SEC. 2. PRESUMPTIONS OF SERVICE-CONNECTION FOR 
MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES WHO CON-
TRACT CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 UNDER 
CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter VI of chapter 11 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1164. 
Presumptions 
of 
service-connection 
for 
Coronavirus Disease 2019 
‘‘(a) PRESUMPTIONS GENERALLY.—(1) For purposes 
of laws administered by the Secretary and subject to sec-
tion 1113 of this title, if symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 
2019 (in this section referred to as ‘COVID–19’) de-
scribed in subsection (d) manifest within one of the mani-
festation periods described in paragraph (2) in an indi-
vidual who served in a qualifying period of duty described 
in subsection (b)— 
‘‘(A) infection with severe acute respiratory 
syndrome coronavirus 2 (in this section referred to 
as ‘SARS–CoV–2’) shall be presumed to have oc-
curred during the qualifying period of duty; 
‘‘(B) COVID–19 shall be presumed to have 
been incurred during the qualifying period of duty; 
and 
‘‘(C) if the individual becomes disabled or dies 
as a result of COVID–19, it shall be presumed that 
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the individual became disabled or died during the 
qualifying period of duty for purposes of establishing 
that the individual served in the active military, 
naval, or air service. 
‘‘(2)(A) The manifestation periods described in this 
paragraph are the following: 
‘‘(i) During a qualifying period of duty de-
scribed in subsection (b), if that period of duty was 
more than 48 continuous hours in duration. 
‘‘(ii) Within 14 days after the individual’s com-
pletion of a qualifying period of duty described in 
subsection (b). 
‘‘(iii) An additional period prescribed under 
subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(B)(i) If the Secretary determines that a manifesta-
tion period of more than 14 days after completion of a 
qualifying period of service is appropriate for the presump-
tions under paragraph (1), the Secretary may prescribe 
that additional period by regulation. 
‘‘(ii) A determination under clause (i) shall be made 
in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention. 
‘‘(b) QUALIFYING PERIOD OF DUTY DESCRIBED.— 
A qualifying period of duty described in this subsection 
is a period of— 
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‘‘(1) active duty; or 
‘‘(2) the following duty or training not covered 
by paragraph (1) performed under orders issued on 
or after March 13, 2020, during the national emer-
gency declared by the President under the National 
Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.): 
‘‘(A) Training duty under title 10. 
‘‘(B) Full-time National Guard duty (as 
defined in section 101 of title 10). 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS FOR TRAINING 
DUTY.—When, pursuant to subsection (a), COVID–19 is 
presumed to have been incurred during a qualifying period 
of duty described in subsection (b)(2)— 
‘‘(1) COVID–19 shall be deemed to have been 
incurred in the line of duty during a period of active 
military, naval, or air service; and 
‘‘(2) where entitlement to benefits under this 
title is predicated on the individual who was disabled 
or died being a veteran, benefits for disability or 
death resulting from COVID–19 as described in sub-
section (a) shall be paid or furnished as if the indi-
vidual was a veteran, without regard to whether the 
period of duty would constitute active military, 
naval, or air service under section 101 of this title. 
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‘‘(d) SYMPTOMS OF COVID–19.—For purposes of 
subsection (a), symptoms of COVID–19 are those symp-
toms that competent medical evidence demonstrates are 
experienced by an individual affected and directly related 
to COVID–19. 
‘‘(e) MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND OPINIONS.—If 
there is a question of whether the symptoms experienced 
by an individual described in paragraph (1) of subsection 
(a) during a manifestation period described in paragraph 
(2) of such subsection are attributable to COVID–19 re-
sulting from infection with SARS–CoV–2 during the 
qualifying period of duty, in determining whether a med-
ical examination or medical opinion is necessary to make 
a decision on the claim within the meaning of section 
5103A(d) of this title, a qualifying period of duty de-
scribed in subsection (b) of this section shall be treated 
as if it were active military, naval, or air service for pur-
poses of section 5103A(d)(2)(B) of this title.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such subchapter is amended by adding 
at the end the following new item: 
‘‘1164. Presumptions of service-connection for Coronavirus Disease 2019.’’. 
(c) EMERGENCY DESIGNATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—This section is designated as 
an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g) 
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of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 
U.S.C. 933(g)). 
(2) DESIGNATION IN SENATE.—In the Senate, 
this section is designated as an emergency require-
ment pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 
71 (115th Congress), the concurrent resolution on 
the budget for fiscal year 2018. 
(3) TERMINATION
OF
DESIGNATIONS.—The 
designations under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall ter-
minate on the earlier of— 
(A) the date of the end of the national 
emergency declared by the President under the 
National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et 
seq.); and 
(B) the date that is three years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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