Blast Exposure Protection Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-5739
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
Introduced: 2020-01-30
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Disability assistance

Veterans' pensions and compensation
Latest action: action_date: 2020-02-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-01-30
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Blast Exposure Protection Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill establishes a Department of Veterans Affairs presumption of service-connection for a veteran's injury or illness associated with a blast exposure during active military, naval, or air service in spite of there being no record of the injury or illness during a period of service. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific diseases or disabilities diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded. </p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5739 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 30, 2020 Ms. Velázquez (for herself, Mr. Katko , Mr. Serrano , Mr. Suozzi , Mrs. Radewagen , Mr. Engel , Mr. Smith of New Jersey , Mr. Pascrell , Mr. King of New York , Mr. Quigley , Miss González-Colón of Puerto Rico , and Ms. Jayapal ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption of service-connection of disabilities relating to blast exposures with respect to disability compensation payments by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Blast Exposure Protection Act of 2020 . 2. Presumption of service-connection of disabilities relating to blast exposure Section 1112 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (d) For the purposes of section 1110 of this title, and subject to the provisions of section 1113 of this title, an injury or illness of a veteran that is associated with a blast exposure by the veteran during active military, naval, or air service shall be considered to have been incurred in or aggravated during such active military, naval, or air service, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence of such injury or illness during a period of such service. .