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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘K2 Veterans Care Act 

5 of 2021’’. 


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•S 454 IS

1 SEC. 2. PRESUMPTIONS OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR 

2 CERTAIN DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPO3 SURE TO CERTAIN TOXIC SUBSTANCES BY 

4 MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES SERVING AT 

5 KARSHI KHANABAD AIR BASE, UZBEKISTAN. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of section 1110 of 

7 title 38, United States Code, and subject to section 1113 

8 of such title, a disease specified in subsection (b) becoming 

9 manifest in a veteran who served on active duty in the 

10 Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, 

11 at any time during the period beginning on January 1, 

12 2001, and ending on December 31, 2005, shall be consid13 ered to have been incurred in or aggravated by such serv14 ice, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence 

15 of such disease during the period of such service. 

16 (b) DISEASES SPECIFIED.—The diseases specified in 

17 this subsection are the illnesses and diseases that the Na18 tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 

19 determine have a positive association, including a suffi20 cient, limited, or suggestive association, with exposure to 

21 any of the following substances: 

22 (1) Jet fuel. 

23 (2) Volatile organic compounds. 

24 (3) High levels of particulate matter and dust 

25 resulting from open burn pits, as defined in section 

26 201(c) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ 


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1 Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 

2 112–260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note). 

3 (4) Depleted uranium. 

4 (5) Asbestos. 

5 (6) Lead-based paint. 

6 SEC. 3. HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS EXPOSED TO TOXIC 

7 SUBSTANCES WHILE SERVING AS MEMBERS 

8 OF THE ARMED FORCES AT KARSHI 

9 KHANABAD AIR BASE, UZBEKISTAN. 

10 Section 1710(e) of title 38, United States Code, is 

11 amended— 

12 (1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the 

13 following new subparagraph: 

14 ‘‘(G) A veteran who served on active duty in the 

15 Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, 

16 during the period beginning on January 1, 2001, and end17 ing on December 31, 2005, is eligible for hospital care, 

18 medical services, and nursing home care under subsection 

19 (a)(2)(F) for any illness or disease for which the National 

20 Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine deter21 mine has a positive association, including a sufficient, lim22 ited, or suggestive association, with exposure to any of the 

23 following substances, notwithstanding that there is insuffi24 cient medical evidence to conclude that such illness or dis25 ease is attributable to such service: 


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•S 454 IS

1 ‘‘(i) Jet fuel. 

2 ‘‘(ii) Volatile organic compounds. 

3 ‘‘(iii) High levels of particulate matter and dust 

4 resulting from open burn pits, as defined in section 

5 201(c) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ 

6 Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 

7 112–260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note). 

8 ‘‘(iv) Depleted uranium. 

9 ‘‘(v) Asbestos. 

10 ‘‘(vi) Lead-based paint.’’; and 

11 (2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘or (F)’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘(F), or (G)’’. 

Æ 


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