offshore of such Republic as described in section 1116A(d) 
of this title)’’ after ‘‘served on active duty in the Republic 
of Vietnam’’. 
(g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on January 1, 2020. 
SEC. 3. PRESUMPTION OF HERBICIDE EXPOSURE FOR CER-
TAIN VETERANS WHO SERVED IN KOREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 11 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1116A, 
as added by section 2, the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1116B. Presumption of herbicide exposure for cer-
tain veterans who served in Korea 
‘‘(a) PRESUMPTION OF SERVICE-CONNECTION.—(1) 
For the purposes of section 1110 of this title, and subject 
to section 1113 of this title, a disease specified in sub-
section (b) that becomes manifest as specified in that sub-
section in a veteran described in paragraph (2) shall be 
considered to have been incurred or aggravated in the line 
of duty in the active military, naval, or air service, not-
withstanding that there is no record of evidence of such 
disease during the period of such service. 
‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a vet-
eran who, during active military, naval, or air service, 
served in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), 
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during the period beginning on September 1, 1967, and 
ending on August 31, 1971. 
‘‘(b) DISEASES.—A disease specified in this sub-
section is— 
‘‘(1) a disease specified in paragraph (2) of 
subsection (a) of section 1116 of this title that be-
comes manifest as specified in that paragraph; or 
‘‘(2) any additional disease that— 
‘‘(A) the Secretary determines in regula-
tions warrants a presumption of service-connec-
tion by reason of having positive association 
with exposure to an herbicide agent; and 
‘‘(B) becomes manifest within any period 
prescribed in such regulations. 
‘‘(c) HERBICIDE AGENT.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, the term ‘herbicide agent’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 1821(d) of this title.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 1116A, as added by sec-
tion 2, the following new item: 
‘‘1116B. Presumption of herbicide exposure for certain veterans who served in 
Korea.’’. 
(c) PENDING CASES.— 
(1) AUTHORITY TO STAY.—The Secretary may 
stay a claim described in subparagraph (B) until the 
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date on which the Secretary commences the imple-
mentation of section 1116B of title 38, United 
States Code, as added by subsection (a). 
(2) CLAIMS DESCRIBED.—A claim described in 
this subparagraph is a claim for disability compensa-
tion— 
(A) relating to the service and diseases 
covered by such section 1116B; and 
(B) that is pending at the Veterans Bene-
fits Administration or the Board of Veterans’ 
Appeals on or after the date of the enactment 
of this Act and before the date on which the 
Secretary commences the implementation of 
such section 1116B. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on January 1, 2020. 
SEC. 4. BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN OF CERTAIN THAILAND 
SERVICE 
VETERANS 
BORN 
WITH 
SPINA 
BIFIDA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 18 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
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‘‘§ 1822. Benefits for children of certain Thailand 
service veterans born with spina bifida 
‘‘(a) BENEFITS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may 
provide to any child of a veteran of covered service in 
Thailand who is suffering from spina bifida the health 
care, vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary 
allowance required to be paid to a child of a Vietnam vet-
eran who is suffering from spina bifida under subchapter 
I of this chapter as if such child of a veteran of covered 
service in Thailand were a child of a Vietnam veteran who 
is suffering from spina bifida under such subchapter. 
‘‘(b) SPINA BIFIDA CONDITIONS COVERED.—This 
section applies with respect to all forms and manifesta-
tions of spina bifida, except spina bifida occulta. 
‘‘(c) VETERAN
OF COVERED SERVICE
IN THAI-
LAND.—For purposes of this section, a veteran of covered 
service in Thailand is any individual, without regard to 
the characterization of that individual’s service, who— 
‘‘(1) served in the active military, naval, or air 
service in Thailand, as determined by the Secretary 
in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, dur-
ing the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and 
ending on May 7, 1975; and 
‘‘(2) is determined by the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Defense, to have been 
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exposed to a herbicide agent during such service in 
Thailand. 
‘‘(d) HERBICIDE AGENT.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, the term ‘herbicide agent’ means a chemical in a her-
bicide used in support of United States and allied military 
operations in Thailand, as determined by the Secretary in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, during the pe-
riod beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 
7, 1975.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO DEFINITION OF 
‘‘CHILD’’.—Section 1831(1) of such title is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘subchapter III of this 
chapter’’ and inserting ‘‘section 1821 of this 
title’’; and 
(B) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘section 1821 
of this title’’ and inserting ‘‘that section’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(C) For purposes of section 1822 of this 
title, an individual, regardless of age or marital 
status, who— 
‘‘(i) is the natural child of a veteran 
of covered service in Thailand (as deter-
mined for purposes of that section); and 
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