Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act of 2021
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 565
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the presumption of service-connection of certain disabilities by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 3, 2021
Ms. Smith (for herself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. King, Ms. Warren, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Coons, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Markey, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Collins, and Ms. Baldwin) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the presumption of service-connection of certain disabilities by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act of 2021”.
SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF VETERANS WHO PARTICIPATED IN CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK ATOLL AS RADIATION-EXPOSED VETERANS FOR PURPOSES OF PRESUMPTION OF SERVICE-CONNECTION OF CERTAIN DISABILITIES BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
Section 1112(c)(3)(B) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new clause:
“(v) Cleanup of Enewetak Atoll during the period beginning on January 1, 1977, and ending on December 31, 1980.”.
We should be added to the original bill for atomic veterans because we were just another test from the program they put us there on purpose to study the effects of radiation on the clean up crew.