United States 117th Congress Status: Died 1 R cosponsors

HR 2127 — TEAM Act

Last action — Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. Died in session

This bill died with 117th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Toxic Exposure in the American Military Act or the TEAM Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand health care, benefits, and resources for veterans with conditions related to exposure to toxic substances. Specifically, the bill expands eligibility for VA hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to include veterans who (1) were exposed to toxic substances, radiation, or other conditions, and were awarded certain medals (e.g., the Armed Forces Service Medal); (2) are eligible for inclusion in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry; or (3) have been identified by the Department of Defense to have been possibly exposed during service to an open burn pit, toxic substance, or specified hazardous sites. (A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment.) The bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain toxic substances and that become manifest within a certain time period; the VA must specify such diseases and requirements through regulations. 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. The bill also requires the VA to take specified actions to (1) evaluate scientific evidence regarding associations between diseases and exposure to toxic substances; (2) train its health care personnel on identifying, treating, and assessing illnesses related to such exposure; and (3) provide resources to veterans exposed to toxic substances.

Bill Text

Sections of law this bill changes

2 sections in 2 laws

From the bill's own amending language, matched to the official United States Code (current through Public Law 119-124).

Compensation for service-connected disability or death · 38 U.S.C. ch. 11 1 section
  • § 1113 Presumptions rebuttable Amends

    38 U.S.C. § 1113

    The law today

    (a) Where there is affirmative evidence to the contrary, or evidence to establish that an intercurrent injury or disease which is a recognized cause of any of the diseases or disabilities within the purview of section 1112, 1116, 1117, 1118, or 1120 of this title, has been suffered between the date of separation from service and the onset of any such diseases or disabilities, or the disability is due to the veteran’s own willful misconduct, service-connection pursuant to section 1112, 1116, 1118, or 1120 of this title, or payments of compensation pursuant to section 1117 of this title, will not be in order. (b) Nothing in section 1112, 1116, 1117, 1118, or 1120 of this title, subsection (a) of this section, or section 5 of Public Law 98–542 (38 U.S.C. 1154 note) shall be construed to prevent the granting of service-connection for any disease or disorder otherwise shown by sound judgment to have been incurred in or aggravated by active military, naval, air, or space service.

    4 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

Hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, and medical care · 38 U.S.C. ch. 17 1 section
  • § 1710 Eligibility for hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care Amends

    38 U.S.C. § 1710 — at 1710(e)

    The law today

    (a) (1) The Secretary (subject to paragraph (4)) shall furnish hospital care and medical services which the Secretary determines to be needed— (A) to any veteran for a service-connected disability; and (B) to any veteran who has a service-connected disability rated at 50 percent or more. (2) The Secretary (subject to paragraph (4)) shall furnish hospital care and medical services, and may furnish nursing home care, which the Secretary determines to be needed to any veteran— (A) who has a compensable service-connected disability rated less than 50 percent or, with respect to nursing home care during any period during which the provisions of section 1710A(a) of this title are in effect, a compensable service-connected disability rated less than 70 percent; (B) whose discharge or release from active military, naval, air, or space service was for a disability that was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty; (C) who is in receipt of, or who, but for a suspension pursuant to section 1151 of this title (or both a suspension and the receipt of retired pay), would be entitled to disability compensation, but only to the extent that such veteran’s continuing eligibility for such care is provided for in the judgment or settlement provided for in such section; (D) who is a former prisoner of war, who was awarded the medal of honor under section 7271, 8291, or 9271 of title 10 or section 491 1 of title 14, or who was awarded the Purple Heart; (E) who is a veteran of— (i) the Mexican border period; (ii) World War I; or (iii) World War II; (F) who is a toxic-exposed veteran, in accordance with subsection (e); or (G) who is unable to defray the expenses of necessary care as determined under section 1722(a) of this title. (3) In the case of a veteran who is not described in paragraphs (1) and (2), the Secretary may, to the extent resources and facilities are available and subject to the provisions of subsections (f) and (g), furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care which the Secretary determines to be needed. (4) The requirement in paragraphs (1) and (2) that the Secretary furnish hospital care and medical services, the requirement in section 1710A(a) of this title that the Secretary provide nursing home care, the requirement in section 1710B of this title that the Secretary provide a program of extended care services, and the requirement in section 1745 of this title to provide nursing home care and prescription medicines to veterans with service-connected disabilities in State homes shall be effective in any fiscal year only to the extent and in the amount provided in advance in appropriations Acts for such purposes. (5) During any period during which the provisions of section 1710A(a) of this title are not in effect, the Secretary may furnish nursing home care which the Secretary determines is needed to any veteran described in paragraph (1), with the priority for such care on the same basis as if provided under that paragraph. (b) (1) The Secretary may furnish to a veteran described in paragraph (2) of this subsection such domiciliary care as the Secretary determines is needed for the purpose of the furnishing of medical services to the veteran. (2) This subsection applies in the case of the following veterans: (A) Any veteran whose annual income (as determined under section 1503 of this title) does not exceed the maximum annual rate of pension that would be applicable to the veteran if the veteran were eligible for pension under section 1521(d) of this title. (B) Any veteran who the Secretary determines has no adequate means of support. (c) While any veteran is receiving hospital care or nursing home care in any Department facility, the Secretary may, within the limits of Department facilities, furnish medical services to correct or treat any non-service-connected disability of such veteran, in addition to treatment incident to the disability for which such veteran is hospitalized, if the veteran is willing, an...

    70 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

Also cites: 38 U.S.C. § 101, 38 U.S.C. § 547, 38 U.S.C. § 1119, 38 U.S.C. § 1720G

How this bill changes current law

5 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill expands eligibility for healthcare and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 1710

    Subject to paragraph (2), a covered individual is eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care under subsection (a)(2)(F) for any illness.

    The bill adds a new category of 'covered individuals' who are eligible for healthcare based on exposure to toxic substances.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 1710

    or (F) → (F), or (G)

    The bill modifies the eligibility criteria to include care related to exposure to toxic substances under a new designation.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 1710

    H) Subject to paragraph (2), a veteran is eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care under subsection (a)(2)(F) for any illness if the veteran was awarded any of the following: (i) The Armed Forces Service Medal; (ii) The Afghanistan Campaign Medal; (iii) The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; (iv) The Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal; (v) The Iraq Campaign Medal; (vi) The Southwest Asia Service Medal.

    The bill creates a new category of healthcare eligibility for veterans based on specific medals awarded.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 1119

    For purposes of section 1110 of this title, and subject to section 1113 of this title, each disease specified in paragraph (2) becoming manifest as specified in that paragraph shall be considered to have been incurred in or aggravated by service referred to in that paragraph, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence of such disease during the period of such service.

    The bill establishes presumptions of service connection for diseases associated with specific toxic substance exposures.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 1119

    Whenever the Secretary determines, on the basis of sound medical and scientific evidence, that a positive association exists between the exposure of humans to a toxic substance and the occurrence of a disease in humans, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations providing that a presumption of service connection is warranted for that disease for purposes of this section.

    The bill mandates the Secretary to create regulations for presumptive service connections for diseases linked to toxic substance exposure.

Action History

  1. Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

  2. Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

  3. Introduced in House

  4. Introduced in House

  5. Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (546)

546 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

veterans labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HR 2127 do?
Toxic Exposure in the American Military Act or the TEAM Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand health care, benefits, and resources for veterans with conditions related to exposure to toxic substances. Specifically, the bill expands eligibility for VA hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to include veterans who (1) were exposed to toxic substances, radiation, or other conditions, and were awarded certain medals (e.g., the Armed Forces Service Medal); (2) are eligible for inclusion in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry; or (3) have been identified by the Department of Defense to have been possibly exposed during service to an open burn pit, toxic substance, or specified hazardous sites. (A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment.) The bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain toxic substances and that become manifest within a certain time period; the VA must specify such diseases and requirements through regulations. 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. The bill also requires the VA to take specified actions to (1) evaluate scientific evidence regarding associations between diseases and exposure to toxic substances; (2) train its health care personnel on identifying, treating, and assessing illnesses related to such exposure; and (3) provide resources to veterans exposed to toxic substances.
Who sponsors HR 2127?
HR 2127 is sponsored by Bost, Mike (Republican).
What is the current status of HR 2127?
This bill died with 117th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HR 2127?
Track HR 2127 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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