PRESUME Act

The PRESUME Act would amend the U.S. Code to remove the Department of Veterans Affairs’ requirement that a veteran prove a specific level of radiation exposure (a dose) in order to be recognized as a “radiation-exposed veteran.” Specifically, it adds a new provision to 38 U.S.C. 1112(c) prohibiting the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from requiring evidence of a certain radiation dose to determine that a veteran is a radiation-exposed veteran. The bill’s main effect is to make it easier for veterans who may have been exposed to radiation, but who cannot document an exact dose, to be classified as radiation-exposed and to access related presumptions and benefits. This bill does not create new benefits or define who qualifies as a radiation-exposed veteran beyond removing the dose-evidence requirement. It changes the evidence standard for determining exposure, potentially broadening eligibility for presumptive service-connected benefits tied to radiation exposure.