Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
This bill adds 38 U.S.C. §1120A to create statutory presumptions that certain diseases are service-connected for veterans trained in fire suppression who served at least five aggregate years in firefighting or damage control. Covered diseases include numerous cancers, heart and lung diseases, and allows the Secretary to add diseases by regulation and set manifest periods; claims require at least 10% disability and manifestation within 15 years of separation (subject to regulatory exceptions).
Scope: liberals want broader coverage; conservatives fear overbroad disease list.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill functions as a substantive law change that establishes new presumptions of service connection and integrates cleanly into title 38, with reasonably specific eligibility and benefit thresholds, but it omits several important implementation details.
This bill adds 38 U.S.C. §1120A to create statutory presumptions that certain diseases are service-connected for veterans trained in fire suppression who served at least five aggregate years in firefighting or damage control.
Covered diseases include numerous cancers, heart and lung diseases, and allows the Secretary to add diseases by regulation and set manifest periods; claims require at least 10% disability and manifestation within 15 years of separation (subject to regulatory exceptions).
The effective date of awards is governed by existing section 5110, and the new section is inserted into chapter 11.
Veterans-targeted, non-ideological, and administratively straightforward increases chance, but cost implications and Senate procedures lower probability.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill functions as a substantive law change that establishes new presumptions of service connection and integrates cleanly into title 38, with reasonably specific eligibility and benefit thresholds, but it omits several important implementation details.
Scope: liberals want broader coverage; conservatives fear overbroad disease list.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Scope: liberals want broader coverage; conservatives fear overbroad disease list.
Generally strongly favorable as a remedy for occupational toxic exposures affecting military firefighters.
Sees the bill as a needed expansion of veterans' benefits and a step toward accountability for service-related health harms.
Generally supportive but pragmatic; values addressing occupational harms while wanting clarity on scope and fiscal impact.
Would seek cost estimates and clear regulatory standards before unqualified backing.
Mixed view: supportive of helping veterans but cautious about open-ended presumptions and fiscal effects.
Concerned about cost, administrative burden, and scope of Secretary’s regulatory authority.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Veterans-targeted, non-ideological, and administratively straightforward increases chance, but cost implications and Senate procedures lower probability.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Scope: liberals want broader coverage; conservatives fear overbroad disease list.
Veterans-targeted, non-ideological, and administratively straightforward increases chance, but cost implications and Senate procedures lowe…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill functions as a substantive law change that establishes new presumptions of service connection and integrates cleanly into title 38, with reasonably specific eligibili…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.