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 pre-
sumes the service-connection of certain disabilities of vet-
erans who served in the Persian Gulf War, Operation 
Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Oper-
ation New Dawn, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Gulf War Syndrome 
‘Presumptive Illness’ Extension Act of 2011’’. 
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SEC. 2. PRESUMPTIVE PERIOD FOR CERTAIN DISABILITIES 
OCCURRING IN VETERANS WHO SERVED IN 
THE PERSIAN GULF WAR, OPERATION EN-
DURING FREEDOM, OPERATION IRAQI FREE-
DOM, OR OPERATION NEW DAWN. 
(a) EXTENSION OF PERIOD.—Subsection (b) of sec-
tion 1117 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ‘‘section.’’ and inserting ‘‘section, but in no event 
may the end of such period of time be earlier than Decem-
ber 31, 2018.’’. 
(b) CLARIFICATION OF VETERANS COVERED.— 
(1) COMPENSATION.—Such section is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(i)(1) For purposes of this section, the Secretary 
shall treat a veteran described in paragraph (2) as a vet-
eran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in 
the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Per-
sian Gulf War. 
‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a vet-
eran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces dur-
ing Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Free-
dom, or Operation New Dawn in the Southwest Asia the-
ater of operations, Afghanistan, or other location that sup-
ported such an operation, as determined by the Sec-
retary.’’. 
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(2) PRESUMPTION.—Section 1118 of such title 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e)(1) For purposes of this section, the Secretary 
shall treat a veteran described in paragraph (2) as a vet-
eran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in 
the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Per-
sian Gulf War. 
‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a vet-
eran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces dur-
ing Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Free-
dom, or Operation New Dawn in the Southwest Asia the-
ater of operations, Afghanistan, or other location that sup-
ported such an operation, as determined by the Sec-
retary.’’. 
Æ 
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