§996 Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must keep a central web system called the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record. It gathers exposure information for service members. It includes service records, all available details about how, where, and when members were exposed to workplace or environmental hazards, and related medical records like diagnoses, treatment plans, and lab results. If exposure data exists for a member, the Secretary must add it to that member’s service record. The Secretary must give access to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; the Director of the Defense Health Agency for DoD health staff and researchers; the VA Under Secretary for Health for VA clinicians and researchers; and the VA Under Secretary for Benefits for staff handling compensation and benefits. The Secretary must also provide an annual briefing to the Senate and House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs committees about the system and how classified exposure data will be handled.