I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2569 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a presumption of 

service connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents for veterans who served in close proximity to the Republic 

of Vietnam, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 15, 2021 

Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. 

O’HALLERAN, Ms. NORTON, Ms. TITUS, Mr. SIRES, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. 

TLAIB, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. CARSON, and Mr. 

KILMER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a 

presumption of service connection for diseases associated 

with exposure to certain herbicide agents for veterans 

who served in close proximity to the Republic of Vietnam, 

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 ‘‘Veterans Agent Or5 ange Exposure Equity Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PRESUMPTIONS OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR DIS2 EASES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO CER3 TAIN HERBICIDE AGENTS FOR VETERANS 

4 WHO SERVED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE 

5 REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1116 of title 38, United 

7 States Code, is amended— 

8 (1) by striking ‘‘, during active military, naval, 

9 or air service, served in the Republic of Vietnam 

10 during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, 

11 and ending on May 7, 1975’’ each place it appears 

12 and inserting ‘‘performed covered service’’; 

13 (2) by striking ‘‘performed active military, 

14 naval, or air service in the Republic of Vietnam dur15 ing the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and 

16 ending on May 7, 1975’’ each place it appears and 

17 inserting ‘‘performed covered service’’; 

18 (3) by striking subsections (b) through (e) and 

19 redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (b); and 

20 (4) by adding at the end the following new sub21 section: 

22 ‘‘(c) In this section, the term ‘covered service’ means 

23 active military, naval, or air service— 

24 ‘‘(1) performed in the Republic of Vietnam dur25 ing the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and 

26 ending on May 7, 1975; 


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1 ‘‘(2) performed in Thailand— 

2 ‘‘(A) at a United States Army base or 

3 Royal Thai Air Force base during the period 

4 beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on 

5 May 7, 1975; or 

6 ‘‘(B) at the Royal Thai Army Replacement 

7 Training Center, Pranburi Military Reservation 

8 during the period beginning January 1, 1964, 

9 and ending on April 30, 1964; 

10 ‘‘(3) performed in Laos during the period be11 ginning on December 1, 1965, and ending on Sep12 tember 30, 1969; or 

13 ‘‘(4) performed in Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, 

14 Kompon Cham Province during the period beginning 

15 on April 16, 1969, and ending on April 30, 1969.’’. 

16 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 

17 (1) SECTION HEADING.—The heading for sec18 tion 1116 is amended by inserting ‘‘, or in close 

19 proximity to,’’ before ‘‘the Republic of Viet20 nam’’. 

21 (2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 

22 at the beginning of chapter 11 of such title is 

23 amended by striking the item relating to section 

24 1116 and inserting the following new item: 


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‘‘1116. Presumptions of service connection for diseases associated with exposure 

to certain herbicide agents; presumption of exposure for veterans who served in, or in close proximity to, the Republic of 

Vietnam’’. 

Æ 


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