative exposure in 
     order to refer members with recurrent and prolonged exposure 
     to specialty care; and
       (5) establish standards for recurrent and prolonged 
     exposure.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Neurocognitive assessment.--The term ``neurocognitive 
     assessment'' means a standardized cognitive and behavioral 
     evaluation using validated and normed testing performed in a 
     formal environment that uses specifically designated tasks to 
     measure cognitive function known to be linked to a particular 
     brain structure or pathway, which may include a measurement 
     of intellectual functioning, attention, new learning or 
     memory, intelligence, processing speed, and executive 
     functioning.
       (2) Traumatic brain injury.--The term ``traumatic brain 
     injury'' means a traumatically induced structural injury or 
     physiological disruption of brain function as a result of an 
     external force that is indicated by new onset or worsening of 
     at least one of the following clinical signs immediately 
     following the event:
       (A) Alteration in mental status, including confusion, 
     disorientation, or slowed thinking.
       (B) Loss of memory for events immediately before or after 
     the injury.
       (C) Any period of loss of or decreased level of 
     consciousness, observed or self-reported.
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