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. GRI-
JALVA, 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) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ 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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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘K2 Veterans Care Act 
of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. PRESUMPTIONS OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR 
CERTAIN DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPO-
SURE 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 consid-
ered to have been incurred in or aggravated by such serv-
ice, 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 Na-
tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 
determine have a positive association, including a suffi-
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cient, 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 note). 
(4) Depleted uranium. 
(5) Asbestos. 
(6) Lead-based paint. 
SEC. 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 end-
ing on December 31, 2005, is eligible for hospital care, 
medical services, and nursing home care under subsection 
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(a)(2)(F) for any illness or disease for which the National 
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine deter-
mine has a positive association, including a sufficient, lim-
ited, or suggestive association, with exposure to any of the 
following substances, notwithstanding that there is insuffi-
cient medical evidence to conclude that such illness or dis-
ease 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 note). 
‘‘(iv) Depleted uranium. 
‘‘(v) Asbestos. 
‘‘(vi) Lead-based paint.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘or (F)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘(F), or (G)’’. 
Æ 
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