I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2996 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 21, 2011 Mr. Kissell (for himself and Mr. Roe of Tennessee) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period of time in which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs presumes the service-connection of certain disabilities of veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Gulf War Syndrome Presumptive Illness Extension Act of 2011.

2.

Presumptive period for certain disabilities occurring in veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn

(a)

Extension of period

Subsection (b) of section 1117 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking section. and inserting section, but in no event may the end of such period of time be earlier than December 31, 2018.. (b)

Clarification of veterans covered

(1)

Compensation

Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following: (i)(1)For purposes of this section, the Secretary shall treat a veteran described in paragraph (2) as a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. (2)A veteran described in this paragraph is a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, Afghanistan, or other location that supported such an operation, as determined by the Secretary. . (2)

Presumption

Section 1118 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following: (e)(1)For purposes of this section, the Secretary shall treat a veteran described in paragraph (2) as a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. (2)A veteran described in this paragraph is a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, Afghanistan, or other location that supported such an operation, as determined by the Secretary. .