I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1355 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2021 

Mr. LYNCH (for himself, Mr. GREEN of Tennessee, Mr. RYAN, Mr. 

FITZPATRICK, Mr. SAN NICOLAS, Mr. WELCH, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. COOPER, 

Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. OMAR, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. 

RADEWAGEN, Mr. WEBSTER of Florida, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. STEUBE, Mr. 

GROTHMAN, Mrs. RODGERS of Washington, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. TIFFANY, 

Mr. STEWART, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. PHILLIPS, Ms. FOXX, Mr. POSEY, Mr. 

KEATING, Mr. BUDD, Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma, Ms. TITUS, Ms. 

MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. KATKO, Mr. MASSIE, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. 

NORMAN, Mr. BABIN, Mr. BACON, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. 

MOORE of Alabama, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. MURPHY of North 

Carolina, Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs. BOEBERT, Mrs. KIM

of California, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. JOHNSON

of South Dakota, Mr. CAWTHORN, Mr. STAUBER, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. 

MEIJER, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. GRAVES of Missouri, and Mr. YOUNG) introduced the following bill; which was 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. 


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•HR 1355 IH

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’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PRESUMPTIONS OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR 

7 CERTAIN DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPO8 SURE TO CERTAIN TOXIC SUBSTANCES BY 

9 MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES SERVING AT 

10 KARSHI KHANABAD AIR BASE, UZBEKISTAN. 

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

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

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

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

15 Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, 

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

17 2001, and ending on December 31, 2005, shall be consid18 ered to have been incurred in or aggravated by such serv19 ice, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence 

20 of such disease during the period of such service. 

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

22 this subsection are the illnesses and diseases that the Na23 tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 

24 determine have a positive association, including a suffiVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:58 Mar 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1355.IH H1355

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•HR 1355 IH

1 cient, limited, or suggestive association, with exposure to 

2 any of the following substances: 

3 (1) Jet fuel. 

4 (2) Volatile organic compounds. 

5 (3) High levels of particulate matter and dust 

6 resulting from open burn pits, as defined in section 

7 201(c) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ 

8 Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 

9 112–260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note). 

10 (4) Depleted uranium. 

11 (5) Asbestos. 

12 (6) Lead-based paint. 

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

14 SUBSTANCES WHILE SERVING AS MEMBERS 

15 OF THE ARMED FORCES AT KARSHI 

16 KHANABAD AIR BASE, UZBEKISTAN. 

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

18 amended— 

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

20 following new subparagraph: 

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

22 Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, 

23 during the period beginning on January 1, 2001, and end24 ing on December 31, 2005, is eligible for hospital care, 

25 medical services, and nursing home care under subsection 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
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•HR 1355 IH

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

2 Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine deter3 mine has a positive association, including a sufficient, lim4 ited, or suggestive association, with exposure to any of the 

5 following substances, notwithstanding that there is insuffi6 cient medical evidence to conclude that such illness or dis7 ease is attributable to such service: 

8 ‘‘(i) Jet fuel. 

9 ‘‘(ii) Volatile organic compounds. 

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

11 resulting from open burn pits, as defined in section 

12 201(c) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ 

13 Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 

14 112–260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note). 

15 ‘‘(iv) Depleted uranium. 

16 ‘‘(v) Asbestos. 

17 ‘‘(vi) Lead-based paint.’’; and 

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

19 and inserting ‘‘(F), or (G)’’. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS