Title: Thailand Veteran Agent Orange Parity Act of 2018
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Thailand Veteran Agent Orange Parity Act of 2018
The Department of Veterans Affairs may provide to any spina bifida-affected child of a veteran who served on active duty in Thailand beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975, and who was exposed to a herbicide agent during such service, the same health care, vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary allowance required to be paid to a similarly affected child of a Vietnam veteran. (The bill extends the presumption of service connection for certain diseases associated with herbicide exposure to such veterans, thus permitting health care benefits and disability compensation to be provided to their children.)

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3175 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3175

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care, 
   vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary allowance to 
  children suffering from spina bifida whose parents are veterans who 
served in Thailand and were exposed to herbicide agents, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 28, 2018

  Mrs. McCaskill (for herself and Mr. Blunt) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care, 
   vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary allowance to 
  children suffering from spina bifida whose parents are veterans who 
served in Thailand and were exposed to herbicide agents, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Thailand Veteran Agent Orange Parity 
Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN OF CERTAIN THAILAND SERVICE VETERANS BORN 
              WITH SPINA BIFIDA.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter III of chapter 18 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1822. Benefits for children of certain Thailand service veterans 
              born with spina bifida
    ``(a) Benefits Authorized.--The Secretary may provide to any child 
of a veteran of covered service in Thailand who is suffering from spina 
bifida the health care, vocational training and rehabilitation, and 
monetary allowance required to be paid to a child of a Vietnam veteran 
who is suffering from spina bifida under subchapter I of this chapter 
as if such child of a veteran of covered service in Thailand were a 
child of a Vietnam veteran who is suffering from spina bifida under 
such subchapter.
    ``(b) Spina Bifida Conditions Covered.--This section applies with 
respect to all forms and manifestations of spina bifida, except spina 
bifida occulta.
    ``(c) Veteran of Covered Service in Thailand.--For purposes of this 
section, a veteran of covered service in Thailand is any individual, 
without regard to the characterization of that individual's service, 
who--
            ``(1) served in the active military, naval, or air service 
        in Thailand, as determined by the Secretary in consultation 
        with the Secretary of Defense, during the period beginning on 
        January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975; and
            ``(2) is determined by the Secretary, in consultation with 
        the Secretary of Defense, to have been exposed to a herbicide 
        agent during such service in Thailand.
    ``(d) Herbicide Agent.--For purposes of this section, the term 
`herbicide agent' means a chemical in a herbicide used in support of 
United States and allied military operations in Thailand, as determined 
by the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, during 
the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment to Definition of Child.--Section 1831(1) 
of such title is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B)--
                    (A) in the matter before clause (i), by striking 
                ``subchapter III of this chapter'' and inserting 
                ``section 1821 of this title''; and
                    (B) in clause (i), by striking ``section 1821 of 
                this title'' and inserting ``such section''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(C) For purposes of section 1822 of this title, an 
        individual, regardless of age or marital status, who--
                    ``(i) is the natural child of a veteran of covered 
                service in Thailand (as determined for purposes of such 
                section); and
                    ``(ii) was conceived after the date on which that 
                veteran first entered service described in subsection 
                (c) of such section.''.
    (c) Clerical Amendments.--
            (1) Subchapter heading.--The heading for subchapter III of 
        chapter 18 of such title is amended by inserting ``AND 
        THAILAND'' after ``KOREA''.
            (2) Table of sections.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 18 of such title is amended--
                    (A) by striking the item relating to subchapter III 
                and inserting the following new item:

   ``subchapter iii--children of certain korea and thailand service 
                   veterans born with spina bifida'';

                and
                    (B) by inserting after the item relating to section 
                1821 the following new item:

``1822. Benefits for children of certain Thailand service veterans born 
                            with spina bifida.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
                                 <all>