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HR 2493 97th Congress House

Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Act

Official title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide a presumption of service connection for the occurrence of certain diseases in Veterans who were expose… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide a presumption of service connection for the occurrence of certain diseases in Veterans who were exposed to herbicides during service in southeast Asia during the Vietnam era.

Introduced: March 12, 1981 See on congress.gov
Armed Forces and National Security Agent OrangeEnvironmental ProtectionVeterans' benefitsVeterans' disability compensationVietnamese Conflict
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This bill died when the 97th Congress ended
It never became law before the 97th Congress (1981–1982) 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 12, 1981
Referred to House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Mar 12, 1981
Introduced in House
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 Latest action March 12, 1981

Referred to House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Act - Establishes a presumption of service-connected disability for veterans exposed to herbicides during service who suffer from a disease which may be caused by exposure to such herbicides, developed to a ten percent degree of disability. Requires the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to determine what diseases and birth defects may be due to exposure to herbicides. Qualifies such birth defects disabling to a degree of ten percent as an aggravation of a preexisting injury suffered in the line of duty in the active military service during a period of war.

Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations within one year of enactment incorporating such determinations and setting forth the conditions of service during the Vietnam era required to establish exposure.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Republican 1
FROST, MARTIN
· Mar 12, 1981
 R
Smith, Christopher H.
New Jersey · Mar 12, 1981
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2493: Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Act. 97th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/97-HR-2493/
MLA
"H.R. 2493: Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Act." 97th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/97-HR-2493/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2493, 97th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/97-HR-2493/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2493: Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/97-HR-2493/)
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