Sponsors (4)
The bill sponsors an independent study to identify cancer risks and occupational exposures among fixed‑wing aircrew to improve veteran care and inform policy, but it requires federal resources and its impact could be limited or delayed by data gaps and agreement negotiations.
Veterans who served as fixed‑wing aircrew (and related current service members) will receive an evidence‑based assessment of cancer prevalence, mortality, and occupational exposures that can guide improved VA screening, care, prevention, monitoring, and future research.
Congress, the VA, and taxpayers will receive new, independent data to inform potential policy changes, benefit decisions, and resource allocation for affected aircrew veterans.
The study could be limited by gaps in VA/DoD records or death indices, reducing its ability to produce definitive, timely findings that veterans could use to obtain benefits or improved care.
Delays negotiating required agreements may slow the delivery of findings and postpone potential policy or benefit responses for veterans and Congress.
Preparing and running the study will require VA and National Academies resources, increasing federal costs for taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs VA to arrange a National Academies study of cancer prevalence and mortality among active‑duty fixed‑wing aircrew, identify exposures, review links to listed cancers, and report findings to Congress.
Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to secure an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study of cancer prevalence and mortality among active‑duty Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps fixed‑wing aircrew. The study must identify military occupational exposures, review scientific literature linking those exposures to a list of specified cancers, estimate cancer prevalence and mortality using VA, DoD, and national databases, and deliver a report of findings to the Secretary and the congressional Veterans’ Affairs committees. Sets short deadlines for initiating and finalizing negotiations (30 days to seek agreement; 60 days to finalize after negotiations begin), requires explanations and 60‑day briefings to congressional committees if finalization is delayed, and directs use of multiple military and national data sources for the analysis.
Official title: Provide for a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the prevalence and mortality of cancer among individuals who served as active duty aircrew in the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 23, 2025 by Mark Edward Kelly · Last progress August 14, 2025