S. 201: ACES Act

This bill, titled the ACES Act, seeks to initiate a study conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine about cancer rates and mortality among military personnel who served as aircrew members in fixed-wing aircraft. The main components of the bill include the following:

Agreement for Study

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to enter into an agreement with the National Academies to conduct a comprehensive study.

Study Objectives

The study aims to:

• Identify potential exposures related to military jobs of the covered individuals, including chemicals, compounds, and other relevant factors.
• Review existing literature to establish connections between these exposures and various cancer types, which include:
• Brain cancer
• Colon and rectal cancers
• Kidney cancer
• Lung cancer
• Melanoma skin cancer
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Pancreatic cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Urinary bladder cancer
• Other cancers deemed relevant by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• Determine the prevalence and mortality rates for these cancers among covered individuals using available data sources such as:
• Healthcare and administrative records from the Veterans Affairs and Defense Departments
• The national death index maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Previous studies related to military personnel health, as specified under the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021

Reporting Requirements

Once the study is completed, the National Academies will prepare a report detailing the findings. This report will be submitted to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and both the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs.

Definition of Covered Individual

The term “covered individual” refers to anyone who served on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps as an aircrew member in a fixed-wing aircraft. This includes positions such as pilots, navigators, weapons systems operators, and other crew roles involved in regular flight operations.

Relevant Companies

• None found

This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.