K2 Veterans Care Act of 2020

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the K2 Veterans Care Act of 2020 2. Presumptions of service connection for certain diseases associated with exposure to certain toxic substances by members of Armed Forces serving at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan (a) In general For purposes of section 1110 of title 38, United States Code, and subject to section 1113 of such title, a disease specified in subsection (b) becoming manifest in a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, at any time during the period beginning on January 1, 2001, and ending on December 31, 2005, shall be considered to have been incurred in or aggravated by such service, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence of such disease during the period of such service. (b) Diseases specified The diseases specified in this subsection are the illnesses and diseases that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determine have a positive association, including a sufficient, limited, or suggestive association, with exposure to any of the following substances: (1) Jet fuel. (2) Volatile organic compounds. (3) High levels of particulate matter and dust resulting from open burn pits, as defined in section 201(c) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 ( Public Law 112–260 38 U.S.C. 527 (4) Depleted uranium. (5) Asbestos. (6) Lead-based paint. 3. Health care for veterans exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan Section 1710(e) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (G) A veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, during the period beginning on January 1, 2001, and ending on December 31, 2005, is eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care under subsection (a)(2)(F) for any illness or disease for which the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determine has a positive association, including a sufficient, limited, or suggestive association, with exposure to any of the following substances, notwithstanding that there is insufficient medical evidence to conclude that such illness or disease is attributable to such service: (i) Jet fuel. (ii) Volatile organic compounds. (iii) High levels of particulate matter and dust resulting from open burn pits, as defined in section 201(c) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 ( Public Law 112–260 38 U.S.C. 527 (iv) Depleted uranium. (v) Asbestos. (vi) Lead-based paint. ; and (2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking or (F) (F), or (G) 4. Inclusion of veterans exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan in open burn pit registry Section 201(c)(2) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 ( Public Law 112–260 38 U.S.C. 527 Afghanistan or Iraq Afghanistan, Iraq, or Uzbekistan

Summary: K2 Veterans Care Act of 2020 This bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for certain diseases becoming manifest in a veteran who served on active duty at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005. Specifically, there must be a presumption of service-connection for veterans who manifest illnesses that have a positive association with exposure to jet fuel, volatile organic compounds, high levels of particulate matter, depleted uranium, asbestos, or lead-based paint, as determined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded. Veterans who served at K2 Air Base during the specified period are eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for an illness that has been determined by NASEM to have a positive association with exposure to jet fuel, volatile organic compounds, high levels of particulate matter, depleted uranium, asbestos, or lead-based paint. The bill also expands the definition of an open burn pit, for purposes of the VA's open burn pit registry, to include burn pits located on land in Uzbekistan. A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment.