Brothers all,

The House passed the bill to give presumptive Agent Orange exposure to Blue Water Navy veterans and sent it to the Senate.  The Senate has modified the bill to include even more veterans and benefits. This is a clear indication that the prevailing sentiment in the Senate is to pass the bill.  We have NEVER been this close before.  This is huge.  Please use the FRA link at the bottom of this report and go to the Take Action page where you can forward a message to your Senators to vote for the bill.  Please do this.

Yours in service,

Chuck Weber, VSO

 SVAC Schedules Hearing on Agent Orange Reform Bill

 
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has scheduled a hearing on the House version of the "Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act" (H.R.299). The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act would extend the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange to veterans who served of the coast of the Republic of Vietnam (Blue Water Navy veterans). 

During the committee markup in the House, the legislation was amended to extend the presumption of herbicide exposure for veterans who served on or near the Korean DMZ between September 1, 1967 and August 31, 1971. As amended, the legislation will now also extend health care, vocational training & rehabilitation and monetary allowance to a child who was born with spina bifida if at least one of the child's parents served in Thailand between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 and the VA determines that at least one of the parents had been exposed to a herbicide agent during that period. The bill also now includes improvements to the VA's home loan program.

Members are strongly urged to the FRA Action Center to urge their Senators to support this legislation.