Sec. 745. Study on effects of service in the special operations forces to health of members of the Armed Forces
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Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct a five-year longitudinal study on the evaluation and treatment of traumatic brain injuries and other injuries to provide analyses, findings, and recommendations with respect to extending the health span of members of special operations forces. The study under subsection
(a)shall include the following: An evaluation of various exposure factors, including environmental, injury, and disease, to identify and quantify the relationship of such exposure to long-term health. An identification of sensitive and rapid biomarkers related to injury and outcomes at the acute, subacute, and chronic level that translate to practical injury mitigation. The characterizing and analysis of the factors associated with mitigating initial injury, enhancing force resilience, and optimizing long-term outcomes. An identification of the critical pre-service and post-service related issues that affect long-term health span. An identification of the factors associated with early aging at the patient facing and cellular level to identify targets for potential therapeutics and interventions. Any other elements as determined appropriate by the Secretary. Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary commences the study under subsection (a), and annually thereafter during the duration of the study, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a progress report of activities conducted under the study during the period covered by the report. Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary completes the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report containing the findings of the study and recommendations based on the study, including information regarding— identification of health trajectories associated with a career serving as a member of the special operations forces; modifiable and nonmodifiable factors, including biomarkers, disease processes, and social determinants of health, associated with life-span trajectories and an increase in force readiness; any recommendations to alter health trajectories and improve force resilience and long-term health span in active and retired members of the special operations forces; and processes to integrate factors that affect the health of an individual before serving in the special operations forces, including with respect to the exposure history and health trajectory of the individual, into simple scores that can be use to improve the care of active and retired members of the special operations forces. In this section, the term special operations forces means the forces described in section 167(j) of title 10, United States Code.