[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 338 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 338

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period of 
     eligibility for inpatient care for veterans exposed to toxic 
 substances, radiation, or environmental hazards, to extend the period 
    of eligibility for outpatient care for veterans exposed to such 
substances or hazards during service in the Persian Gulf, and to expand 
 the eligibility of veterans exposed to toxic substances or radiation 
                          for outpatient care.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             February 2 (legislative day, January 30), 1995

 Mr. Daschle (for himself, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. 
Dorgan, and Mr. Campbell) 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 extend the period of 
     eligibility for inpatient care for veterans exposed to toxic 
 substances, radiation, or environmental hazards, to extend the period 
    of eligibility for outpatient care for veterans exposed to such 
substances or hazards during service in the Persian Gulf, and to expand 
 the eligibility of veterans exposed to toxic substances or radiation 
                          for outpatient care.

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

SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY FOR INPATIENT CARE.

    (a) Care for Exposure to Toxic Substances and Ionizing Radiation.--
Section 1710(e)(3) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking out ``June 30, 1995,'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``December 31, 2003,''.
    (b) Care for Exposure During Persian Gulf Service.--Such section is 
further amended by striking out ``December 31, 1995'' and inserting in 
lieu thereof ``December 31, 2003''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION AND EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR OUTPATIENT CARE.

    (a) Extension of Eligibility for Exposure During Persian Gulf 
Service.--Paragraph (1)(D) of section 1712(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by striking out ``December 31, 1995,'' and 
inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 2003,''.
    (b) Expansion of Eligibility To Cover Toxic Substances and Ionizing 
Radiation.--Such section is further amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking out ``and'' at the end of 
                subparagraph (C);
                    (B) by striking out the period at the end of 
                subparagraph (D) and inserting in lieu thereof a 
                semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraphs:
            ``(E) during the period before December 31, 2003, for any 
        disability in the case of a veteran who served on active duty 
        in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era and who the 
        Secretary finds may have been exposed during such service to 
        dioxin or was exposed during such service to a toxic substance 
        found in a herbicide or defoliant used in connection with 
        military purposes during such era, notwithstanding that there 
        is insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the 
        disability may be associated with such exposure; and
            ``(F) during the period before December 31, 2003, for any 
        disability in the case of a veteran who the Secretary finds was 
        exposed while serving on active duty to ionizing radiation from 
        the detonation of a nuclear device in connection with such 
        veteran's participation in the test of such a device or with 
        the American occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 
        during the period beginning on September 11, 1945, and ending 
        on July 1, 1946, notwithstanding that there is insufficient 
        medical evidence to conclude that the disability may be 
        associated with such exposure.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (7)--
                    (A) by striking out ``under paragraph (1)(D)'' and 
                inserting in lieu thereof ``under subparagraph (D), 
                (E), or (F) of paragraph (1) of this subsection''; and
                    (B) by striking out ``in that paragraph'' and 
                inserting in lieu thereof ``in the applicable 
                subparagraph''.
                                 <all>