Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 6.djvu/83

 PUBLIC LAW 103-446—NOV. 2, 1994 108 STAT. 4651 "(1) became manifest during service on active duty in the Armed Forces in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War, or "(2) became manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more within the presumptive period prescribed under subsection (b). "(b) The Secretary shall prescribe by regulation the period Regulations, of time following service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War that the Secretary determines is appropriate for presumption of service connection for purposes of this section. The Secretary's determination of such period of time shall be made following a review of any available credible medical or scientific evidence and the historical treatment afforded disabilities for which manifestation periods have been established and shall take into account other pertinent circumstances regarding the experiences of veterans of the Persian Gulf War. "(c)(1) The Secretsiry shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. "(2) Those regulations shall include the following: "(A) A description of the period and geographical area or areas of military service in connection with which compensation under this section may be paid. "(B) A description of the illnesses for which compensation under this section may be paid. "(C) A description of any relevant medical characteristic (such as a latency period) associated with each such illness. "(d) A disabihty for which compensation under this subchapter is payable shall be considered to be service connected for purposes of all other laws of the United States. "(e) For purposes of this section, the term 'Persian Gulf veteran' means a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian GulfWar.". (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1116 the following new item: "1117. Compensation for disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf Wfu* veterans.". (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— Section 1113 is amended— (1) by striking out "section 1112 or 1116" in the first and third place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof "section 1112, 1116, or 1117*; (2) by striking out "title" the second place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof "title, or payments of compensation pursuant to section 1117 of this title,, and (3) by inserting "or disabilities" after "diseases" both places it appears in subsection (a). (c) REPORT.— Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans AffJEors shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Afiisdrs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report stating whether or not the Secretary intends to pay compensation as provided in section 1117 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a). (d) REGULATIONS.— I f the Secretary states in the report under subsection (c) that the Secretary intends to pay compensation as provided in section 1117 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), the Secretary shall, not later than 30 days after the date on which such report is submitted, publish in the Federal 38 USC 1113. 38 USC 1117 note. Federal Register, publication. 38 USC 1117 note.

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