The Air Force Health Study Assets Research Program (2015)

(1) The scientific merit of retaining and maintaining the medical records, other study data, and laboratory specimens collected in the course of the Air Force Health Study after the currently-scheduled termination date of the study in 2006.

(2) Whether or not any obstacles exist to retaining and maintaining the medical records, other study data, and laboratory specimens referred to in paragraph (1), including privacy concerns.

(3) The advisability of providing independent oversight of the medical records, other study data, and laboratory specimens referred to in paragraph (1), and of any further study of such records, data, and specimens, and, if so, the mechanism for providing such oversight.

(4) The advisability of extending the Air Force Health Study, including the potential value and relevance of extending the study, the potential cost of extending the study, and the Federal or non-Federal entity best suited to continue the study if extended.

(5) The advisability of making the laboratory specimens of the Air Force Health Study available for independent research, including the potential value and relevance of such research, and the potential cost of such research.

(1) Notification of participants.—The Secretary of the Air Force shall notify the participants of the Air Force Health Study that the study as currently constituted is ending as of September 30, 2006. In consultation with the Medical Follow-up Agency (in this section referred to as the “Agency”) of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the Secretary of the Air Force shall request the written consent of the participants to transfer their data and biological specimens

to the Agency during fiscal year 2007 and written consent for the Agency to maintain the data and specimens and make them available for additional studies.

(2) Completion of transfer.—

Custodianship of the Air Force Health Study shall be completely transferred to the Agency on or before September 30, 2007. Assets to be transferred shall include electronic data files and biological specimens of all the study participants.

(3) Copies to archives.—The Air Force shall send paper copies of all study documents to the National Archives.

(1) Requirement.—Not later than 30 days after completion of the transfer of the assets of the Air Force Health Study under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the transfer.

(2) Matters covered.—At a minimum, the report shall include information on the number of study participants whose data and biological specimens were not transferred, the efforts that were taken to contact such participants, and the reasons why the transfer of their data and specimens did not occur.

(1) Costs of transfer.—The Secretary of Defense shall make available to the Air Force $850,000 for preparation, transfer of the assets of the Air Force Health Study, and shipment of data and specimens to the Medical Follow-up Agency and the National Archives during fiscal year 2007 from amounts available from the Department of Defense for that fiscal year. The Secretary of Defense is authorized to transfer the freezers and other physical assets assigned to the Air Force Health Study to the Agency without charge.

(2) Costs of collaboration.—The Secretary of Defense may reimburse the National Academy of Sciences up to $200,000 for costs of the Medical Follow-up Agency to collaborate with the Air Force in the transfer and receipt of the assets of the Air Force Health Study to the Agency during fiscal year 2007 from

amounts available from the Department of Defense for that fiscal year.

(1) In general.—The Medical Follow-Up Agency may, during the period beginning on October 1, 2008, and ending on September 30, 2012, conduct such additional research on the assets transferred to the Agency from the Air Force Health Study as the Agency considers appropriate toward the goal of understanding the determinants of health, and promoting wellness, in veterans.

(2) Research.—In carrying out research authorized by this subsection, the Medical Follow-Up Agency may, utilizing amounts available under subsection (f)(1)(B), make grants for such pilot studies for or in connection with such research as the Agency considers appropriate.

(1) Report.—Not later than March 31, 2012, the Medical

Follow-Up Agency shall submit to Congress a report assessing the feasibility and advisability of conducting additional research on the assets transferred to the Agency from the Air Force Health Study after September 30, 2012.

(2) Disposition of assets.—If the report required by paragraph (1) includes an assessment that the research described in that paragraph would be feasible and advisable, the Agency shall, utilizing amounts available under subsection (f)(2), make any disposition of the assets transferred to the Agency from the Air Force Health Study as the Agency considers appropriate in preparation for such research.

(1) In general.—From amounts available for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2012 for the Department of Veterans Affairs for Medical and Prosthetic Research, amounts shall be available as follows:

(A) $1,200,000 shall be available in each such fiscal year for maintenance, management, and operation (including maintenance of biological specimens) of the assets transferred to the Medical Follow-Up Agency from the Air Force Health Study.

(B) $250,000 shall be available in each such fiscal year for the conduct of additional research authorized by subsection (d), including the funding of pilot studies authorized by paragraph (2) of that subsection.

(2) Medium-term research.—From amounts available for fiscal year 2012 for the Department of Veterans Affairs for Medical and Prosthetic Research, $200,000 shall be available for the preparation of the report required by subsection (e)(1) and for the disposition, if any, of assets authorized by subsection (e)(2).