K2 Veterans Care Act of 2021

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 454 To provide health care and benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 25, 2021 Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BROWN, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To provide health care and benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘K2 Veterans Care Act 4 of 2021’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:37 Mar 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S454.IS S454 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 454 IS SEC. 2. PRESUMPTIONS OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR 1 CERTAIN DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPO- 2 SURE TO CERTAIN TOXIC SUBSTANCES BY 3 MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES SERVING AT 4 KARSHI KHANABAD AIR BASE, UZBEKISTAN. 5 (a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of section 1110 of 6 title 38, United States Code, and subject to section 1113 7 of such title, a disease specified in subsection (b) becoming 8 manifest in a veteran who served on active duty in the 9 Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, 10 at any time during the period beginning on January 1, 11 2001, and ending on December 31, 2005, shall be consid- 12 ered to have been incurred in or aggravated by such serv- 13 ice, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence 14 of such disease during the period of such service. 15 (b) DISEASES SPECIFIED.—The diseases specified in 16 this subsection are the illnesses and diseases that the Na- 17 tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 18 determine have a positive association, including a suffi- 19 cient, limited, or suggestive association, with exposure to 20 any of the following substances: 21 (1) Jet fuel. 22 (2) Volatile organic compounds. 23 (3) High levels of particulate matter and dust 24 resulting from open burn pits, as defined in section 25 201(c) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:37 Mar 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S454.IS S454 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 454 IS Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 1 112–260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note). 2 (4) Depleted uranium. 3 (5) Asbestos. 4 (6) Lead-based paint. 5 SEC. 3. HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS EXPOSED TO TOXIC 6 SUBSTANCES WHILE SERVING AS MEMBERS 7 OF THE ARMED FORCES AT KARSHI 8 KHANABAD AIR BASE, UZBEKISTAN. 9 Section 1710(e) of title 38, United States Code, is 10 amended— 11 (1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the 12 following new subparagraph: 13 ‘‘(G) A veteran who served on active duty in the 14 Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, 15 during the period beginning on January 1, 2001, and end- 16 ing on December 31, 2005, is eligible for hospital care, 17 medical services, and nursing home care under subsection 18 (a)(2)(F) for any illness or disease for which the National 19 Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine deter- 20 mine has a positive association, including a sufficient, lim- 21 ited, or suggestive association, with exposure to any of the 22 following substances, notwithstanding that there is insuffi- 23 cient medical evidence to conclude that such illness or dis- 24 ease is attributable to such service: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:37 Mar 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S454.IS S454 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 454 IS ‘‘(i) Jet fuel. 1 ‘‘(ii) Volatile organic compounds. 2 ‘‘(iii) High levels of particulate matter and dust 3 resulting from open burn pits, as defined in section 4 201(c) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ 5 Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 6 112–260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note). 7 ‘‘(iv) Depleted uranium. 8 ‘‘(v) Asbestos. 9 ‘‘(vi) Lead-based paint.’’; and 10 (2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘or (F)’’ 11 and inserting ‘‘(F), or (G)’’. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:37 Mar 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S454.IS S454 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS