PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Mar 19, 2009
Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Defense, for each occupational and environmental health chemical hazard of particular concern, to establish and administer a registry of members and former members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to such hazard in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. Requires the Secretary to: (1) notify a member or former member who may have been exposed to such a hazard; and (2) provide a complete physical and medical examination of such individual.
Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies for the Institute of Medicine under which the Institute, for each incident of exposure reported in a registry, shall review and summarize the scientific evidence, and assess the strength thereof, concerning the association between the exposure to such hazard and acute and long-term health consequences of such exposure. Requires the Institute to: (1) make recommendations for necessary additional scientific studies; and (2) conduct periodic subsequent reviews of such evidence.
Requires members and former members listed in registries to be notified of any conclusive determinations with respect to such exposure, as well as any other significant related developments.
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Makes any veteran who was exposed in the line of duty to an occupational and environmental health chemical hazard of particular concern eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for any disability, notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the disability may be associated with such exposure.
People & committees
Sen. Bayh, Evan [D-IN] · D–IN
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Introduced in Senate
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Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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