Plain English summary not yet available
The full original text is available below. Check back soon as we process this bill.
II
★(Star Print)
116TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 2810
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption of service-
connection for certain veterans with tinnitus or hearing loss, and for
other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
NOVEMBER 7, 2019
Ms. SMITH (for herself and Mr. MENENDEZ) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a pre-
sumption of service-connection for certain veterans with
tinnitus or hearing loss, 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 ‘‘Veterans Hearing Ben-
4
efits Act of 2019’’.
5
VerDate Sep 11 2014
21:48 Nov 20, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S2810.IS
S2810
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2
S 2810 IS1S
SEC. 2. PRESUMPTION OF SERVICE-CONNECTION FOR
1
HEARING LOSS AND TINNITUS.
2
Section 1112 of title 38, United States Code, is
3
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
4
section:
5
‘‘(d)(1) For purposes of section 1110 of this title, and
6
subject to the provisions of section 1113 of this title, diag-
7
nosed hearing loss, tinnitus, or both of a veteran described
8
in paragraph (2) shall be considered to have been incurred
9
in or aggravated by the active military, naval, or air serv-
10
ice of the veteran, notwithstanding that there is no record
11
of evidence of such hearing loss or tinnitus, as the case
12
may be, during the period of such service.
13
‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a vet-
14
eran who while on active military, naval, or air service—
15
‘‘(A) was assigned to a military occupational
16
specialty or equivalent described in paragraph (3);
17
or
18
‘‘(B) served in combat.
19
‘‘(3) A military occupational specialty or equivalent
20
referred to in paragraph (2)(A) is a military occupational
21
specialty or equivalent in which individuals assigned to
22
such military occupational specialty or equivalent in the
23
active military, naval, or air service are or were likely to
24
be exposed to a sufficiently high level of acoustic trauma
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
21:48 Nov 20, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S2810.IS
S2810
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3
S 2810 IS1S
as to result in permanent hearing loss, tinnitus, or both,
1
as determined by the Secretary.’’.
2
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION TO SCHEDULE FOR RATES FOR DIS-
3
ABILITY COMPENSATION.
4
Pursuant to section 1155 of title 38, United States
5
Code, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall adjust the
6
schedule of rating disabilities to establish a minimum dis-
7
ability rating for a veteran who requires a hearing aid be-
8
cause of a service-connected disability, including pursuant
9
to section 1112(d) of such title, as amended by section
10
2.
11
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
21:48 Nov 20, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\S2810.IS
S2810
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS