04/15/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/15/2024 12:01
Apr 15, 2024
Blast Overpressure Safety Act Would Require Defense Department To Enact Better Blast Overpressure Screening, Tracking, Prevention, And Treatment
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, alongside 11 other senators introduced the Blast Overpressure Safety Act - bipartisan legislation that would direct the Department of Defense (DoD) to enact a variety of measures to help mitigate and protect service members from blast overpressure. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) will introduce the bill in the House of Representatives.
During just three months in 2023, DoD provided treatment to service members nearly 50,000 times for traumatic brain injuries (TBI), which are considered the "signature wound" of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. For troops with mild TBI, "the most important cause of brain injury was the long-term exposure to explosive weapons." Researchers in Afghanistan also determined that, "75 percent of the troops' (blast) exposure was coming from their own weapons." Despite this, service members continue to train with weapons with unsafe blast levels.
"Far too many of our nation's service members suffer traumatic brain injuries as a result of their service and we must do more to ensure they receive the care they deserve," said Senator Gillibrand. "The Blast Overpressure Safety Act is a step in the right direction to ensure our service members are better protected from the dangerous shockwaves from explosive weapons and prevent traumatic brain injuries. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill and look forward to getting it passed."
The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine).
The bill is endorsed by the Wounded Warrior Project.
Specifically, the Blast Overpressure Safety Act would:
Bill text is available here.