[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6127 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6127

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the continued 
provision of health care services to certain veterans who were exposed 
 to sodium dichromate while serving as a member of the Armed Forces at 
or near the water injection plant at Qarmat Ali, Iraq, during Operation 
                             Iraqi Freedom.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 15, 2010

  Mr. Buyer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the continued 
provision of health care services to certain veterans who were exposed 
 to sodium dichromate while serving as a member of the Armed Forces at 
or near the water injection plant at Qarmat Ali, Iraq, during Operation 
                             Iraqi Freedom.

    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 ``Extension of Health Care Eligibility 
for Veterans Who Served at Qarmat Ali Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONTINUED PROVISION OF HEALTH 
              CARE SERVICES TO CERTAIN VETERANS WHO WERE EXPOSED TO 
              SODIUM DICHROMATE WHILE SERVING AS A MEMBER OF THE ARMED 
              FORCES AT OR NEAR THE WATER INJECTION PLANT AT QARMAT 
              ALI, IRAQ, DURING OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (1) of section 1710(e) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
    ``(F)(i) Subject to paragraph (2), a veteran described in clause 
(ii) is eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home 
care under subsection (a)(2)(F) for any disability, notwithstanding 
that there is insufficient medical evidence to conclude that such 
disability may be associated with the exposure described in clause 
(ii)(II).
    ``(ii) A veteran described in this clause is a veteran who--
            ``(I) served on active duty at or near the water injection 
        plant at Qarmat Ali, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom;
            ``(II) is notified by the Secretary of possible exposure to 
        sodium dichromate (or other toxic substances) occurring during 
        such service; and
            ``(III) enrolls in the patient enrollment system under 
        section 1705 of this title pursuant to clause (i) before the 
        date that is five years after the date on which the Secretary 
        notifies the veteran as described in subclause (II).
    ``(iii) The Secretary may base a notification described in clause 
(ii)(II) on information received from the Secretary of Defense.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Paragraph (2)(B) of such section is 
amended by striking ``or (E)'' and inserting ``(E), or (F)''.
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