,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ggbh ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #bb1 #bjbj,mr4 ,david ,p4 ,roe of ,tennessee 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,mr4 ,bilirakis1 ,mrs4 ,radewagen1 ,mr4 ,bost1 and ,mr4 ,bergman7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committee on the ,budget1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to establish presumptions of service-connection for members of the ,armed ,forces who contract ,,covid-#ai under certain circumstances1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,covid-#ai ,benefits for ,active ,duty ,servicemembers1 the ,reserve ,components1 and their ,survivors ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,presumptions of service-connection for members of ,armed ,forces who contract ,coronavirus ,disease #bjai under certain circumstances 7a7 ,in general ,subchapter ,,vi of chapter #aa of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following new section3 #aafd4 ,presumptions of service-connection for ,coronavirus ,disease #bjai 7a7 ,presumptions generally 7#a7 ,for purposes of laws administered by the ,secretary and subject to section #aaac of this title1 if symptoms of ,coronavirus ,disease #bjai 7in this section referred to as ,,covid-#ai7 described in subsection 7d7 manifest within one of the manifestation periods described in paragraph 7#b7 in an individual who served in a qualifying period of duty described in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus #b 7in this section referred to as ,,sars-,co,v-#b7 shall be presumed to have occurred during the qualifying period of duty2 7,b7 ,,covid-#ai shall be presumed to have been incurred during the qualifying period of duty2 and 7,c7 if the individual becomes disabled or dies as a result of ,,covid-#ai1 it shall be presumed that the individual became disabled or died during the qualifying period of duty for purposes of establishing that the individual served in the active military1 naval1 or air service4 7#b7 7,a7 ,the manifestation periods described in this paragraph are the following3 7i7 ,during a qualifying period of duty described in subsection 7b71 if that period of duty was more than #dh continuous hours in duration4 7ii7 ,within #ad days after the individual's completion of a qualifying period of duty described in subsection 7b74 7iii7 ,an additional period prescribed under subparagraph 7,b74 7,b7 7i7 ,if the ,secretary determines that a manifestation period of more than #ad days after completion of a qualifying period of service is appropriate for the presumptions under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary may prescribe that additional period by regulation4 7ii7 ,a determination under clause 7i7 shall be made in consultation with the ,director of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention4 7b7 ,qualifying period of duty described ,a qualifying period of duty described in this subsection is a period of-- 7#a7 active duty2 or 7#b7 the following duty or training not covered by paragraph 7#a7 performed under orders issued on or after ,march #ac1 #bjbj1 during the national emergency declared by the ,president under the ,national ,emergencies ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq473 7,a7 ,training duty under title #aj4 7,b7 ,full-time ,national ,guard duty 7as defined in section #aja of title #aj74 7c7 ,application of presumptions for training duty ,when1 pursuant to subsection 7a71 ,,covid-#ai is presumed to have been incurred during a qualifying period of duty described in subsection 7b77#b7-- 7#a7 ,,covid-#ai shall be deemed to have been incurred in the line of duty during a period of active military1 naval1 or air service2 and 7#b7 where entitlement to benefits under this title is predicated on the individual who was disabled or died being a veteran1 benefits for disability or death resulting from ,,covid-#ai as described in subsection 7a7 shall be paid or furnished as if the individual was a veteran1 without regard to whether the period of duty would constitute active military1 naval1 or air service under section #aja of this title4 7d7 ,symptoms of ,,covid-#ai ,for purposes of subsection 7a71 symptoms of ,,covid-#ai are those symptoms that competent medical evidence demonstrates are experienced by an individual affected and directly related to ,,covid-#ai4 7e7 ,medical examinations and opinions ,if there is a question of whether the symptoms experienced by an individual described in paragraph 7#a7 of subsection 7a7 during a manifestation period described in paragraph 7#b7 of such subsection are attributable to ,,covid-#ai resulting from infection with ,,sars-,co,v-#b during the qualifying period of duty1 in determining whether a medical examination or medical opinion is necessary to make a decision on the claim within the meaning of section #eajc;,a7d7 of this title1 a qualifying period of duty described in subsection 7b7 of this section shall be treated as if it were active military1 naval1 or air service for purposes of section #eajc;,a7d77#b77;,b7 of this title4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of sections at the beginning of such subchapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item3 #aafd4 ,presumptions of service-connection for ,coronavirus ,disease #bjai4 4 7c7 ,emergency designations 7#a7 ,in general ,this section is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774 7#b7 ,designation in ,senate ,in the ,senate1 this section is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #daab7;a7 of ,h4 ,con4 ,res4 #ga 7#aaeth ,congress71 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year #bjah4 7#c7 ,termination of designations ,the designations under paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 shall terminate on the earlier of-- 7,a7 the date of the end of the national emergency declared by the ,president under the ,national ,emergencies ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq472 and 7,b7 the date that is three years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4