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Senate Bill 4384
116th Congress(2019-2020)
K2 Veterans Advocacy Act of 2020
Introduced
Introduced
Introduced in Senate on Jul 30, 2020
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S. 4384 (Introduced-in-Senate)


116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4384


To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to address exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 30, 2020

Mr. Sullivan (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to address exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, 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 “K2 Veterans Advocacy Act of 2020”.

SEC. 2. Study on exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxicants at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan.

(a) Agreement and study.—Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into an agreement with the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for the Administrator to complete, not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, a study to identify and assess any causation or correlation between—

(1) exposure to toxicants at the Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan during the period beginning on October 7, 2001, and ending on November 21, 2005; and

(2) incidents of cancer and other diseases or illnesses experienced by individuals who were members of the Armed Forces during the period described in paragraph (1) and exposed to toxicants as described in such paragraph.

(b) Elements.—The study conducted under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) An assessment regarding the conditions of Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, during the period beginning on October 1, 2001, and ending on December 31, 2005, including an identification of toxic substances contaminating the Air Base during such period.

(2) An epidemiological study of the health consequences of individuals who were members of the Armed Forces deployed to the Air Base during such period.

(c) Support for study.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide the Administrator with assistance in carrying out the study required by subsection (a), including by gathering such information as the Administrator may consider useful in carrying out the study, including environmental sampling data relative to any location included in the study.

(2) OBTAINING INFORMATION CONCERNING EXPOSURE.—Assistance under paragraph (1) provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include compiling information on exposure described in subsection (a)(1) and any head of a Federal department or agency with information concerning such exposure, including the Secretary of Defense, shall provide the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with such information concerning such exposure as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers appropriate for purposes of the study required by subsection (a).

(d) Report.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the matters covered by the study completed under subsection (a).

(2) CONTENTS.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) The findings of the Administrator with respect to the study completed under subsection (a).

(B) A description of—

(i) the benefits administered by the Secretary that a veteran may be eligible to receive by reason of being exposed to toxic substances at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, while serving in the Armed Forces; and

(ii) the outreach conducted by the Secretary to inform such veterans of such benefits.

(3) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—

(A) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and

(B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

(e) Inclusion of Uzbekistan in certain registries and programs.—Section 201(c)(2) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note) is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “Afghanistan or Iraq” and inserting “Afghanistan, Iraq, or Uzbekistan”.