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S 2810 116th Congress Senate Armed Forces and National Security Disability assistance Health technology, devices, supplies Hearing, speech, and vision care Veterans' pensions and compensation

Veterans Hearing Benefits Act of 2019

Introduced: November 7, 2019 Introduced by: Smith, Tina Democratic · Minnesota See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 20, 2019
Star Print ordered on the bill.
Nov 7, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Nov 7, 2019
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Veterans Hearing Benefits Act of 2019

This bill provides a presumption of service-connection for hearing-related issues in certain veterans for purposes of wartime disability compensation. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.

Per the bill, certain veterans with diagnosed hearing loss, tinnitus, or both shall be presumed to have incurred or aggravated such conditions during active military, naval, or air service.

This bill applies to veterans who (1) served in combat, or (2) were assigned to a military occupational specialty that likely exposed them to a sufficiently high level of acoustic trauma.

The bill also requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to adjust the schedule of rating disabilities to establish a minimum disability rating for a veteran who requires a hearing aid because of a service-connected disability.

What's happening now November 20, 2019

Star Print ordered on the bill.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1