Six Sullivan Veterans Bills Headed to President's Desk, Including K2 Toxic Exposure Study

Press Release

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC), thanked his colleagues for recently passing the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act, a large package of veterans legislation featuring six bills championed by Sullivan, including S. 4384, the K2 Veterans Advocacy Act of 2020. The bill, introduced with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into an agreement with the administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a federal agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, to assess possible linkages between toxic exposure at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base (K2) in Uzbekistan and cancers and other diseases experienced by U.S. service members and veterans.

"There is a long and troubling history of our courageous men and women in uniform being exposed to toxic substances during their service overseas, and K2 is strongly suspected of being a hot-spot for such exposure, including for a number of veterans in Alaska who have reached out to my office," said Senator Sullivan. "In order to get to the bottom of this serious concern, my legislation moves to establish what toxic substances were present at K2, the medical conditions that these veterans have experienced, and the possible links between the two. I thank my colleagues for joining me in this critical first step, one of many that we need to take in order to do right by these service members and their families."

Between 2001 and 2005, approximately 7,000 U.S. military service members served at K2 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. A 2015 study conducted by the U.S. Army found that service members who had deployed to K2 were more than five times as likely to develop cancer as their counterparts deployed to South Korea. Since the study, it is estimated that the number of veterans suffering from cancer and other serious medical conditions has increased dramatically, with many service members having died potentially due to toxic exposure at K2.

The VA and Department of Defense (DOD) have collaborated for years on research to understand the effects of military service and deployments to certain installations on veterans' health, but additional research is necessary to determine causation or correlation between service at K2 and cancer or other illnesses and diseases.

The other pieces of legislation introduced by Sullivan and passed by the Senate last week include:

S.3898, the Homeless Veterans Coronavirus Response Act of 2020

Introduced by Sullivan and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) in June, this legislation would grant the VA greater flexibility in caring for and meeting the needs of homeless veterans in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Among other provisions, the legislation would loosen certain regulations and enable the VA to use existing resources to offer homeless veterans the additional assistance they may need, including transportation, communication devices and services, and basic amenities, like clothing, blankets and hygiene items. The law would also allow the VA to work with partner organizations to set up shelters on its properties. Finally, the bill ensures homeless veterans have access to the VA's telehealth services.

S.3182, the Helping Expand and Launch Transitional Health for Women (HEALTH) Act

Introduced by Sullivan and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the bill would direct the VA secretary to carry out a women's health transition training pilot program to better connect female veterans with the health benefits and services they have earned.

S.2485, the Medal of Honor Surviving Spouses Recognition Act

Introduced by Sullivan, and inspired by Wasilla Vietnam veteran Dave Glenn, this legislation would extend the Medal of Honor (MOH) special pension to the surviving spouses of certain MOH recipients.

S.850, the Highly Rural Veteran Transportation Program Extension Act

Introduced by Sullivan and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), this legislation would require the VA to establish a national protocol for volunteer drivers in its transportation programs.

S.524, the VA Tribal Advisory Committee Act

Introduced by Sullivan and Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the legislation would establish a VA Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs. The committee would facilitate communication and understanding between the VA and tribal governments to better address the unique barriers Native American veterans face when accessing VA services.

All six pieces of legislation were included in the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act, which now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law.

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