Sec. 99.003. OPEN BURN PIT REGISTRY. (a) For outreach and education related to exposure to open burn pit smoke or other airborne hazards by service members and veterans in this state, the department shall create and maintain an open burn pit registry of service members and veterans who were exposed to open burn pit smoke or other airborne hazards during their military service in:

(1) the Southwest Asia theater of operations on or after August 2, 1990;

(2) Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm;

(3) Djibouti, Africa, on or after September 11, 2001;

(4) Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, or New Dawn; or

(5) any other conflict or theater identified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

(b) The department shall include for each entry in the open burn pit registry:

(1) the service member's or veteran's name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address;

(2) the location of the service member's or veteran's service and the period of service;

(3) any medical condition or death of the service member or veteran that may be related to exposure to open burn pit smoke or other airborne hazards; and

(4) any other information that the department or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs considers necessary.

(c) The department shall:

(1) share the information included in the department's open burn pit registry with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry; and

(2) electronically link the open burn pit registry created under this chapter with the federal registry.

Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 153 (H.B. 306), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2019.