Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 93.djvu/1129

 PUBLIC LAW 96-151—DEC. 20, 1979

93 STAT. 1097

the Congress a report on its activities during the preceding fiscal year" after "Administrator". TECHNICAL AMENDMENT

SEC. 306. (a) Section 601(a)(2) of the Veterans' Disability Compensation and Survivors' Benefits Amendments of 1979 (Public Law 96-128) is amended by striking out "clause (1)" and inserting in lieu thereof "clause (11)". (b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect as of November 28, 1979.

38 USC 314 note. Ante, p. 987. Effective date. 38 USC 314 note.

AGENT ORANGE STUDY

SEC. 307. (a)(1) The Administrator of Veterans' Affairs shall design 38 USC 219 note. a protocol for and conduct an epidemiological study of persons who, while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during the period of the Vietnam conflict, were exposed to any of the class of chemicals known as "the dioxins" produced during the manufacture of the various phenoxy herbicides (including the herbicide known as "Agent Orange") to determine if there may be long-term adverse health effects in such persons from such exposure. The Administrator shall also conduct a comprehensive review and scientific analysis of the literature covering other studies relating to whether there may be long-term adverse health effects in humans from exposure to such dioxins or other dioxins. (2)(A)(i) The study conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be conducted in accordance with a protocol approved by the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment. (ii) The Director shall monitor the conduct of such study in order to assure compliance with such protocol. (B)(i) Concurrent with the approval or disapproval of any protocol Reports to under subparagraph (A)(i), the Director of the Office of Technology congressional Assessment shall submit to the appropriate committees of the Con- committees. gress a report explaining the basis for the Director's action in approving or disapproving such protocol and providing the Director's conclusions regarding the scientific validity and objectivity of such protocol. (ii) In the event that the Director has not approved such protocol during the one hundred and eighty days following the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall (I) submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress a report describing the reasons why the Director has not given such approval, and (II) submit an update report on such initial report each sixty days thereafter until such protocol is approved. (C) The Director shall submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress, at each of the times specified in the second sentence of this subparagraph, a report on the Director's monitoring of the conduct of such study pursuant to subparagraph (A)(ii). A report under the preceding sentence shall be submitted before the end of the six-month period beginning on the date of the approval of such protocol by the Director, before the end of the twelve-month period beginning on such date, and annually thereafter until such study is completed or terminated. (3) The study conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be continued for as long after the submission of the report under subsection (b)(2) as the Administrator may determine reasonable in light of the possibility of developing through such study significant new information on the long-term adverse health effects of exposure to dioxins.

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