II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4384 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to address exposure by members 

of the Armed Forces to toxic substances at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, 

Uzbekistan, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 30, 2020 

Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself and Mr. BLUMENTHAL) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to address exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances 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 Advocacy 

5 Act of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STUDY ON EXPOSURE BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

2 FORCES TO TOXICANTS AT KARSHI3 KHANABAD AIR BASE IN UZBEKISTAN. 

4 (a) AGREEMENT AND STUDY.—Not later than 60 

5 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec6 retary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into an agreement 

7 with the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Sub8 stances and Disease Registry for the Administrator to 

9 complete, not later than two years after the date of the 

10 enactment of this Act, a study to identify and assess any 

11 causation or correlation between— 

12 (1) exposure to toxicants at the Karshi13 Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan during the 

14 period beginning on October 7, 2001, and ending on 

15 November 21, 2005; and 

16 (2) incidents of cancer and other diseases or ill17 nesses experienced by individuals who were members 

18 of the Armed Forces during the period described in 

19 paragraph (1) and exposed to toxicants as described 

20 in such paragraph. 

21 (b) ELEMENTS.—The study conducted under sub22 section (a) shall include the following: 

23 (1) An assessment regarding the conditions of 

24 Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, during the 

25 period beginning on October 1, 2001, and ending on 

26 December 31, 2005, including an identification of 


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1 toxic substances contaminating the Air Base during 

2 such period. 

3 (2) An epidemiological study of the health con4 sequences of individuals who were members of the 

5 Armed Forces deployed to the Air Base during such 

6 period. 

7 (c) SUPPORT FOR STUDY.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 

9 the Administrator with assistance in carrying out 

10 the study required by subsection (a), including by 

11 gathering such information as the Administrator 

12 may consider useful in carrying out the study, in13 cluding environmental sampling data relative to any 

14 location included in the study. 

15 (2) OBTAINING INFORMATION CONCERNING EX16 POSURE.—Assistance under paragraph (1) provided 

17 by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include 

18 compiling information on exposure described in sub19 section (a)(1) and any head of a Federal department 

20 or agency with information concerning such expo21 sure, including the Secretary of Defense, shall pro22 vide the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with such in23 formation concerning such exposure as the Secretary 

24 of Veterans Affairs considers appropriate for pur25 poses of the study required by subsection (a). 


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1 (d) REPORT.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years 

3 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec4 retary shall submit to the appropriate committees of 

5 Congress a report on the matters covered by the 

6 study completed under subsection (a). 

7 (2) CONTENTS.—The report required by para8 graph (1) shall include the following: 

9 (A) The findings of the Administrator with 

10 respect to the study completed under subsection 

11 (a). 

12 (B) A description of— 

13 (i) the benefits administered by the 

14 Secretary that a veteran may be eligible to 

15 receive by reason of being exposed to toxic 

16 substances at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, 

17 Uzbekistan, while serving in the Armed 

18 Forces; and 

19 (ii) the outreach conducted by the 

20 Secretary to inform such veterans of such 

21 benefits. 

22 (3) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS

23 DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appro24 priate committees of Congress’’ means— 


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1 (A) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

2 and the Committee on Armed Services of the 

3 Senate; and 

4 (B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

5 and the Committee on Armed Services of the 

6 House of Representatives. 

7 (e) INCLUSION OF UZBEKISTAN IN CERTAIN REG8 ISTRIES AND PROGRAMS.—Section 201(c)(2) of the Dig9 nified Burial and Other Veterans’ Benefits Improvement 

10 Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note) 

11 is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

12 by striking ‘‘Afghanistan or Iraq’’ and inserting ‘‘Afghani13 stan, Iraq, or Uzbekistan’’. 

Æ 


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