[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2414 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2414

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide priority health care 
 to veterans of the Persian Gulf War who were exposed to environmental 
                                hazards.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 1993

Mr. Evans (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Gutierrez) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide priority health care 
 to veterans of the Persian Gulf War who were exposed to environmental 
                                hazards.

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

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY FOR PRIORITY INPATIENT CARE FOR PERSIAN GULF WAR 
              VETERANS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ENVIRONMENTAL 
              HAZARDS.

    (a) Priority.--Section 1710(a)(1)(G) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking out ``or radiation'' and inserting in lieu 
thereof ``, radiation, or environmental hazards''.
    (b) Authorized Inpatient Care.--Section 1710(e) of such title is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting at the end of paragraph (1) the following 
        new subparagraph:
    ``(C) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a 
veteran--
            ``(i) who served on active duty in the theater of 
        operations during Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert 
        Storm, or the Persian Gulf War-era, and
            ``(ii) who the Secretary finds may have been exposed during 
        such service to environmental hazards (including, but not 
        limited to, petrochemicals, the fumes of burning landfills or 
        petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals or other chemical agents 
        administered by the Department of Defense, indigenous diseases, 
        pesticides, and inhalation or ingestion of depleted uranium or 
        wounds caused by depleted uranium);
is eligible for hospital care and nursing home care under subsection 
(a)(1)(G) of this section for any disability, notwithstanding that 
there is insufficient medical evidence to conclude that such disability 
may be associated with such exposure.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking out ``subparagraph (A) or 
        (B)'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``subparagraph (A), (B), or 
        (C)''.
    (c) Period of Authority for Care.--Section 1710(e) of such title is 
further amended by striking out ``September 30, 1993'' in paragraph (3) 
and inserting in lieu thereof ``September 30, 2003''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR PRIORITY OUTPATIENT CARE FOR PERSIAN GULF WAR 
              VETERANS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ENVIRONMENTAL 
              HAZARDS.

    Section 1712(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B).
            (2) by striking out the period at the end of subparagraph 
        (C) and inserting in lieu thereof ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(D) during the period before October 1, 2003, for any 
        disability of a veteran who served on active duty in the 
        theater of operations during Operation Desert Shield, Operation 
        Desert Storm, or the Persian Gulf War-era, and who the 
        Secretary finds may have been exposed during such service to 
        environmental hazards (including, but not limited to, 
        petrochemicals, the fumes of burning landfills or 
        petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals or other chemical agents 
        administered by the Department of Defense, pesticides, 
        indigenous diseases, and inhalation or ingestion of depleted 
        uranium or wounds caused by depleted uranium), notwithstanding 
        that there is insufficient medical evidence to conclude that 
        the disability may be associated with such exposure.''.

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