Veterans' Hepatitis C Act of 1999 (Introduced in the House)
HR 1020 IH
 

H. R. 1020

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption of service connection for the occurrence of hepatitis C in certain veterans.
 

Mr. SNYDER (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. FILNER, Ms. CARSON, Mr. MINGE, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. SHOWS, Mr. DICKEY, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, and Mr. WELDON of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption of service connection for the occurrence of hepatitis C in certain veterans.

     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 `Veterans' Hepatitis C Act of 1999'.

SEC. 2. PRESUMPTION OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR HEPATITIS C FOR VETERANS.

     (a) IN GENERAL- Subchapter II of chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at        the end the following new section:

`Sec. 1118. Presumption of service connection for hepatitis C

     `For purposes of section 1110 of this title, and subject to section 1113 of this title, hepatitis C becoming manifest in a veteran shall be considered to have been incurred in or aggravated by active military, naval, or air service, notwithstanding  that there is no record of evidence of such illness during the period of such
service if it is shown that during such service the veteran experienced one or more of the following:

          `(1) Transfusion of blood or blood products before December 31, 1992.
          `(2) Blood exposure on or through skin or mucous membrane.
          `(3) Hemodialysis.
          `(4) Tattoo or body piercing or acupuncture.
          `(5) Unexplained liver disease.
          `(6) Unexplained abnormal liver function tests.
          `(7) Working in a health care occupation.'.

     (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1117 the following new item:

          `1118. Presumption of service connection for hepatitis C.'.
 

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