Establishment of Joint Disease and Non-Battle Injury Surveillance and Readiness System

(a) Establishment Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1110b the following new section: 1110c. Joint Disease and Non-Battle Injury Surveillance and Readiness System (a) In general The Secretary of Defense shall establish and maintain a Joint Disease and Non-Battle Injury Surveillance and Readiness System (in this section referred to as the Joint DNBI System) within the Defense Health Agency to provide standardized, interoperable, and real-time monitoring of disease and non-battle injury across the armed forces. (b) Applicability The Joint DNBI System shall apply to— (1) the regular components of the armed forces; (2) the reserve components of the armed forces when in Federal service; and (3) such other personnel of the Department of Defense as the Secretary determines appropriate. (c) Elements The Joint DNBI System shall— (1) standardize definitions, metrics, and reporting requirements for disease and non-battle injury of members of the armed forces; (2) integrate with the electronic health record systems of the Department of Defense; (3) integrate with readiness reporting systems and operational reporting platforms; (4) provide commanders and combatant commands with near-real-time medical situational awareness; (5) incorporate environmental and occupational health surveillance data; (6) track lost duty days, medical evacuations, limited duty status, and other readiness impacts attributable to disease and non-battle injury; (7) integrate lessons learned with respect to infectious disease and preventive medicine, including through overseas medical laboratories and the Global Emerging Infectious Surveillance program, across the armed forces; and (8) ensure interoperability, as appropriate, with joint, interagency, and allied health surveillance systems. (d) Responsibilities (1) Secretary of Defense The Secretary of Defense shall— (A) designate a senior official within the Office of the Secretary of Defense to oversee policy oversight with respect to the Joint DNBI System; and (B) ensure adequate resourcing and cybersecurity protections for such system. (2) Secretaries of the military departments Each Secretary of a military department shall— (A) implement standardized reporting procedures with respect to the Joint DNBI System; (B) ensure compliance with such system at all command levels; and (C) incorporate disease and non-battle injury metrics into readiness assessments. (3) Joint staff and combatant commanders The Joint Staff and the commanders of the combatant commands shall incorporate data from the Joint DNBI System into operational risk assessments and campaign planning. (4) Director of the Defense Health Agency The Director of the Defense Health Agency shall— (A) develop the concept of operations for the Joint DNBI System; and (B) implement policy guidance from the Secretary of Defense and ensure such system achieves full operational capability. (e) Privacy and civil liberties The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the Joint DNBI System complies with— (1) section 552a of title 5 (commonly known as the Privacy Act of 1974); (2) the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–191); and (3) all applicable cybersecurity and data protection requirements. (f) Annual briefing Not later than March 1 of each year beginning in the first full fiscal year following implementation of the Joint DNBI System, the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on trends in disease and non-battle injury and associated readiness impacts. (g) Sunset This section shall terminate on September 30, 2032. (h) Disease and non-battle injury defined In this section, the term disease and non-battle injury means any medical condition not directly attributable to hostile action, including infectious disease, environmental exposure, occupational injury, training-related injury, heat or cold injury, and other non-combat-related conditions affecting readiness.. (b) Implementation timeline The Secretary of Defense shall— (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, issue implementing guidance for the Joint Disease and Non-Battle Injury Surveillance and Readiness System established under section 1110c of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a); (2) not later than 18 months after such date of enactment, achieve initial operating capability for such system; and (3) not later than 36 months after such date of enactment, achieve full operating capability for such system. (c) Initial report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report describing— (1) progress of implementation of the Joint Disease and Non-Battle Injury Surveillance and Readiness System established under section 1110c of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a); (2) identified capability gaps with respect to such system; and (3) resource requirements for such system.