10 U.S.C. § 722

STUDIES OF HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF MILITARY SERVICE OR EMPLOYMENT IN SOUTHWEST ASIA DURING THE PERSIAN GULF WAR.

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“(a)In General.—The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall conduct studies and administer grants for studies to determine—“(1) the nature and causes of illnesses suffered by individuals as a consequence of service or employment by the United States in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War; and“(2) the appropriate treatment for those illnesses.“(b)Nature of the Studies.—(1) Studies under subsection (a)—“(A) shall include consideration of the range of potential exposure of individuals to environmental, battlefield, and other conditions incident to service in the theater;“(B) shall be conducted so as to provide assessments of both short-term and long-term effects to the health of individuals as a result of those exposures; and“(C) shall include, at a minimum, the following types of studies:“(i) An epidemiological study or studies on the incidence, prevalence, and nature of the illness and symptoms and the risk factors associated with symptoms or illnesses.“(ii) Studies to determine the health consequences of the use of pyridostigmine bromide as a pretreatment antidote enhancer during the Persian Gulf War, alone or in combination with exposure to pesticides, environmental toxins, and other hazardous substances.“(iii) Clinical research and other studies on the causes, possible transmission, and treatment of Persian Gulf-related illnesses.“(2)(A) The first project carried out under paragraph (1)(C)(ii) shall be a retrospective study of members of the Armed Forces who served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.“(B) The second project carried out under paragraph (1)(C)(ii) shall consist of animal research and nonanimal research, including in vitro systems, as required, designed to determine whether the use of pyridostigmine bromide in combination with exposure to pesticides or other organophosphates, carbamates, or relevant chemicals will result in increased toxicity in animals and is likely to have a similar effect on humans.“(c)Individuals Covered by the Studies.—Studies conducted pursuant to subsections [sic] (a) shall apply to the following individuals:“(1) Individuals who served as members of the Armed Forces in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.“(2) Individuals who were civilian employees of the Department of Defense in that theater during that period.“(3) To the extent appropriate, individuals who were employees of contractors of the Department of Defense in that theater during that period.“(4) To the extent appropriate, the spouses and children of individuals described in paragraph (1).“(d)Plan for the Studies.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall prepare a coordinated plan for the studies to be conducted pursuant to subsection (a). The plan shall include plans and requirements for research grants in support of the studies. The Secretary shall submit the plan to the National Academy of Sciences for review and comment.“(2) The plan for studies pursuant to subsection (a) shall be updated annually. The Secretary of Defense shall request an annual review by the National Academy of Sciences of the updated plan and study progress and results achieved during the preceding year.“(3) The plan, and annual updates to the plan, shall be prepared in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.“(e)Funding.—(1) From the amount authorized to be appropriated pursuant to section 201 [108 Stat. 2690] for Defense-wide activities, the Secretary of Defense shall make available such funds as the Secretary considers necessary to support the studies conducted pursuant to subsection (a).“(2) For each year in which activities continue in support of the studies conducted pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall include in the budget request for the Department of Defense a request for such funds as the Secretary determines necessary to continue the activities during that fiscal year.“(f)Reports.—(1) Not later than March 31, 1995, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress the coordinated plan for the studies to be conducted pursuant to subsection (a) and the results of the review of that plan by the National Academy of Sciences.“(2) Not later than October 1 of each year through 1998, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the studies conducted pursuant to subsection (a), plans for continuation of the studies, and the results of the annual review of the studies by the National Academy of Sciences.“(3) Each report under this section shall be prepared in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.“(g)Definition.—In this section, the term ‘Persian Gulf War’ has the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.”