I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2414

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide priority health care to

veterans of the Persian Gulf War who were exposed to environmental hazards.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 15, 1993

Mr. EVANS (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, and Mr. GUTIERREZ) introduced the

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

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide priority

health care to veterans of the Persian Gulf War who

were exposed to environmental hazards.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. AUTHORITY FOR PRIORITY INPATIENT CARE

4 FOR PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS WHO

5 MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ENVIRON6 MENTAL HAZARDS.

7 (a) PRIORITY.—Section 1710(a)(1)(G) of title 38,

8 United States Code, is amended by striking out ‘‘or radi9 ation’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘, radiation, or envi10 ronmental hazards’’.
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1 (b) AUTHORIZED INPATIENT CARE.—Section

2 1710(e) of such title is amended—

3 (1) by inserting at the end of paragraph (1) the

4 following new subparagraph:

5 ‘‘(C) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this sub6 section, a veteran—

7 ‘‘(i) who served on active duty in the theater of

8 operations during Operation Desert Shield, Oper9 ation Desert Storm, or the Persian Gulf War-era,

10 and

11 ‘‘(ii) who the Secretary finds may have been ex12 posed during such service to environmental hazards

13 (including, but not limited to, petrochemicals, the

14 fumes of burning landfills or petrochemicals, phar15 maceuticals or other chemical agents administered

16 by the Department of Defense, indigenous diseases,

17 pesticides, and inhalation or ingestion of depleted

18 uranium or wounds caused by depleted uranium);

19 is eligible for hospital care and nursing home care under

20 subsection (a)(1)(G) of this section for any disability, not21 withstanding that there is insufficient medical evidence to

22 conclude that such disability may be associated with such

23 exposure.’’; and
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1 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking out ‘‘subpara2 graph (A) or (B)’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘sub3 paragraph (A), (B), or (C)’’.

4 (c) PERIOD OF AUTHORITY FOR CARE.—Section

5 1710(e) of such title is further amended by striking out

6 ‘‘September 30, 1993’’ in paragraph (3) and inserting in

7 lieu thereof ‘‘September 30, 2003’’.

8 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR PRIORITY OUTPATIENT CARE FOR

9 PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS WHO MAY

10 HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ENVIRONMENTAL

11 HAZARDS.

12 Section 1712(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code,

13 is amended—

14 (1) by striking out ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub15 paragraph (B).

16 (2) by striking out the period at the end of sub17 paragraph (C) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘; and’’;

18 and

19 (3) by adding at the end the following:

20 ‘‘(D) during the period before October 1, 2003,

21 for any disability of a veteran who served on active

22 duty in the theater of operations during Operation

23 Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, or the Per24 sian Gulf War-era, and who the Secretary finds may

25 have been exposed during such service to environ-
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1 mental hazards (including, but not limited to, petro2 chemicals, the fumes of burning landfills or petro3 chemicals, pharmaceuticals or other chemical agents

4 administered by the Department of Defense, pes5 ticides, indigenous diseases, and inhalation or inges6 tion of depleted uranium or wounds caused by de7 pleted uranium), notwithstanding that there is insuf8 ficient medical evidence to conclude that the disabil9 ity may be associated with such exposure.’’.

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