Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2019

Bill: 116-hr-326
Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13]
Introduced: 2019-01-08 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Asia
Birth defects
Child health
Conflicts and wars
Congressional oversight
Disability and paralysis
Employment and training programs
Environmental health
Foreign aid and international relief
Government lending and loan guarantees
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Health care coverage and access
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Health technology, devices, supplies
Home and outpatient care
Medical education
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Military personnel and dependents
Nursing
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public-private cooperation
Research administration and funding
Residential rehabilitation and home repair
Surgery and anesthesia
Veterans' medical care
Vietnam
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-01-08
text: 

Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2019

 
This bill requires the Department of State, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide assistance to people in Vietnam in relation to Agent Orange exposure.
 
Specifically, the State Department must provide assistance (1) to address the health care needs of certain residents of Vietnam affected by Agent Orange exposure, (2) to institutions in Vietnam that provide health care to such individuals, (3) to improve housing and reduce poverty for specified individuals and their families, and (4) to remediate areas of Vietnam that contain high levels of Agent Orange.
 
HHS must (1) make grants to public health organizations and Vietnamese-American organizations to conduct a broad health assessment of Vietnamese-Americans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange and their descendants; and (2) establish centers in U.S. locations where large populations of Vietnamese-Americans reside to provide assessment, counseling, and treatment for conditions related to Agent Orange exposure.
 
Under the bill, certain benefits will be made available to the children of male veterans who served in Vietnam who are affected by certain birth defects. Currently, these benefits are only available to the children of women Vietnam veterans. The VA shall require any health care provider with whom the VA enters into a contract for the provision of health care to such children to provide the VA access to their medical records for research into the intergenerational effects of Agent Orange exposure.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2019-01-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2019-01-08
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-01-08
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-01-08
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-01-08
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-01-08
text: Introduced in House