1.This Act may be cited as the
Extension of Health Care Eligibility
for Veterans Who Served at Qarmat Ali Act
.
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)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)Paragraph (2)(B) of such section is amended by striking
or (E)
and inserting (E), or (F)
.