ACES Act of 2025

This bill orders the Department of Veterans Affairs to team up with the National Academies to study cancer in veterans who served as aircrew on fixed‑wing military planes. The study will look at how often these cancers occur and how deadly they are, and will try to connect them to possible on‑the‑job exposures, like chemicals or other hazards faced during flight operations . It also lists specific cancers to review, including brain, colon and rectal, kidney, lung, melanoma, non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic, prostate, testicular, thyroid, and bladder cancers, and allows others to be added if needed . A final report with results must be delivered to the VA and Congress .

The VA must move quickly: it has 30 days after the law takes effect to start making an agreement with the National Academies and 60 days from starting talks to finish it. If the VA misses that deadline, it must explain why and give progress briefings every 60 days until the deal is done . The study will use data from VA and Defense Department records and national death records to measure cancer cases and deaths among the covered aircrew veterans . A plain‑language summary from the Library of Congress notes the focus on veterans who regularly flew in fixed‑wing aircraft as aircrew members .

• Who is affected: Veterans who served on active duty as aircrew in fixed‑wing aircraft (pilots, navigators, weapons or systems operators, and other crew who regularly flew) .
• What changes: A national study to measure cancer risks and deaths in this group and link them to service‑related exposures; results reported to the VA and Congress .
• When: VA must begin the agreement within 30 days of the law taking effect and finalize it within 60 days of starting talks; if late, it must provide regular updates every 60 days until complete .