[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 153 (Monday, September 25, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5889-S6088]



        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018

  On Monday, September 18, 2017, the Senate passed H.R. 2810, as 
amended, as follows:

                               H.R. 2810

[...]

     SEC. 1089. DECLASSIFICATION BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OF 
                   CERTAIN INCIDENTS OF EXPOSURE OF MEMBERS OF THE 
                   ARMED FORCES TO TOXIC SUBSTANCES.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall declassify 
     documents related to any known incident in which not fewer 
     than 100 members of the Armed Forces were exposed to a toxic 
     substance that resulted in at least one case of a disability 
     that a member of the medical profession has determined to be 
     associated with that toxic substance.
       (b) Limitation.--The declassification required by 
     subsection (a) shall be limited to information necessary for 
     an individual who was potentially exposed to a toxic 
     substance to determine the following:
       (1) Whether that individual was exposed to that toxic 
     substance.
       (2) The potential severity of the exposure of that 
     individual to that toxic substance.
       (3) Any potential health conditions that may have resulted 
     from exposure to that toxic substance.
       (c) Exception.--The Secretary of Defense is not required to 
     declassify documents under subsection (a) if the Secretary 
     determines that declassification of those documents would 
     materially and immediately threaten the security of the 
     United States.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Armed forces.--The term ``Armed Forces'' has the 
     meaning given that term in section 101 of title 10, United 
     States Code.
       (2) Exposed.--The term ``exposed'' means, with respect to a 
     toxic substance, that an individual came into contact with 
     that toxic substance in a manner that could be hazardous to 
     the health of that individual, that may include if that toxic 
     substance was inhaled, ingested, or touched the skin or eyes.
       (3) Exposure.--The term ``exposure'' means, with respect to 
     a toxic substance, an event during which an individual was 
     exposed to that toxic substance.
       (4) Toxic substance.--The term ``toxic substance'' means 
     any substance determined by the Administrator of the 
     Environmental Protection Agency to be harmful to the 
     environment or hazardous to the health of an individual if 
     inhaled or ingested by or absorbed through the skin of that 
     individual.

[...]