Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009

Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009 - Includes as part of the Republic of Vietnam, for purposes of the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure by veterans to certain herbicide agents while in Vietnam, such Republic's inland waterways, ports, and harbors, waters offshore, and airspace above.

Includes as veterans eligible for such presumption those who: (1) served on Johnston Island during the period beginning on April 1, 1972, and ending on September 30, 1977; or (2) received the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam Campaign Medal.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2254 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2254

To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating 
 to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the 
                          Republic of Vietnam.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2009

 Mr. Filner (for himself, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Kagen, Mr. 
 Latham, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Hall of New York, Mr. 
   Kennedy, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Pastor of Arizona, Mr. Ortiz, Ms. Loretta 
Sanchez of California, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, and 
 Mr. Platts) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating 
 to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the 
                          Republic of Vietnam.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE FOR VETERANS WHO 
              SERVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.

    (a) Clarification.--Section 1116 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in subsections (a)(1) and (f), by striking ``a veteran 
        who, during active military, naval, or air service, served in 
        the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 
        9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975'' and inserting ``a veteran 
        described in subsection (g)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g) A veteran described in this subsection is a veteran who--
            ``(1) during active military, naval, or air service--
                    ``(A) served in the Republic of Vietnam (including 
                the inland waterways, ports, and harbors of such 
                Republic, the waters offshore of such Republic, and the 
                airspace above such Republic) during the period 
                beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 
                1975; or
                    ``(B) served in Johnston Island during the period 
                beginning on April 1, 1972, and ending on September 30, 
                1977; or
            ``(2) received the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam 
        Campaign Medal.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect as of September 25, 1985.
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