Title: Burn Pit Veterans Revision Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Burn Pit Veterans Revision Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to amend the schedule for rating disabilities (for purposes of veterans benefit calculations) to add a diagnostic code and evaluation criteria for obliterative bronchiolitis, a respiratory disease that could be caused by burn pit exposure. A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment.
The VA must provide a process for veterans who receive compensation due to a service-connected disability to have their disability reevaluated based on the diagnostic code and evaluation criteria established for obliterative bronchiolitis. Such veterans may then be assigned a new disability rating as a result of such reevaluation if such assignment does not reduce the veteran's existing disability rating.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1005 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1005

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to amend the schedule for 
 rating disabilities to add a diagnostic code and evaluation criteria 
        for obliterative bronchiolitis, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2019

   Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Ruiz, and Mr. 
  Cisneros) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to amend the schedule for 
 rating disabilities to add a diagnostic code and evaluation criteria 
        for obliterative bronchiolitis, 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 ``Burn Pit Veterans Revision Act''.

SEC. 2. REVISION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DISABILITY RATING 
              SCHEDULE WITH RESPECT TO OBLITERATIVE BRONCHIOLITIS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
            (1) amend the schedule for rating disabilities pursuant to 
        section 1155 of title 38, United States Code, to add a 
        diagnostic code and evaluation criteria for obliterative 
        bronchiolitis; and
            (2) provide a process by which a veteran who, as of the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, is receiving compensation 
        under chapter 11 of such title for a service-connected 
        disability--
                    (A) may have such service-connected disability 
                reevaluated based on the diagnostic code and evaluation 
                criteria described in paragraph (1); and
                    (B) may be assigned a new disability rating as a 
                result of such reevaluation, if such assignment does 
                not reduce the disability rating of such veteran in 
                effect immediately prior to the date of such 
                assignment.
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