,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bhaj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #g1  
#bjai,ms4 ,smith 7for herself and ,mr4  
,menendez7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code1 to establish a   
presumption of service-connection for   
certain veterans with tinnitus or       
hearing loss1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,veterans ,hearing ,benefits    
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,presumption of     
service-connection for hearing loss and 
tinnitus ,section #aaab of title #ch1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
subsection3  7d7 7#a7 ,for purposes of  
section #aaaj of this title1 and subject
 to the provisions of section #aaac of  
this title1 diagnosed hearing loss1     
tinnitus1 or both of a veteran described
 in paragraph 7#b7 shall be considered  

to have been incurred in or aggravated  
by the active military1 naval1 or air   
service of the veteran1 notwithstanding 
that there is no record of evidence of  
such hearing loss or tinnitus1 as the   
case may be1 during the period of such  
service4  7#b7 ,a veteran described in  
this paragraph is a veteran who while on
 active military1 naval1 or air         
service--  7,a7 was assigned to a       
military occupational specialty or      
equivalent described in paragraph 7#c72 
or  7,b7 served in combat4  7#c7 ,a     
military occupational specialty or      
equivalent referred to in paragraph     
7#b77;,a7 is a military occupational    
specialty or equivalent in which        
individuals assigned to such military   
occupational specialty or equivalent in 
the active military1 naval1 or air      
service are or were likely to be exposed
 to a sufficiently high level of        
acoustic trauma as to result in         
permanent hearing loss1 tinnitus1 or    
both1 as determined by the ,secretary4  

4  #c4 ,modification to schedule for    
rates for disability compensation       
,pursuant to section #aaee of title #ch1
 ,united ,states ,code1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall adjust the  
schedule of rating disabilities to      
establish a minimum disability rating   
for a veteran who requires a hearing aid
 because of a service-connected         
disability1 including pursuant to       
section #aaab7;d7 of such title1 as     
amended by section #b4