I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10137 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to provide health care for family members and other individuals 

who resided at or worked at locations where there is a presumption 

of service-connection for certain illnesses and conditions, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2024 

Ms. BROWNLEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide health care for 

family members and other individuals who resided at 

or worked at locations where there is a presumption 

of service-connection for certain illnesses and conditions, 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVI2 SION OF HEALTH CARE FOR FAMILY MEM3 BERS AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO RE4 SIDED AT OR WORKED AT LOCATIONS WHERE 

5 THERE IS A PRESUMPTION OF SERVICE-CON6 NECTION FOR CERTAIN ILLNESSES AND CON7 DITIONS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 of 

9 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

10 end the following new section: 

11 ‘‘§ 1790. Health care for family members and other in12 dividuals who resided at or worked at lo13 cations where there is a presumption of 

14 service-connection for certain illnesses 

15 and conditions 

16 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) An individual described in 

17 subsection (b) shall be eligible for hospital care and med18 ical services furnished by the Secretary for a covered ill19 ness or condition. 

20 ‘‘(2) An individual described in this subsection is an 

21 individual who— 

22 ‘‘(A) resided at, worked at, or was in utero 

23 while their mother resided at or worked at a location 

24 for which the Secretary has established a presump25 tion of service-connection for any illness or condition 


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1 under or pursuant to chapter 11 of this title for the 

2 time period required for such presumption; and 

3 ‘‘(B) can demonstrate that the individual was 

4 exposed to the same condition or conditions that 

5 qualify veterans for such presumption, as deter6 mined by the Secretary. 

7 ‘‘(b) LIMITATIONS.—(1) The Secretary may only fur8 nish hospital care and medical services under subsection 

9 (a) to the extent and in the amount provided in advance 

10 in appropriations Acts for such purpose. 

11 ‘‘(2) Hospital care and medical services may not be 

12 furnished under subsection (a) for an illness or condition 

13 of an individual that is found, in accordance with guide14 lines issued by the Under Secretary for Health, to have 

15 resulted from a cause other than time spent at a location 

16 referred to in subsection (a)(2)(A). 

17 ‘‘(3) The Secretary may furnish hospital care or med18 ical services provided to an individual described in sub19 section (a)(2) only after the individual or the provider of 

20 such care or services has exhausted without success all 

21 claims and remedies reasonably available to the individual 

22 or provider against a third party (as defined in section 

23 1725(f) of this title) for payment of such care or services, 

24 including with respect to health-plan contracts (as defined 

25 in such section). 


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1 ‘‘(c) COVERED ILLNESS OR CONDITION.—In this sec2 tion, the term ‘covered illness or condition’ means, with 

3 respect to an individual who resided at, worked at, or was 

4 in utero while their mother resided at or worked at a loca5 tion, an illness or condition for which the Secretary has 

6 established a presumption of service-connection under or 

7 pursuant to chapter 11 of this title based on service in 

8 the Armed Forces at that location, notwithstanding that 

9 there is insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the 

10 illness or condition is attributable to such residence or 

11 work.’’. 

12 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

13 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

14 after the item relating to section 1789 the following new 

15 item: 

‘‘1790. Health care for family members and other individuals who resided at or 

worked at locations where there is a presumption of serviceconnection for certain illnesses and conditions.’’. 

16 (c) REPORTS.—Not later than December 31 of each 

17 of 2026, 2027, and 2028, the Secretary of Veterans Af18 fairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

19 of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

20 the House of Representatives a report on the hospital care 

21 and medical services provided under section 1790 of title 

22 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a). Each 

23 such report shall include each of the following: 


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1 (1) The number of individuals who were fur2 nished hospital care or medical services under such 

3 section during the period beginning on January 1, 

4 2025, and ending on the date of such report. 

5 (2) The illnesses and conditions for which such 

6 care or services were provided and the location asso7 ciated with the presumption of service-connection for 

8 each such illness or condition. 

9 (3) The number of individuals who applied for 

10 care or services under such section during that pe11 riod but who were denied, including information on 

12 the reasons for such denials. 

13 (4) The number of individuals who applied for 

14 care or services under such section and are awaiting 

15 a decision from the Secretary on eligibility for such 

16 care or services. as of the date of such report. 

Æ 


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