[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S5226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 960. Mr. SCHUMER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1088. RESEARCH ON CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VIETNAM 
                   ERA EXPOSURES AND BILE DUCT CANCER.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in coordination 
     with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall seek to enter 
     into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, 
     Engineering, and Medicine under which the National Academies 
     conduct epidemiological research to determine whether there 
     is a causal relationship between exposure described in 
     subsection (b) and bile duct cancer.
       (b) Exposure Described.--Exposure described in this 
     subsection is exposure to--
       (1) the range of phenoxy herbicides known to be present in 
     Vietnam and the greater Southeast Asia region (Agent Blue, 
     Orange, Pink, or White); or
       (2) liver fluke.
       (c) Recommendations.--
       (1) In general.--If research conducted under subsection (a) 
     indicates that there is at least suggestive evidence of 
     causality between an exposure described in subsection (b) and 
     bile duct cancer, the National Academies shall recommend to 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, not later than 60 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, that a 
     presumption of service-connection be established for bile 
     duct cancer for purposes of health care and other benefits 
     furnished to Vietnam era veterans under the laws administered 
     by the Secretary.
       (2) Transmittal to congress.--Not later than 30 days after 
     receiving recommendations under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     of Veterans Affairs shall transmit those recommendations to 
     Congress.
       (d) Vietnam Era Defined.--In this section, the term 
     ``Vietnam era'' has the meaning given that term in section 
     101 of title 38, United States Code.
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