I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2996 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period of time in 

which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs presumes the service-connection 

of certain disabilities of veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War, 

Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation 

New Dawn, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 

Mr. KISSELL (for himself and Mr. ROE of Tennessee) introduced the following 

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

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period 

of time in which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs presumes the service-connection of certain disabilities of veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War, Operation 

Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn, 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 ‘‘Gulf War Syndrome 

5 ‘Presumptive Illness’ Extension Act of 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PRESUMPTIVE PERIOD FOR CERTAIN DISABILITIES 

2 OCCURRING IN VETERANS WHO SERVED IN 

3 THE PERSIAN GULF WAR, OPERATION EN4 DURING FREEDOM, OPERATION IRAQI FREE5 DOM, OR OPERATION NEW DAWN. 

6 (a) EXTENSION OF PERIOD.—Subsection (b) of sec7 tion 1117 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 

8 striking ‘‘section.’’ and inserting ‘‘section, but in no event 

9 may the end of such period of time be earlier than Decem10 ber 31, 2018.’’. 

11 (b) CLARIFICATION OF VETERANS COVERED.— 

12 (1) COMPENSATION.—Such section is further 

13 amended by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(i)(1) For purposes of this section, the Secretary 

15 shall treat a veteran described in paragraph (2) as a vet16 eran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in 

17 the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Per18 sian Gulf War. 

19 ‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a vet20 eran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces dur21 ing Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Free22 dom, or Operation New Dawn in the Southwest Asia the23 ater of operations, Afghanistan, or other location that sup24 ported such an operation, as determined by the Sec25 retary.’’. 


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1 (2) PRESUMPTION.—Section 1118 of such title 

2 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

3 ‘‘(e)(1) For purposes of this section, the Secretary 

4 shall treat a veteran described in paragraph (2) as a vet5 eran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in 

6 the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Per7 sian Gulf War. 

8 ‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a vet9 eran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces dur10 ing Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Free11 dom, or Operation New Dawn in the Southwest Asia the12 ater of operations, Afghanistan, or other location that sup13 ported such an operation, as determined by the Sec14 retary.’’. 

Æ 


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