ACES Act

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to work with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study cancer rates and deaths among people who served on active duty as aircrew on fixed‑wing military planes . The VA must seek an agreement within 30 days of the law taking effect and finalize it within 60 days after talks start; if it misses that, it must send regular updates to Congress every 60 days until the deal is done. The study will look at likely on‑the‑job exposures and connections to cancers such as brain, colon/rectal, kidney, lung, melanoma, non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic, prostate, testicular, thyroid, and bladder cancer, using VA, DoD, and national health data, and it ends with a report to VA and Congress. The bill also extends an existing limit on certain pension payments through December 31, 2031.

Key points:

• Who is affected: People who served on active duty as aircrew on fixed‑wing aircraft (pilots, navigators, weapons systems operators, aircraft system operators, and other crew who regularly flew).
• What changes: VA must partner with the National Academies to study cancer prevalence and mortality and report results; the study covers specific cancers and uses federal health data .
• When: VA seeks the agreement within 30 days of enactment and finalizes it within 60 days after negotiations begin, with updates every 60 days if missed; the pension limit is extended through December 31, 2031 .