HR 530119th CongressIn Committee

ACES Act

Introduced: Jan 16, 2025

HealthcareVeterans Affairs

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The ACES Act requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the prevalence and mortality of cancer among individuals who served as active-duty aircrew in fixed-wing military aircraft. The study will identify occupational exposures (chemicals, agents, and related factors), review existing research on how those exposures relate to various cancers, and estimate prevalence and mortality using available data from VA, DoD, service departments, the National Death Index, and a related NDAA study. The National Academies must deliver a report with the study results to the Secretary and Congress. The definition of a “covered individual” includes active-duty aircrew such as pilots, navigators, weapons systems operators, and other crew members who regularly flew in fixed-wing aircraft. In addition, the bill amends a pension-related provision to extend a deadline by one month, moving the limit from November 30, 2031 to December 31, 2031. The act does not itself authorize new benefits but could inform future policy or benefit decisions based on the study’s findings.

Key Points

1The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must seek an agreement with the National Academies within 30 days of enactment to study cancer prevalence and mortality among covered individuals (active-duty fixed-wing aircrew).
2The study must identify exposures associated with aircrew occupations, review literature on links between those exposures and specific cancers, and determine prevalence and mortality using available VA/DoD data and other official sources.
3Covered individuals are active-duty aircrew in fixed-wing aircraft (e.g., pilots, navigators, weapons systems operators, and other crew who regularly fly fixed-wing aircraft).
4The National Academies’ conclusions must be reported to the Secretary and to the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees; the Secretary must finalize the agreement within 60 days of negotiations, with progress briefings if not.
5Section 3 of the bill extends the date by which certain pension payment limits apply, moving the deadline from November 30, 2031 to December 31, 2031.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Active-duty aircrew members who served in fixed-wing aircraft, and, subsequently, veterans who may be affected by any resulting policy or benefits insight from the study.Secondary group/area affected: Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense (for data access and use in the study), and the broader veteran community seeking better understanding of cancer risks related to aircrew service.Additional impacts: The study could inform future VA policy decisions, health surveillance, and benefit considerations if links between aircrew exposures and specific cancers are confirmed; the pension provision change has a modest fiscal impact by shifting a payment deadline.

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