119-s1665

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1665 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1665

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure veterans of secrecy 
oath programs receive the full benefits they have earned, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 7, 2025

Mr. Blumenthal 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 ensure veterans of secrecy 
oath programs receive the full benefits they have earned, 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 ``Obligations to Aberdeen's Trusted 
Heroes Act of 2025'' or the ``OATH Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF SECRECY OATH PROGRAM.

 

Section 5100 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new paragraph:
 ``

    (3) 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 punishment.''.

SEC. 3. NOTICE TO VETERANS OF SECRECY OATH PROGRAMS REGARDING BENEFITS.

    (a) Notice Required.--

    (1) In general.--

Section 6303 of title 38, United States 
 Code, is amended--
        (A) by redesignating subsections
            (c) ,
            (d) , and

    (e) as subsections
            (d) ,

    (e) , and

    (f) , respectively; and
        (B) by inserting after subsection

    (b) the following 
 new subsection
            (c) :
 ``
            (c) Notice to Veterans of Secrecy Oath Programs.--

    (1) Not later 
than 90 days after the date on which participants in a secrecy oath 
program are released from the oath taken under such program, the 
Secretary shall--
 ``
        (A) identify the veterans who participated in the 
 program;
 ``
        (B) notify each such veteran of all benefits and services 
 under laws administered by the Department for which the veteran 
 may be eligible; and
 ``
            (C) distribute the information described in subsection
            (d) (1) as required by such subsection.
 ``

    (2) If the Secretary identifies any veterans who are entitled to 
notice under paragraph

    (1) and did not receive such notice, the 
Secretary shall, not later than 90 days after the date of any such 
identification--
 ``
        (A) notify each such veteran of all benefits and services 
 under laws administered by the Department for which the veteran 
 may be eligible; and
 ``
        (B) distribute the information described in subsection
            (d) (1) as required by such subsection.
 ``

    (3) In this subsection, the term `secrecy oath program' has the 
meaning given that term in 

section 5100 of this title.''.

    (2) Conforming amendments.--

Section 6303 of such title is 
 further amended--
        (A) in subsection

    (a) , by striking ``through
            (d) '' 
 and inserting ``through

    (e) ''; and
        (B) in subsection

    (e) , as redesignated by 
 subsection

    (a)

    (1)
        (A) , by striking ``subsections

    (b) and
            (c) '' and inserting ``subsections

    (b) ,
            (c) , and
            (d) ''.

    (b) Edgewood Arsenal Program.--Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall--

    (1) identify the veterans who participated in the secrecy 
 oath program at Edgewood Arsenal at Aberdeen Proving Ground, 
 Maryland, at any time during the period beginning on January 1, 
 1948, and ending on December 31, 1975;

    (2) notify each such veteran of all benefits and services 
 under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs 
 for which the veteran may be eligible; and

    (3) distribute the information described in 

section 6303
            (d) (1) of title 38, United States Code, as amended by 
 subsection

    (a) , as required by such section.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATES OF AWARDS OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION FOR 
 PARTICIPANTS IN SECRECY OATH PROGRAMS.

 

Section 5110

    (b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
 ``

    (5)
        (A) The effective date of an award of disability compensation 
to a veteran described in subparagraph
        (B) shall be the day following 
the date of the veteran's discharge or release.
 ``
        (B) A veteran described in this subparagraph is a veteran who--
 ``
            (i) participated in the secrecy oath program at Edgewood 
 Arsenal at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, at any time 
 during the period beginning on January 1, 1948, and ending on 
 December 31, 1975; or
 ``
            (ii) participated in any other secrecy oath program not 
 described in clause
            (i) .''.
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