WASHINGTON DC (KOLO) – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen have introduced a bill seeking to support veterans exposed to radiation and toxins while serving in Nevada.
The bill would apply to servicemembers who served at classified locations within the Nevada Test and Training Range since 1951.
Rosen says that between the 1950s and the 1990s, the NTTR played host to more than 900 nuclear weapons tests, as well as other dangerous toxic activities.
Due to the classified nature of the areas these veterans served in, affected veterans are unable to prove service to the VA, and are therefore unable to receive care and benefits connected to exposure to radiation and toxins from burn pits.
The FORGOTTEN Veterans Act would recognize these veterans and would:
- Classify the Nevada Test and Training Range as contaminated.
- Require the Department of Defense (DOD) to document all exposures, including those that occur domestically, into the servicemember’s Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record, so it can be seen by the VA when servicemembers transition to civilian life, while still protecting the classified nature of the location of their service.
- Require the Secretary of the Air Force to identify all those who served within the NTTR since January 27, 1951, establish a process for servicemembers and veterans to provide proof of their assignment within the NTTR, and make all efforts to identify individuals, without requiring them to submit evidence of their stationing.
- Establish a presumption of toxic exposure for DOD personnel who served at any Department of Energy (DOE) Covered Facilities – such as those within the NTTR – where DOE employees have a presumption of exposure and are covered under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. One such DOE-covered facility within the NTTR is the Tonopah Test Range, which is both a DOE and DOD installation.
- Add service at military installations within the NTTR to the list of recognized “radiation-risk activities” under VA law, dating back to January 27, 1951, including veterans who participated in the development, construction, operation, or maintenance of military installations at NTTR—beyond just nuclear test observers.
- Establish a presumption of toxic exposure for veterans who served on or above NTTR, easing the burden of proof in VA claims.
- Expand presumptive conditions for service connection by adding lipomas and tumor-related conditions to the list of automatically presumed service-connected illnesses.
“Veterans have been exposed to radiation and toxic chemicals as a result of their selfless service to our nation, and the least we can do is ensure they get the treatment they need,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m introducing this bill to recognize the radiation and toxic exposure experienced at the Nevada Test and Training Range so our veterans can access the care and benefits they deserve. It is unconscionable that one U.S. government agency deems portions of the range as contaminated and their personnel exposed, while another U.S. government agency does not. I’ll continue working to make sure we take care of our veterans and their loved ones.”
“As a nation, it is our obligation to take care of all veterans once their service has ended,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This is especially true for veterans of the Nevada Test and Training Range, who faced toxic exposure daily as part of their duties and should have parity with their civilian counterparts. I will continue to push for these brave men and women to receive the care and benefits they’re due.
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