development of GWI in deployed veterans. The health consequences of chemical exposures in the GW and other conflicts have been called “toxic wounds” by veterans. This type of injury requires further study and concentrated treatment research efforts that may also benefit other occupational groups with similar exposure-related illnesses." In the year prior to the consideration of this bill, the VA and the RAC were at odds with one another. The VA replaced all but one of the members of the RAC, removed some of their supervisory tasks, tried to influence the RAC to decide that stress, rather than biology was the cause of Gulf War Illness, and told the RAC that it could not publish reports without VA permission. The RAC was created after Congress decided that the VA's research into the issue was flawed, and focused on psychological causes, while mostly ignoring biological ones. The RAC was first authorized under the Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998 (Section 104 of Public Law 105-368, enacted November 11, 1998, and now codified as 38 U.S.C. §527 note). While the law directing its creation mandated that it be established not later than January 1, 1999, the VA's significant delays resulted in the RAC's first charter not being issued until January 23, 2002, by VA Secretary Anthony Principi. The RAC convened for its first meetings on April 11-12, 2002, more than three years after the date for its establishment mandated in law. Provisions of the bill The bill would make the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses (RAC) an independent committee within the VA. The bill would require the majority of RAC members be appointed by the chairmen and ranking members of the United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Three of the members would be required to be veterans, while a minimum of eight members "must be scientists of physicians, with expertise in areas like epidemiology, immunology, neurology and toxicology." The bill would also mandate that the condition be called "Gulf War Illness" instead of "Gulf War Syndrome." The bill also requests that the VA look at animal studies when investigating toxic exposure. The bill states that "reports, recommendations, publications, and other documents of the (RAC) committee shall not be subject to review or approval by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs." Procedural history H.R. 4261, the Gulf War Health Research Reform Act