Protect Our Military Children Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4295 To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary determines the exposure of certain children of mem- bers of the Armed Forces to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl sub- stances. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 Mr. KIM (for himself, Ms. DEAN, and Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary determines the expo- sure of certain children of members of the Armed Forces to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect Our Military 4 Children Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:26 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4295.IH H4295 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 4295 IH SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR BLOOD TESTING OF CERTAIN 1 CHILDREN TO DETERMINE EXPOSURE TO 2 PERFLUOROALKYL AND POLYFLUOROALKYL 3 SUBSTANCES. 4 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.— 5 (1) IN GENERAL.—During the period preceding 6 October 1, 2023, the Secretary of Defense, acting 7 through the Defense Health Agency, shall carry out 8 a pilot program under which the Secretary provides 9 blood testing to a covered child to determine and 10 document the potential exposure of the child to 11 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (com- 12 monly known as ‘‘PFAS’’). The Secretary shall pro- 13 vide such testing at military medical treatment fa- 14 cilities at locations selected pursuant to subsection 15 (b). 16 (2) STANDARDS.—The Secretary shall carry out 17 the blood testing under paragraph (1) in accordance 18 with standards established by the Agency for Toxic 19 Substances and Disease Registry of the Centers for 20 Disease Control and Prevention. 21 (b) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall select military 22 installations at which to carry out the pilot program under 23 subsection (a)(1). A criterion in making such selection 24 shall be whether the military installation has a high rate 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:26 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4295.IH H4295 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 4295 IH of covered children who receive health care at military 1 medical treatment facilities at the installation. 2 (c) RESULTS.—In carrying out the pilot program 3 under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall provide the 4 results of a blood test of a covered child to the parent 5 or guardian of the child. 6 (d) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall conduct out- 7 reach at military installations at which the pilot program 8 under subsection (a)(1) is carried out to encourage partici- 9 pation in the pilot program, including by notifying mem- 10 bers of the Armed Forces and dependents who live on or 11 near such installations of— 12 (1) the background on perfluoroalkyl and poly- 13 fluoroalkyl substances; 14 (2) the availability of blood tests under the pilot 15 program; and 16 (3) the benefits of such tests. 17 (e) REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 2024, the 18 Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense com- 19 mittees (as defined in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, 20 United States Code) a report on the pilot program under 21 subsection (a)(1), including a summary of the results of 22 the testing conducted under the pilot program. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:26 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4295.IH H4295 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 4295 IH (f) COVERED CHILD DEFINED.—In this subsection, 1 the term ‘‘covered child’’ means a child specified in section 2 1072(6) of title 10, United States Code, who— 3 (1) has not attained the age of 18; and 4 (2) is a dependent of a member of the Armed 5 Forces whom the Secretary determines served on a 6 military installation in the continental United States 7 that was exposed to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroal- 8 kyl substances at any time during the 10-year period 9 preceding the date of the enactment of this Act. 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:26 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4295.IH H4295 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS