I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6994 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital care and medical 
services to veterans, members of the reserve components of the Armed 
Forces, and dependents who were stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force 
Base in Oscoda, Michigan, and were exposed to volatile organic com-
pounds, to provide for a presumption of service connection for those 
veterans and members of the reserve components, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 
Mr. KILDEE (for himself and Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital 
care and medical services to veterans, members of the 
reserve components of the Armed Forces, and dependents 
who were stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 
Oscoda, Michigan, and were exposed to volatile organic 
compounds, to provide for a presumption of service con-
nection for those veterans and members of the reserve 
components, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Care for Veterans Act 
of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. HOSPITAL CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES FOR VET-
ERANS, MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPO-
NENTS, AND DEPENDENTS STATIONED AT 
WURTSMITH AIR FORCE BASE IN OSCODA, 
MICHIGAN, WHO WERE EXPOSED TO VOLA-
TILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS. 
(a) HOSPITAL CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES FOR 
VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPO-
NENTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) of section 
1710(e) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(G)(i) Beginning on the date that is 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this subparagraph, subject 
to paragraph (2), a veteran who served on active duty in 
the Armed Forces, or an individual who served as a mem-
ber of the reserve components of the Armed Forces, at 
Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan, during 
a period specified by the Secretary, in consultation with 
the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry of the Department of Health and Human 
Services, for purposes of this subparagraph and was ex-
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posed to a substance specified in clause (ii) is eligible for 
hospital care and medical services under subsection 
(a)(2)(F) for the diseases, illnesses, or conditions specified 
in clause (iii), notwithstanding that there is insufficient 
medical evidence to conclude that such disease, illness, or 
condition is attributable to such service. 
‘‘(ii) The substances specified in this clause are vola-
tile organic compounds, including trichloroethylene and 
benzene. 
‘‘(iii) The diseases, illnesses, and conditions specified 
in this clause are the diseases, illnesses, and conditions 
determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Ad-
ministrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Dis-
ease Registry of the Department of Health and Human 
Services, to have resulted from exposure to volatile organic 
compounds pursuant to the health consultation conducted 
by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 
of the Department of Health and Human Services dated 
July 27, 2018, or any other research conducted by a Fed-
eral agency.’’. 
(2) LIMITATION.—Paragraph (2)(B) of such 
section is amended by striking ‘‘or (F)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘(F), or (G)’’. 
(b) FAMILY MEMBERS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter VIII of chapter 
17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after section 1787 the following new sec-
tion: 
‘‘§ 1787A. Health care of family members of individ-
uals stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force 
Base in Oscoda, Michigan, who were ex-
posed to volatile organic compounds 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date that is 90 
days after the date of the enactment of this section, sub-
ject to subsection (b), a family member of a veteran de-
scribed in clause (i) of section 1710(e)(1)(G) of this title 
(or who would be so described but for the condition by 
which the individual was discharged or released from the 
Armed Forces), or a family member of a member of the 
reserve components of the Armed Forces described in such 
clause, who resided at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 
Oscoda, Michigan, during a period specified by the Sec-
retary pursuant to such clause and was exposed to a sub-
stance specified in clause (ii) of such section or who was 
in utero while the mother of such family member resided 
at such location during such period and was exposed to 
such a substance shall be eligible for hospital care and 
medical services furnished by the Secretary for any dis-
ease, illness, or condition for which an individual may re-
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