DEFENSE WOMEN’S HEALTH RESEARCH PROGRAM.

SEC. 241. DEFENSE WOMEN’S HEALTH RESEARCH PROGRAM. (a) Continuation of Program.— The Secretary of Defense shall continue the Defense Women’s Health Research Program established in fiscal year 1994 pursuant to the authority in section 251 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (Public Law 103–160; 107 Stat. 1606). The program shall continue to serve as the coordinating agent for multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research within the Department of Defense on women’s health issues related to service in the Armed Forces. The program also shall continue to coordinate with research supported by other Federal agencies that is aimed at improving the health of women. (b) Participation by All Military Departments.— The Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force shall each participate in the activities under the program. (c) Army To Be Executive Agent.— The Secretary of Defense shall designate the Secretary of the Army to be the executive agent for administering the program. (d) Implementation Plan.— If the Secretary of Defense intends to change the plan for the implementation of the program previously submitted to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives, the amended plan shall be submitted to such committees before implementation. 108 STAT. 2702 (e) Program Activities.— The program shall include the following activities regarding health risks and health care for women in the Armed Forces: (1) The coordination and support activities described in section 251 of Public Law 103–160. (2) Epidemiologic research regarding women deployed for military operations, including research on patterns of illness and injury, environmental and occupational hazards (including exposure to toxins), side-effects of pharmaceuticals used by women so deployed, psychological stress associated with military training, deployment, combat and other traumatic incidents, and other conditions of life, and human factor research regarding women so deployed. (3) Development of a data base to facilitate long-term research studies on issues related to the health of women in military service, and continued development and support of a women’s health information clearinghouse to serve as an information resource for clinical, research, and policy issues affecting women in the Armed Forces. (4) Research on policies and standards issues, including research supporting the development of military standards related to training, operations, deployment, and retention and the relationship between such activities and factors affecting women’s health. (5) Research on interventions having a potential for addressing conditions of military service that adversely affect the health of women in the Armed Forces. (f) Funding.— Of the amount authorized to be appropriated pursuant to section 201, $40,000,000 shall be available for the Defense Women’s Health Research Program referred to in subsection (a).