Sec. 750. STUDY ON THE INCIDENCE OF CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND MORTALITY AMONG MILITARY AVIATORS AND AVIATION SUPPORT PERSONNEL

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## SEC. 750 STUDY ON THE INCIDENCE OF CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND MORTALITY AMONG MILITARY AVIATORS AND AVIATION SUPPORT PERSONNEL ###

(a)Study ####

(1)In general The Secretary of Defense, in conjunction with the Directors of the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, shall conduct a study on cancer among covered individuals in two phases as provided in this subsection. ####

(2)Phase 1 #####

(A)In general Under the initial phase of the study conducted under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall determine if there is a higher incidence of cancers occurring for covered individuals as compared to similar age groups in the general population through the use of the database of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of the National Cancer Institute. #####

(B)Report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the findings of the initial phase of the study under subparagraph (A). ####

(3)Phase 2 #####

(A)In general If, pursuant to the initial phase of the study under paragraph (2), the Secretary concludes that there is an increased rate of cancers among covered individuals, the Secretary shall conduct a second phase of the study under which the Secretary shall do the following: ######

(i)Identify the carcinogenic toxins or hazardous materials associated with military flight operations from shipboard or land bases or facilities, such as fuels, fumes, and other liquids. ######

(ii)Identify the operating environments, including frequencies or electromagnetic fields, where exposure to ionizing radiation (associated with high altitude flight) and nonionizing radiation (associated with airborne, ground, and shipboard radars) occurred in which covered individuals could have received increased radiation amounts. ######

(iii)Identify, for each covered individual, duty stations, dates of service, aircraft flown, and additional duties (including Landing Safety Officer, Catapult and Arresting Gear Officer, Air Liaison Officer, Tactical Air Control Party, or personnel associated with aircraft maintenance, supply, logistics, fuels, or transportation) that could have increased the risk of cancer for such covered individual. ######

(iv)Determine locations where a covered individual served or additional duties of a covered individual that are associated with higher incidences of cancers. ######

(v)Identify potential exposures due to service in the Armed Forces that are not related to aviation, such as exposure to burn pits or toxins in contaminated water, embedded in the soil, or inside bases or housing. ######

(vi)Determine the appropriate age to begin screening covered individuals for cancer based on race, gender, flying hours, period of service as aviation support personnel, Armed Force, type of aircraft, and mission. #####

(B)Data The Secretary shall format all data included in the study conducted under this paragraph in accordance with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of the National Cancer Institute, including by disaggregating such data by race, gender, and age. #####

(C)Report Not later than one year after the submittal of the report under paragraph (2)(B), if the Secretary conducts the second phase of the study under this paragraph, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the findings of the study conducted under this paragraph. ####

(4)Use of data from previous studies In conducting the study under this subsection, the Secretary of Defense shall incorporate data from previous studies conducted by the Air Force, the Navy, or the Marine Corps that are relevant to the study under this subsection, including data from the comprehensive study conducted by the Air Force identifying each covered individual and documenting the cancers, dates of diagnoses, and mortality of each covered individual. ###

(b)Definitions In this section: ####

(1)The term “appropriate committees of Congress” means— #####

(A)the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; and #####

(B)the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives. ####

(2)The term “Armed Forces”— #####

(A)has the meaning given the term “armed forces” in section 101 of title 10, United States Code; and #####

(B)includes the reserve components named in section 10101 of such title. ####

(3)The term “covered individual”— #####

(A)means an aviator or aviation support personnel who— ######

(i)served in the Armed Forces on or after February 28, 1961; and ######

(ii)receives benefits under chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code; and #####

(B)includes any air crew member of fixed-wing aircraft and personnel supporting generation of the aircraft, including pilots, navigators, weapons systems operators, aircraft system operators, personnel associated with aircraft maintenance, supply, logistics, fuels, or transportation, and any other crew member who regularly flies in an aircraft or is required to complete the mission of the aircraft.