119-hr586

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 586 Referred in Senate

    (RFS) ]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 586

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 April 8, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to study and report on the 
prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma in veterans who served in the Vietnam 
 theater of operations during the Vietnam era, 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 ``Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer 
Study Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA IN VETERANS WHO 
 SERVED IN THE VIETNAM THEATER OF OPERATIONS DURING THE 
 VIETNAM ERA.

    (a) Epidemiological Study.--Not later than 120 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall 
commence an epidemiological study on the prevalence of 
cholangiocarcinoma in covered veterans of the Vietnam era, using data 
from the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry and the National 
Program of Cancer Registries. The study shall include--

    (1) an identification of the rate of incidence of 
 cholangiocarcinoma in covered veterans of the Vietnam era and 
 in residents of the United States, from the beginning of the 
 Vietnam era to the date of enactment of this Act; and

    (2) for each of the groups specified in paragraph

    (1) , an 
 identification of the percentage of individuals with 
 cholangiocarcinoma by various demographic characteristics, 
 including by age, gender, race, ethnicity, and the geographic 
 location of the patient at the time of diagnosis.

    (b) Reports to Congress.--

    (1) Initial report.--Not later than one year after the 
 completion of the study under subsection

    (a) , the Secretary 
 shall submit to Congress a report containing--
        (A) the results of the study under subsection

    (a) ; 
 and
        (B) recommendations for administrative or 
 legislative actions required to address issues 
 identified in the study under subsection

    (a) .

    (2) Follow-up reports.--The Secretary shall periodically 
 submit to the Congress a follow-up reports, as determined by 
 the Secretary, to provide updates to the information included 
 in the initial report under paragraph

    (1) and information 
 collected pursuant to subsection
            (c) .
            (c) Continued Tracking of Cholangiocarcinoma in Covered Veterans of 
the Vietnam Era.--The Secretary shall track the prevalence of 
cholangiocarcinoma in covered veterans of the Vietnam era using the 
Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry, and provide such information 
to Congress in follow-up reports submitted under subsection

    (b)

    (2) .
            (d) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) The term ``Vietnam era'' has the meaning given such 
 term in 

section 101 of title 38, United States Code.

    (2) The term ``covered veterans of the Vietnam era'' means 
 veterans who served in the Vietnam theater of operations during 
 the Vietnam era.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITATION OF PENSION PAYMENTS.

 

Section 5503
            (d) (7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``November 30, 2031'' and inserting ``December 31, 2031''.

 Passed the House of Representatives April 7, 2025.

 Attest:

 KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

 Clerk.