M A K I N G W A V E S
Urge Senate to Approve Agent
Orange Reform!
The House has amended and
approved (382-0) the House
version of the “Blue Water Navy
Vietnam Veterans Act” (H.R.299).
The bill now is in the Senate
Veterans Affairs Committee
awaiting a vote.
The original proposal would
clarify that service members
serving off the coast of the
Republic of Vietnam during the
Vietnam conflict have
a presumption for filing
disability claims with the
Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) for ailments associated
with exposure to the Agent
Orange herbicide.
The bill has been amended to
extend the presumption of
herbicide exposure for veterans
who served on or near the Korean
DMZ between September 1, 1967
and August 31, 1971. As amended,
the legislation will now also
extend health care, vocational
training & rehabilitation and
monetary allowance to a child
who was born with spina bifida
if at least one of the child’s
parents served in Thailand
between January 9, 1962 and May
7, 1975 and the VA determines
that at least one of the parents
had been exposed to a herbicide
agent during that period. The
bill also now includes
improvements to VA’s home loan
program.
FRA believes Congress should
recognize these veterans were
exposed to Agent Orange
herbicide and authorize
presumptive status for VA
disability claims associated
with this exposure. Now is the
time to contact your Senators to
ask them to support this bill,
and push for a Senate committee
vote.
Members are also encouraged to
use the FRA
Action Center and
ask your Senators to support the
bill. |