This bill adds new rules to treat certain military service at the Nevada Test and Training Range as involving exposure to radiation and other toxins. It also adds lipomas and related tumors to the list of conditions presumed linked to that service.
This bill establishes eligibility for certain disability compensation and benefits for individuals who served at the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). The bill establishes that onsite participation on or after January 1, 1972, and before January 1, 2005, at certain NTTR locations where there was a potential of toxic exposure is a radiation-risk activity, therefore providing a presumption of service-connection for specified conditions. The bill specifies the covered NTTR locations include a location at Indian Springs Auxiliary Airfield but do not include a location at Nellis Air Force Base or Creech Air Force Base. The bill also establishes a presumption of toxic exposure for veterans who performed active service at such NTTR locations, including airspace above such locations. Additionally, lipomas and tumor related conditions must be considered as service-connected conditions for veterans who served at the NTTR locations.