S 1039 United States Senate · 117th Congress

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve compensation for disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf War veterans, and for other purposes.

Summary
This bill addresses disability compensation and care issues for Persian Gulf War veterans. First, the bill expands eligibility for disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to Persian Gulf War veterans who have a qualifying chronic disability that became manifest to any degree at any time. Next, the VA must develop a Disability Benefits Questionnaire to be used by health care personnel to identify Gulf War illness if a Persian Gulf veteran presents with any one symptom associated with such illness. The bill also expands who qualifies as a Persian Gulf veteran by including those who served in Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, or Jordan during the Persian Gulf War. Under current law, Persian Gulf veteran refers only to individuals who served on active duty during the Persian Gulf War in particular areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Finally, the VA must ensure its health care personnel are appropriately trained to provide care to Persian Gulf veterans.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2021
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Mar 25, 2021 Last action Apr 28, 2021
Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
3
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Apr 28, 2021
Upper · Passed
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
upper
Mar 25, 2021
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
upper
Mar 25, 2021
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors