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S 642 111th Congress Senate Armed Forces and National Security Disability and paralysis Environmental health Government studies and investigations Hazardous wastes and toxic substances Health information and medical records Medical research Medical tests and diagnostic methods Military medicine Veterans' medical care Worker safety and health

Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009

Introduced: March 19, 2009 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 19, 2009
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Mar 19, 2009
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Defense, for each occupational and environmental health chemical hazard of particular concern, to establish and administer a registry of members and former members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to such hazard in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. Requires the Secretary to: (1) notify a member or former member who may have been exposed to such a hazard; and (2) provide a complete physical and medical examination of such individual.

Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies for the Institute of Medicine under which the Institute, for each incident of exposure reported in a registry, shall review and summarize the scientific evidence, and assess the strength thereof, concerning the association between the exposure to such hazard and acute and long-term health consequences of such exposure. Requires the Institute to: (1) make recommendations for necessary additional scientific studies; and (2) conduct periodic subsequent reviews of such evidence.

Requires members and former members listed in registries to be notified of any conclusive determinations with respect to such exposure, as well as any other significant related developments.

Makes any veteran who was exposed in the line of duty to an occupational and environmental health chemical hazard of particular concern eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for any disability, notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the disability may be associated with such exposure.

What's happening now March 19, 2009

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

 Related & companion bills 2
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 642: Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-642/
MLA
"S. 642: Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-642/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 642, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-642/.
Markdown link
[S. 642: Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-642/)
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