S. 1039Senate117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve compensation for disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf War veterans, and for other purposes.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 1:04 AM UTC

The bill changes the rules for disability compensation for veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War and related operations. It lowers the threshold for a disability to be considered manifest, makes the eligibility period permanent, adds a mandatory questionnaire for Gulf War illness, expands the definition of a Persian Gulf veteran to include service in several nearby countries, and requires training and annual reporting by the VA.

Key Provisions

Lower the eligibility threshold so a disability only needs to have become manifest to any degree at any time.
Make the eligibility period for Gulf War‑related disabilities permanent by removing the temporary provision.
Create a mandatory Disability Benefits Questionnaire for any veteran showing a symptom of Gulf War Illness.
Expand the definition of "Persian Gulf veteran" to include service in Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, or Jordan.
Require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to train health‑care personnel on these provisions and to submit an annual report to Congress on the actions taken.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

SenateCommittee Latest Action

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

April 28, 2021

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 25, 2021

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

March 25, 2021

SenateCommittee

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

April 28, 2021

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 25, 2021

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1039

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 25, 2021

Mr. Menendez introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve compensation for disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf War veterans, and for other purposes.

Improving compensation for disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf War veterans

(a)

Reduction in threshold of eligibility

Subsection (a)(1) of section 1117 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking became manifest— and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting became manifest to any degree at any time.

(b)

Permanent extension of period of eligibility

(1)

In general

Such section is amended by striking subsection (b).

(2)

Conforming amendments

Such section, as amended by paragraph (1), is further amended—

(A)

by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (b) and (c), respectively; and

(B)

in subsection (a)(2)(C), by striking under subsection (d) and inserting under subsection (c).

(c)

Establishing singular Disability Based Questionnaire

Such section, as amended by subsection (b), is further amended by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection (d):

(d)

The Secretary shall develop a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ), or successor questionnaire, such that if a Persian Gulf veteran presents with any one symptom associated with Gulf War Illness, use of such questionnaire is mandatory for health care personnel of the Department for the identification of Gulf War Illness.

(d)

Expansion of definition of Persian Gulf veteran

Subsection (f) of such section is amended by inserting , Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, or Jordan after operations.

(e)

Training

Such section is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(i)

(1)

The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that health care personnel of the Department are appropriately trained to effectively carry out this section.

(2)

Not less frequently than once each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the actions taken by the Secretary to carry out paragraph (1).