,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ecbd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #ad1 
#bjbd,mr4 ,blumenthal 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 ensure veterans of secrecy oath      
programs receive the full benefits they 
have earned1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,obligations to ,aberdeen's     
,trusted ,heroes ,act of #bjbd or the   
,,oath ,act of #bjbd4  #b4 ,findings    
,congress finds the following3 7#a7     
,from #aidh to #aige1 more than #g1jjj  
,united ,states ,army personnel         
participated in a program under which   
they were subjected to secret chemical  
warfare testing at ,edgewood ,arsenal at
 ,aberdeen ,proving ,ground1 an ,army   
base in ,maryland4  7#b7                
,government-employed scientists1        
including former ,nazi ,germany         

scientists1 tested mustard agents1      
psychedelics1 nerve agents1 and other   
dangerous chemicals on the ,army        
members4  7#c7 ,when the members of the 
,army entered the program at ,edgewood1 
they were sworn to secrecy--a violation 
of their oath came with the threat of   
court-martial or criminal prosecution4  
7#d7 ,upon leaving service in the ,army1
 veterans of the program could not seek 
benefits provided by the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs for disabilities     
relating to the program without         
violating their secrecy oaths4  7#e7 ,in
 #bjjf1 the ,department of ,defense     
released the veterans of the program    
from their secrecy oaths1 allowing them 
to apply for veterans' benefits4  7#f7  
,because the statute governing veterans'
 benefits requires veterans to apply    
within one year of discharge to receive 
retroactive benefits1 veterans of the   
program could only receive benefits     
beginning from the date of their        
disability application4  7#g7 ,by       

complying with their secrecy oaths1 the 
veterans of the program lost the ability
 to receive the full veterans' benefits 
they earned4  7#h7 ,veterans of other   
secrecy oath programs may face the same 
hurdles to obtaining benefits4  7#i7    
,while some veterans of secrecy oath    
programs received limited relief in the 
courts1 there is uncertainty about the  
scope of benefits available to those    
veterans4  7#aj7 ,congress has the power
 and obligation to ensure that heroes of
 the ,united ,states are not punished   
for upholding their secrecy oaths4  #c4 
,definition of secrecy oath program     
,section #eajj of title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new paragraph3    
7#c7 ,the term secrecy oath program     
means a ,united ,states ,government     
program in which participants are       
required to sign a non-disclosure       
agreement preventing the disclosure of  
any information regarding the program   
under penalty of court-martial or       

criminal punishment4  4  #d4 ,notice to 
veterans of secrecy oath programs       
regarding benefits  7a7 ,notice required
  7#a7 ,in general ,section #fcjc of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended-- 7,a7 by redesignating         
subsections 7c71 7d71 and 7e7 as        
subsections 7d71 7e71 and 7f71          
respectively2 and  7,b7 by inserting    
after subsection 7b7 the following new  
subsection 7c73  7c7 ,notice to veterans
 of secrecy oath programs  7#a7 ,not    
later than #ij days after the date on   
which participants in a secrecy oath    
program are released from the oath taken
 under such program1 the ,secretary     
shall-- 7,a7 identify the veterans who  
participated in the program2  7,b7      
notify each such veteran of all benefits
 and services under laws administered by
 the ,department for which the veteran  
may be eligible2 and  7,c7 distribute   
the information described in subsection 
7d77#a7 as required by such subsection4 
7#b7 ,if the ,secretary identifies any  

veterans who are entitled to notice     
under paragraph 7#a7 and did not receive
 such notice1 the ,secretary shall1 not 
later than #ij days after the date of   
any such identification-- 7,a7 notify   
each such veteran of all benefits and   
services under laws administered by the 
,department for which the veteran may be
 eligible2 and  7,b7 distribute the     
information described in subsection     
7d77#a7 as required by such subsection4 
7#c7 ,in this subsection1 the term      
secrecy oath program has the meaing     
given that term in section #eajj of this
 title4  4  7#b7 ,conforming amendments 
,section #fcjc of such title is further 
amended-- 7,a7 in subsection 7a71 by    
striking through 7d7 and inserting      
through 7e72 and  7,b7 in subsection    
7e71 as redesignated by subsection      
7a77#a77;,a71 by striking subsections   
7b7 and 7c7 and inserting subsections   
7b71 7c71 and 7d74  7b7 ,edgewood       
,arsenal program ,not later than #ij    
days after the date of the enactment of 

this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs shall-- 7#a7 identify the      
veterans who participated in the secrecy
 oath program at ,edgewood ,arsenal at  
,aberdeen ,proving ,ground1 ,maryland1  
at any time during the period beginning 
on ,january #a1 #aidh1 and ending on    
,december #ca1 #aige2  7#b7 notify each 
such veteran of all benefits and        
services under laws administered by the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
which the veteran may be eligible2 and  
7#c7 distribute the information         
described in section #fcjc7;d77#a7 of   
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as    
amended by subsection 7a71 as required  
by such section4  #e4 ,effective dates  
of awards of disability compensation for
 participants in secrecy oath programs  
7a7 ,in general ,section #eaaj7;b7 of   
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by adding at the end the        
following new paragraph3  7#e7 7,a7     
,except as provided in subparagraph     
7,b71 the effective date of an award of 

disability compensation to a veteran who
 participated in a secrecy oath program 
shall be the day following the date of  
the veteran's discharge or release if-- 
7i7 application therefor is received on 
or before the date that is one year     
after the date on which notice is sent  
to the veteran pursuant to-- 7,i7       
section #fcjc7;c7 of this title2 or     
7,,ii7 section #d7;b77#b7 of the        
,obligations to ,aberdeen's ,trusted    
,heroes ,act of #bjbd2 and  7ii7 the    
disability for which compensation is    
sought was incurred or aggravated in    
line of duty in the active military1    
naval1 air1 or space service while      
participating in such secrecy oath      
program4  7,b7 7i7 ,the effective date  
of an award of disability compensation  
to a veteran described in clause 7ii7   
shall be the day of receipt of the      
application therefor4  7ii7 ,a veteran  
described in this clause is a veteran   
who-- 7,i7 participated in the secrecy  
oath program at ,edgewood ,arsenal at   

,aberdeen ,proving ,ground1 ,maryland1  
at any time during the period beginning 
on ,january #a1 #aidh1 and ending on    
,december #ca1 #aige2 and  7,,ii7       
submits to the ,secretary an application
 for disability compensation for a      
disability that was incurred or         
aggravated in line of duty in the active
 military1 naval1 air1 or space service 
while participating in such secrecy oath
 program after the date that is one year
 after the date on which notice is sent 
to the veteran pursuant to section      
#d7;b77#b7 of the ,obligations to       
,aberdeen's ,trusted ,heroes ,act of    
#bjbd4  4  7b7 ,effective date and      
applicability  7#a7 ,in general         
,paragraph 7#e7 of section #eaaj7;b7 of 
such title1 as added by subsection 7a71 
shall take effect on the date of the    
enactment of this ,act and shall apply  
to claims for disability compensation   
received on1 before1 or after the date  
of the enactment of this ,act4  7#b7    
,modification of prior awards ,not later

 than #ij days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall review all  
awards made by the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs on or before the date
 of the enactment of this ,act of       
compensation under chapter #aa of such  
title to veterans for a disability that 
was incurred or aggravated in line of   
duty in the active military1 naval1 air1
 or space service while participating in
 a secrecy oath program 7as defined in  
section #eajj of such title7 and adjust 
such awards of compensation such that   
the claim for such compensation is      
treated as if-- 7,a7 paragraph 7#e77;,a7
 of section #eaaj7;b7 of such title1 as 
added by subsection 7a71 were in effect 
on the date of the filing of the claim  
for the compensation2 and  7,b7         
application for such compensation was   
received in compliance with clause 7i7  
of such paragraph4