H. R. 1020 - March 4, 1999
As retrieved on Mar 5, 2008
Veterans' Hepatitis C Benefits Act of 1999
(Introduced in House)
HR 1020 IH
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
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the `Veterans' Hepatitis C
Benefits Act of 1999'.
SEC. 2. PRESUMPTION OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR HEPATITIS C FOR VETERANS .
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(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. 1119. Presumption of service connection for hepatitis C
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`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:
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`(1) Transfusion of blood or blood products
before December 31, 1992.
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`(2) Blood exposure on or through skin or mucous
membrane.
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`(3) Hemodialysis.
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`(4) Tattoo or body piercing or acupuncture.
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`(5) Unexplained liver disease.
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`(6) Unexplained abnormal liver function tests.
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`(7) Working in a health care occupation.'.
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the
beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 1118 the
following new item:
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`1119. Presumption of service connection for
hepatitis C .'.