,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ddae  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #d1    
#bjbj,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself and  
,ms4 ,baldwin7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide health care and
 benefits to veterans who were exposed  
to toxic substances while serving as    
members of the ,armed ,forces at ,karshi
 ,khanabad ,air ,base1 ,uzbekistan1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,k#b     
,veterans ,care ,act of #bjbj4  #b4     
,presumptions of service connection for 
certain diseases associated with        
exposure to certain toxic substances by 
members of ,armed ,forces serving at    
,karshi ,khanabad ,air ,base1           
,uzbekistan  7a7 ,in general ,for       
purposes of section #aaaj of title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code1 and subject to   
section #aaac of such title1 a disease  
specified in subsection 7b7 becoming    

manifest in a veteran who served on     
active duty in the ,armed ,forces at    
,karshi ,khanabad ,air ,base1           
,uzbekistan1 at any time during the     
period beginning on ,january #a1 #bjja1 
and ending on ,december #ca1 #bjje1     
shall be considered to have been        
incurred in or aggravated by such       
service1 notwithstanding that there is  
no record of evidence of such disease   
during the period of such service4  7b7 
,diseases specified ,the diseases       
specified in this subsection are the    
illnesses and diseases that the         
,national ,academies of ,sciences1      
,engineering1 and ,medicine determine   
have a positive association1 including a
 sufficient1 limited1 or suggestive     
association1 with exposure to any of the
 following substances3 7#a7 ,jet fuel4  
7#b7 ,volatile organic compounds4  7#c7 
,high levels of particulate matter and  
dust resulting from open burn pits1 as  
defined in section #bja7;c7 of the      
,dignified ,burial and ,other ,veterans'

 ,benefits ,improvement ,act of #bjab   
7,public ,law #aab-bfj2 #ch ,u4,s4,c4   
#ebg note74  7#d7 ,depleted uranium4    
7#e7 ,asbestos4  7#f7 ,lead-based paint4
  #c4 ,health care for veterans exposed 
to toxic substances while serving as    
members of the ,armed ,forces at ,karshi
 ,khanabad ,air ,base1 ,uzbekistan      
,section #agaj7;e7 of title #ch1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in    
paragraph 7#a71 by adding at the end the
 following new subparagraph3  7,g7 ,a   
veteran who served on active duty in the
 ,armed ,forces at ,karshi ,khanabad    
,air ,base1 ,uzbekistan1 during the     
period beginning on ,january #a1 #bjja1 
and ending on ,december #ca1 #bjje1 is  
eligible for hospital care1 medical     
services1 and nursing home care under   
subsection 7a77#b77;,f7 for any illness 
or disease for which the ,national      
,academies of ,sciences1 ,engineering1  
and ,medicine determine has a positive  
association1 including a sufficient1    
limited1 or suggestive association1 with

 exposure to any of the following       
substances1 notwithstanding that there  
is insufficient medical evidence to     
conclude that such illness or disease is
 attributable to such service3 7i7 ,jet 
fuel4  7ii7 ,volatile organic compounds4
  7iii7 ,high levels of particulate     
matter and dust resulting from open burn
 pits1 as defined in section #bja7;c7 of
 the ,dignified ,burial and ,other      
,veterans' ,benefits ,improvement ,act  
of #bjab 7,public ,law #aab-bfj2 #ch    
,u4,s4,c4 #ebg note74  7iv7 ,depleted   
uranium4  7v7 ,asbestos4  7vi7          
,lead-based paint4  2 and  7#b7 in      
paragraph 7#b77;,b71 by striking or 7,f7
 and inserting 7,f71 or 7,g74  #d4      
,inclusion of veterans exposed to toxic 
substances while serving as members of  
the ,armed ,forces at ,karshi ,khanabad 
,air ,base1 ,uzbekistan in open burn pit
 registry ,section #bja7;c77#b7 of the  
,dignified ,burial and ,other ,veterans'
 ,benefits ,improvement ,act of #bjab   
7,public ,law #aab-bfj2 #ch ,u4,s4,c4   

#ebg note7 is amended1 in the matter    
preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by striking
 ,afghanistan or ,iraq and inserting    
,afghanistan1 ,iraq1 or ,uzbekistan4