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(A) shall consider— 
(i) that contemporaneous records of 
testing of full-body exposure to a covered 
substance frequently may be unavailable 
because such tests were classified or such 
records were lost or destroyed; 
(ii) that many veterans were sworn to 
secrecy following testing described in 
clause (i); 
(iii) each statement based on personal 
knowledge of a veteran who served at a 
site listed in paragraph (3); 
(iv) information in the report from the 
Secretary of Defense under subsection 
(b)(2); and 
(v) any evidence the Secretary con-
siders relevant; and 
(B) may not determine that testing of full- 
body exposure to a covered substance did not 
occur at a site based solely on— 
(i) information contained in the De-
partment of Defense and Department of 
Veterans Affairs Chemical Biological War-
fare Database; or 
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(ii) any list of known sites of testing 
of full-body exposure to a covered sub-
stance maintained by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs or the Department of De-
fense. 
(5) PRESUMPTION OF EXPOSURE.—In carrying 
out paragraph (1), when the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs makes a determination regarding whether a 
veteran experienced full-body exposure to a covered 
substance, the Secretary— 
(A) shall presume, unless there is affirma-
tive evidence to establish otherwise, that the 
veteran experienced such exposure by reason of 
the service of the veteran in World War II— 
(i) based on the locations listed in 
paragraph (3); and 
(ii) consistent with the places, types, 
and circumstances of service of the veteran 
in accordance with section 1154 of title 38; 
and 
(B) shall resolve each reasonable doubt in 
favor of the veteran. 
(6) EFFECTIVE DATE OF AWARD.—The effec-
tive date of any award of disability compensation re-
sulting from reconsideration of a claim under para-
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graph (1) shall be fixed in accordance with the facts 
found, but shall not be earlier than the date of the 
receipt of the claim for compensation described in 
paragraph (2). 
(b) INVESTIGATION
AND REPORT
BY
THE SEC-
RETARY OF DEFENSE.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall— 
(1) investigate and assess each site— 
(A) where the Army Corps of Engineers 
has uncovered evidence of testing conducted by 
the Department of Defense during World War 
II to assess the effects of full-body exposure to 
a covered substance on humans; or 
(B) with regards to which more than two 
veterans have been denied claims for compensa-
tion under chapter 11 of title 38, United States 
Code, in connection with exposure to a covered 
substance at such site; and 
(2) submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a 
report on testing described in paragraph (1)(A), in-
cluding— 
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(A) a list of each location where such test-
ing occurred, including locations investigated 
and assessed under paragraph (1); 
(B) the dates of each such testing; and 
(C) the number of members of the Armed 
Forces who experienced full-body exposure to a 
covered substance in each such testing. 
(c) INVESTIGATION AND REPORT BY SECRETARY OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall— 
(1) investigate and assess— 
(A) the actions taken by the Secretary to 
contact individuals who experienced full-body 
exposure to a covered substance in the course 
of testing described in subsection (b)(1)(A); 
(B) the number of claims filed with the 
Secretary for disability compensation under 
chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, aris-
ing from testing described in subsection 
(b)(1)(A); and 
(C) the percentage of claims described in 
subparagraph (B) that the Secretary denied. 
(2) submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees and the Secretary of Defense a report 
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regarding the investigations and assessments carried 
out under paragraph (1). 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The terms ‘‘active military, naval, or air 
service’’, ‘‘veteran’’, and ‘‘World War II’’ have the 
meanings given such terms in section 101 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committees on Armed Services of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate; 
and 
(B) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate. 
(3) The term ‘‘covered substance’’ means— 
(A) nitrogen mustard gas; 
(B) sulfur mustard gas; or 
(C) Lewisite. 
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(4) The term ‘‘full-body exposure’’, with respect 
to a covered substance, has the meaning given that 
term by the Secretary of Defense. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 24, 2017. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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