PREVENTION, MITIGATION, AND TREATMENT OF BLAST INJURIES.

SEC. 256. PREVENTION, MITIGATION, AND TREATMENT OF BLAST INJURIES.(a) Designation of Executive Agent.—The Secretary of Defense shall designate an executive agent to be responsible for coordinating and managing the medical research efforts and programs of the Department of Defense relating to the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries.(b) General Responsibilities.—The executive agent designated under subsection (a) shall be responsible for—(1) planning for the medical research and development projects, diagnostic and field treatment programs, and patient tracking and monitoring activities within the Department that relate to combat blast injuries;(2) efficient execution of such projects, programs, and activities;119 STAT. 3182(3) enabling the sharing of blast injury health hazards and survivability data collected through such projects, programs, and activities with the programs of the Department of Defense;(4) working with the Director, Defense Research and Engineering and the Secretaries of the military departments to ensure resources are adequate to also meet non-medical requirements related to blast injury prevention, mitigation, and treatment; and(5) ensuring that a joint combat trauma registry is established and maintained for the purposes of collection and analysis of contemporary combat casualties, including casualties with traumatic brain injury.(c) Medical Research Efforts.—(1) In general.—The executive agent designated under subsection (a) shall review and assess the adequacy of medical research efforts of the Department of Defense as of the date of the enactment of this Act relating to the following:(A) The characterization of blast effects leading to injury, including the injury potential of blasts in various environments.(B) Medical technologies and protocols to more accurately detect and diagnose blast injuries, including improved discrimination between traumatic brain injuries and mental health disorders.(C) Enhanced treatment of blast injuries in the field.(D) Integrated treatment approaches for members of the Armed Forces who have a combination of traumatic brain injuries and mental health disorders or other injuries.(E) Such other blast injury matters as the executive agent considers appropriate.(2) Requirements for research efforts.—Based on the assessment under paragraph (1), the executive agent shall establish requirements for medical research efforts described in that paragraph in order to enhance and accelerate those research efforts.(3) Oversight of research efforts.—The executive agent shall establish, coordinate, and oversee Department-wide medical research efforts relating to the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries, as necessary, to fulfill requirements established under paragraph (2).(d) Other Related Research Efforts.—The Director, Defense Research and Engineering, in coordination with the executive agent designated under subsection (a) and the Director of the Joint IED Defeat Task Force, shall—(1) review and assess the adequacy of current research efforts of the Department on the prevention and mitigation of blast injuries;(2) based on subsection (c)(1), establish requirements for further research; and(3) address any deficiencies identified in paragraphs (1) and (2) by establishing, coordinating, and overseeing Department-wide research and development initiatives on the prevention and mitigation of blast injuries, including explosive detection and defeat and personnel and vehicle blast protection.119 STAT. 3183(e) Studies.—The executive agent designated under subsection (a) shall conduct studies on the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries, including—(1) studies to improve the clinical evaluation and treatment approach for blast injuries, with an emphasis on traumatic brain injuries and other consequences of blast injury, including acoustic and eye injuries and injuries resulting from over-pressure wave;(2) studies on the incidence of traumatic brain injuries attributable to blast injury in soldiers returning from combat;(3) studies to develop protocols for medical tracking of members of the Armed Forces for up to five years following blast injuries; and(4) studies to refine and improve educational interventions for blast injury survivors and their families.(f) Training.—The executive agent designated under subsection (a), in coordination with the Director of the Joint IED Defeat Task Force, shall develop training protocols for medical and non-medical personnel on the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries. Those protocols shall be intended to improve field and clinical training on early identification of blast injury consequences, both seen and unseen, including traumatic brain injuries, acoustic injuries, and internal injuries.(g) Information Sharing.—The executive agent designated under subsection (a) shall make available the results of relevant medical research and development projects and studies to—(1) Department of Defense programs focused on—(A) promoting the exchange of blast health hazards data with blast characterization data and blast modeling and simulation tools; and(B) encouraging the incorporation of blast hazards data into design and operational features of blast detection, mitigation, and defeat capabilities, such as comprehensive armor systems which provide blast, ballistic, and fire protection for the head, neck, ears, eyes, torso, and extremities; and(2) traumatic brain injury treatment programs to enhance the evaluation and care of members of the Armed Forces with traumatic brain injuries in medical facilities in the United States and in deployed medical facilities, including those outside the Department of Defense.(h) Reports on Blast Injury Matters.—(1) Reports required.—Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter through 2008, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report on the efforts and programs of the Department of Defense relating to the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries.(2) Elements.—Each report under paragraph (1) shall include the following:(A) A description of the activities undertaken under this section during the two years preceding the report to improve the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries.119 STAT. 3184(B) A consolidated budget presentation for Department of Defense biomedical research efforts and studies related to blast injury for the two fiscal years following the year of the report.(C) A description of any gaps in the capabilities of the Department and any plans to address such gaps within biomedical research related to blast injury, blast injury diagnostic and treatment programs, and blast injury tracking and monitoring activities.(D) A description of collaboration, if any, with other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and with other countries, during the two years preceding the report in efforts for the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries.(E) A description of any efforts during the two years preceding the report to disseminate findings on the diagnosis and treatment of blast injuries through civilian and military research and medical communities.(F) A description of the status of efforts during the two years preceding the report to incorporate blast injury effects data into appropriate programs of the Department of Defense and into the development of comprehensive force protection systems that are effective in confronting blast, ballistic, and fire threats.(i) Deadline for Designation of Executive Agent.—The Secretary shall make the designation required by subsection (a) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.(j) Blast Injuries Defined.—In this section, the term “blast injuries” means injuries that occur as the result of the detonation of high explosives, including vehicle-borne and person-borne explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades, and improvised explosive devices.(k) Executive Agent Defined.—In this section, the term “executive agent” has the meaning provided such term in Department of Defense Directive 5101.1.