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Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Apr 24, 2002
Veterans Hearing Loss Compensation Act of 2002 - Removes the requirement that a veteran's hearing loss must be total in order to qualify for disability compensation, as long as the combination of hearing loss in both ears was the result of service-connected disability.Considers hearing loss, tinnitus, or both of a veteran who, while on active military service, was assigned to an occupational specialty which likely exposed such veteran to a sufficiently high level of acoustic trauma so as to result in permanent hearing loss or tinnitus, to have been incurred or aggravated by military service (and therefore compensable under veterans' disability compensation), notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence of such hearing loss or tinnitus during such service. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs: (1) in determining which occupational specialties qualify as having such acoustic trauma, to take into account a report required to be submitted by the National Academy of Sciences under this Act; and (2) to report to the congressional veterans' committees on claims submitted for disability compensation or health care based on hearing loss or tinnitus.
People & committees
Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV] · D–WV
Legislative record
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Became Public Law No: 107-330.
Became Public Law No: 107-330.
Signed by President.
Signed by President.
Presented to President.
Presented to President.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Senate concurred in the House amendments to the Senate bill by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S11329-11338; text as Senate agreed to House amendment: CR S11329-11332)
Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate concurred in the House amendments to the Senate bill by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S11329-11338; text as Senate agreed to House amendment: CR S11329-11332)
Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On passage Passed without objection. (text: CR 11/14/2002 H8998-9002)
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed without objection.(text: CR 11/14/2002 H8998-9002)
Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR 11/14/2002 H8925-9007)
Mr. Armey asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
Held at the desk.
Received in the House.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S9556-9559)
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S9556-9559)
The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S9550-9559; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S9550-9551)
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 542.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 107-234.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 107-234.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3305-3306)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3305)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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