,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #ece #aafth         
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4 #ccb     
,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united 
,,states  ,february #e1 #bjai,mr4       
,blumenthal 7for himself1 ,mr4          
,whitehouse1 and ,mrs4 ,gillibrand7     
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs       
,september #ae1 #bjbj,reported by ,mr4  
,moran1 with an amendment and an        
amendment to the title,strike out all   
after the enacting clause and insert the
 part printed in italic  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to remove the manifestation period      
required for the presumptions of service
 connection for chloracne1 porphyria    
cutanea tarda1 and acute and subacute   
peripheral neuropathy associated with   
exposure to certain herbicide agents1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,agent ,orange ,exposure ,fairness ,act 
of #bjai4  #b4 ,removal of manifestation

 period required for presumptions of    
service connection for certain diseases 
associated with exposure to certain     
herbicide agents ,section #aaaf7;a77#b7 
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,c71 by 
striking within one and all that follows
 through #aige2  7#b7 in subparagraph   
7,e71 by striking within a and all that 
follows through #aige2 and  7#c7 by     
adding at the end the following new     
subparagraph3  7,i7 ,acute and subacute 
peripheral neuropathy becoming manifest 
to a degree of disability of #aj percent
 or more4  4  #a4 ,comptroller ,general 
briefing and report on repealing        
manifestation period for presumptions of
 service connection for certain diseases
 associated with exposure to certain    
herbicide agents  7a7 ,in general ,not  
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall provide to the ,committee 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   

and the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives a briefing on          
preliminary observations of the         
,comptroller ,general1 and not later    
than #bdj days after the date of such   
briefing1 submit to such committees a   
final report1 on the efforts of the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
provide benefits1 including compensation
 and health care1 to veterans-- 7#a7 who
 during active military1 naval1 or air  
service1 served in the ,republic of     
,vietnam during the period beginning on 
,january #i1 #aifb1 and ending on ,may  
#g1 #aige2 and  7#b7 in whom chloracne1 
porphyria cutanea tarda1 or acute or    
subacute peripheral neuropathy have     
manifested4  7b7 ,elements ,the report  
required by subsection 7a7 shall include
 the following3 7#a7 ,a description of  
how the ,secretary establishes a service
 connection for a diseases described in 
paragraph 7#b7 of subsection 7a7        
manifesting in veterans1 including the  

number of veterans described in         
paragraph 7#a7 of such subsection who   
have filed a claim for a benefit        
associated with a disease described in  
paragraph 7#b7 of such subsection4  7#b7
 ,a description of how claims           
adjudicators of the ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs determine service    
connection for a disease described in   
subparagraph 7,c7 or 7,e7 of section    
#aaaf7;a77#b7 of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 when documentation       
proving the presence of the disease     
during the manifestation period set     
forth in such subparagraphs for the     
disease is not available4  7#c7 ,a      
description of the expected effect of   
repealing the manifestation period from 
such subparagraphs1 including the       
expected effect on the number of claims 
for benefits the ,department will       
receive4  7#d7 ,a review of all claims  
submitted to the ,secretary for         
compensation under chapter #aa of such  
title that are associated with a disease

 described in subsection 7a77#b71       
including the type of proof presented to
 establish a service connection for the 
manifestation of the disease based on   
exposure to a herbicide agent4  7#e7    
,recommendations on how the ,department 
can better adjudicate claims for        
benefits1 including compensation1       
submitted to the ,department that are   
associated with a disease described in  
paragraph 7#b7 of subsection 7a7 for    
veterans described in paragraph 7#a7 of 
such subsection4  7#f7 ,an assessment of
 such other areas as the ,comptroller   
,general considers appropriate to study4
  7c7 ,administrative action ,not later 
than #fj days after the date on which   
the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united
 ,states submits the report required    
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary    
shall commence carrying out the         
recommendations submitted under         
subsection 7b77#e74  7d7 ,herbicide     
agent defined ,in this section1 the term
 herbicide agent has the meaning given  

such term in section #aaaf7;a77#c7 of   
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4       
,amend the title so as to read3 ,a bill 
to require the ,comptroller ,general of 
the ,united ,states to submit to        
,congress a report on repealing the     
manifestation periods for presumptions  
of service connection for chloracne and 
porphyria cutanea tarda associated with 
exposure to certain herbicide agents1   
and for other purposes44 ,september #ae1
 #bjbj,reported with an amendment and an
 amendment to the title