[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1939 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1939

To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating 
 to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the 
              Republic of Vietnam, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 27, 2009

Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Mr. Specter, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Tester, and 
 Ms. Landrieu) 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 clarify presumptions relating 
 to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the 
              Republic of Vietnam, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE FOR VETERANS WHO 
              SERVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.

    (a) Clarification.--Section 1116 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in subsections (a)(1) and (f), by striking ``a veteran 
        who, during active military, naval, or air service, served in 
        the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 
        9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975'' and inserting ``a veteran 
        described in subsection (g)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g) A veteran described in this subsection is a veteran who--
            ``(1) during active military, naval, or air service--
                    ``(A) served in the Republic of Vietnam (including 
                the inland waterways, ports, and harbors of such 
                Republic, the waters offshore of such Republic, and the 
                airspace above such Republic) during the period 
                beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 
                1975; or
                    ``(B) served in Johnston Island during the period 
                beginning on April 1, 1972, and ending on September 30, 
                1977; or
            ``(2) received the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam 
        Campaign Medal.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect as of September 25, 1985.
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