Enacted on January 19, 2021
Care of Veterans With Service in Uzbekistan
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall consider whether to designate veterans who served on active duty in Uzbekistan between October 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005, as veterans who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations pursuant to section 1710(e)(1)(D) of title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 2. Within 365 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct a rigorous study investigating toxic exposure by members of the Armed Forces deployed to the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan (Air Base), between October 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005. The Secretary of Defense shall submit a report summarizing the findings of the study to the President, through the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The study shall include the following elements:
(a) A detailed assessment of the conditions at the Air Base between October 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005, including identification of any toxic substances contaminating the Air Base during such period, the exact locations of the toxic substances, the time frames of exposure to the toxic substances, the service members exposed to the toxic substances, and the circumstances of such exposure.
(b) A rigorous epidemiological study of any health consequences for members of the Armed Forces deployed to the Air Base between October 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005. This study shall be of equivalent rigor to studies used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to make determinations regarding diseases subject to presumptive service connections.
(c) An assessment of any causal link between exposure to any toxic substances identified in subsection (a) of this section and any health consequences studied under subsection (b) of this section.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget related to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented in a manner consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
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(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE, January 19, 2021. Filed 1-22-21; 8:45 am]
[FR Doc. 2021-01712
Billing code 3295-F1-P
Links
Enacted on January 1, 2021
Section 751 Specifically deals with K2 Veterans
Study on exposure to toxic substances at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan
The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study on exposure to toxic substances by members of the Armed Forces deployed to Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, at any time during the period beginning on October 1, 2001, and ending on December 31, 2005.
The study under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the results of the study under subsection (a).
Links
Rep. Mark Green Lands Victory for K2 Veterans in Defense Bill
Rep. Green Demands Justice for K2 Veterans in NDAA
Reps. Lynch And Green Target K2 Veterans Health Concerns In Final NDAA
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Cosponsors Bill to Help Veterans Exposed to Cancer-Causing Toxins
Chairman Lynch And Rep. Green Fight For Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Veterans With NDAA Floor Amendment
Enacted on January 5, 2021
Section 751 Specifically deals with K2 Veterans
Study on exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxicants at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into an agreement with the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for the Administrator to complete, not later than 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, a study to identify —
The covered location and corresponding period set forth under this subsection are Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan and the period beginning on October 1, 2001, and ending on September 30, 2005.
The study conducted under subsection (a) shall include the following:
The Secretary shall provide the Administrator with assistance in carrying out the study required by subsection (a), including by gathering such information as the Administrator may consider useful in carrying out the study.
Assistance under paragraph (1) provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include compiling information on exposure described in subsection (a)(2) and the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs such information concerning such exposure as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers appropriate for purposes of the study required by subsection (a), including environmental sampling data relative to any location covered by the study.
No later than the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than once every two years thereafter until the date on which the study required by subsection (a) is completed, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress updates on the status of the matters covered by such study, including any preliminary findings of the Administrator.
Not later than 60 days after the date on which the study required by subsection (a) is completed, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the findings of the Administrator with respect to such study.
Section 201(c)(2) of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–260; 38 U.S.C. 527 note) is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking Afghanistan or Iraq
and inserting Afghanistan, Iraq, or Uzbekistan
.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that any individual who deployed as a member of the Armed Forces to the covered location set forth in subsection (b) during the corresponding period set forth in such subsection is covered by the Depleted Uranium Follow-up Programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In this section, the term appropriate committees of Congress means -