In committee
Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act
This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs and the CDC to investigate rates of cholangiocarcinoma—a rare bile duct cancer linked to parasitic liver flukes—among veterans who served in the Vietnam theater. Researchers will compare veteran diagnosis rates against the general public to recommend whether Congress should provide new medical care or disability compensation, while the VA continues tracking cases over time. To offset federal spending, the bill also extends an existing $90 monthly cap on VA pension payments for certain single veterans receiving Medicaid-funded nursing home care for an additional month, through December 2031.
People affected—The text applies to Vietnam veterans diagnosed with or at risk for cholangiocarcinoma and certain veterans subject to pension limits under 38 U.S.C. 5503(d)(7), but does not provide an estimated or definite count of individuals affected.
Fiscal magnitude—The bill text does not specify an appropriation amount or projected cost/savings for the study or the one-month pension limitation extension.
Reach15provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
What this bill touches.
Veterans' care delivery+12
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- Vietnam theater veteransSec. 2 directs the VA and CDC to conduct an epidemiological study on bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) rates among Vietnam theater veterans, continuously track cases, and recommend future legislative or administrative actions.
Who it burdens
- Department of Veterans AffairsSec. 2 requires the VA to conduct an epidemiological study with the CDC, continuously track bile duct cancer cases using its cancer registry, and submit initial and periodic follow-up reports to Congress.
- Centers for Disease Control and PreventionSec. 2(a) requires the CDC to consult with the VA and provide registry data to carry out an epidemiological study comparing bile duct cancer rates between Vietnam veterans and the broader public.
- Medicaid-covered veterans in nursing homes without dependentsSec. 3 extends by one month (through December 31, 2031) the statutory $90 monthly cap on VA pension payments for veterans without dependents who receive Medicaid-covered nursing home care.