National Academies Study on Prevalence and Mortality of Cancer Among Individuals Who Served as Active Duty Aircrew in the Armed Forces
Section 2 · Sec. 2 ·
What this chapter is about
This part orders a study about cancer. It is about people who flew in planes for the armed forces. The head of the VA must ask a science group to do the study. The group must send what it finds to the VA and to Congress.
The document says “shall”Who acts: Secretary of Veterans AffairsHow: statuteSec. 2 in the PDF
What the document says
“Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (in this section referred to as the "National Academies"), under which the National Academies shall conduct a study on the prevalence and mortality of cancers among covered individuals.”
Subsection (a)(1). The Act was approved August 14, 2025, so the 30 day period runs from that date. What the Secretary must do within it is seek the agreement, not conclude it. The study to be conducted under the agreement is the one subsection (b) describes, and "covered individual" is defined in subsection (d).
What the document actually says
“Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (in this section referred to as the "National Academies"), under which the National Academies shall conduct a study on the prevalence and mortality of cancers among covered individuals.”
That sentence, in plain words
The head of the VA has 30 days to act. The VA must ask a science group to make a deal. Under the deal, the group will study cancer in these fliers. The study looks at how many get cancer. It also looks at how many die of it.
What this is about
The VA is the part of the government that helps people who were in the armed forces. The science group is a private group. It studies hard questions when the government asks.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: Secretary of Veterans AffairsHow: statuteSec. 2 in the PDF
What the document says
“The Secretary shall finalize the agreement under paragraph (1) by not later than 60 days after the date on which the Secretary enters negotiations with the National Academies with respect to such agreement.”
Subsection (a)(2)(A). The clock for this deadline starts when negotiations begin, not when the Act was enacted, so the date it falls on depends on when the Secretary enters negotiations.
What the document actually says
“The Secretary shall finalize the agreement under paragraph (1) by not later than 60 days after the date on which the Secretary enters negotiations with the National Academies with respect to such agreement.”
That sentence, in plain words
The deal must be done in 60 days. The clock starts on the day the two sides sit down to talk.
What this is about
First the VA asks the group. Then the two sides talk about the terms. This sets a time limit on that step.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: Secretary of Veterans AffairsHow: statuteSec. 2 in the PDF
What the document says
“If the Secretary fails to satisfy the requirement under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall-- (i) submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that includes-- (I) an explanation of the reasons the Secretary failed to satisfy such requirement; and (II) an estimate of the date on which the Secretary will finalize the agreement under paragraph (1)”
Subsection (a)(2)(B)(i). The report is owed only if the 60 day deadline in subparagraph (A) is missed. The section sets no deadline for the report itself.
What the document actually says
“If the Secretary fails to satisfy the requirement under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall-- (i) submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that includes-- (I) an explanation of the reasons the Secretary failed to satisfy such requirement; and (II) an estimate of the date on which the Secretary will finalize the agreement under paragraph (1)”
That sentence, in plain words
If the deal is late, the VA must send a note to two groups in Congress. The note must say why it is late. It must also give a date when the deal will be done.
What this is about
Both groups named here handle bills about people who were in the armed forces. One is in the Senate. One is in the House.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: Secretary of Veterans AffairsHow: statuteSec. 2 in the PDF
What the document says
“not less frequently than once every 60 days after the date on which the Secretary failed to satisfy such requirement, provide to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a briefing on the progress of the Secretary toward finalizing such agreement”
Subsection (a)(2)(B)(ii). This is the second thing owed if the 60 day deadline is missed, and it recurs rather than happening once. The 60 day interval runs from the date the deadline was missed.
What the document actually says
“not less frequently than once every 60 days after the date on which the Secretary failed to satisfy such requirement, provide to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a briefing on the progress of the Secretary toward finalizing such agreement”
That sentence, in plain words
The VA must also give those groups a talk every 60 days. The talk must say how the deal is coming along.
What this is about
This keeps on until the deal is done. It starts on the day the deal is late.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineHow: statuteSec. 2 in the PDF
What the document says
“The study required under subsection (a) shall-- (1) identify exposures associated with military occupations of covered individuals, including relating to chemicals, compounds, agents, and other phenomena”
Subsection (b)(1), the first of three things the study must do. The list of what counts as an exposure is open: chemicals, compounds and agents are named, and "other phenomena" follows them.
What the document actually says
“The study required under subsection (a) shall-- (1) identify exposures associated with military occupations of covered individuals, including relating to chemicals, compounds, agents, and other phenomena”
That sentence, in plain words
The study must find what these fliers came in touch with at work. That means chemicals and other things in the air around them.
What this is about
A job can put a worker near things that may cause harm. The first task is to make a list of those things.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineHow: statuteSec. 2 in the PDF
What the document says
“review the literature to determine associations between exposures referred to in paragraph (1) and the incidence or prevalence of overall cancer morbidity, overall cancer mortality, and increased incidence or prevalence of-- (A) brain cancer; (B) colon and rectal cancers; (C) kidney cancer; (D) lung cancer; (E) melanoma skin cancer; (F) non-Hodgkin lymphoma; (G) pancreatic cancer; (H) prostate cancer; (I) testicular cancer; (J) thyroid cancer; (K) urinary bladder cancer”
Subsection (b)(2), the second of three things the study must do. Eleven cancers are listed by name. A twelfth item, subparagraph (L), leaves further cancers to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to determine, in consultation with the National Academies.
What the document actually says
“review the literature to determine associations between exposures referred to in paragraph (1) and the incidence or prevalence of overall cancer morbidity, overall cancer mortality, and increased incidence or prevalence of-- (A) brain cancer; (B) colon and rectal cancers; (C) kidney cancer; (D) lung cancer; (E) melanoma skin cancer; (F) non-Hodgkin lymphoma; (G) pancreatic cancer; (H) prostate cancer; (I) testicular cancer; (J) thyroid cancer; (K) urinary bladder cancer”
That sentence, in plain words
Next the study must read what has been written. It must look for ties between those things and cancer. It must look at all cancer. It must also look at eleven kinds one by one.
What this is about
The list names cancer of the brain, colon, kidney, lung, skin, pancreas, prostate, testicles, thyroid and bladder. It also names a blood cancer. The VA may add more kinds.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineHow: statuteSec. 2 in the PDF
What the document says
“determine, to the extent possible, the prevalence of and mortality from the cancers specified in paragraph (2) among covered individuals by using available sources of data, which may include-- (A) health care and other administrative databases of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the individual Services, respectively; (B) the national death index maintained by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”
Subsection (b)(3), the third of three things the study must do, qualified by "to the extent possible". The sources listed are permissive rather than required: the text says the data "may include" them. A third source, subparagraph (C), is the study conducted under section 750 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
What the document actually says
“determine, to the extent possible, the prevalence of and mortality from the cancers specified in paragraph (2) among covered individuals by using available sources of data, which may include-- (A) health care and other administrative databases of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the individual Services, respectively; (B) the national death index maintained by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”
That sentence, in plain words
Then the study must count how many of these fliers got each cancer. It must count how many died of it. It must use data that is already on hand.
What this is about
The law names places to look. Two are the health records kept by the VA and by the armed forces. One is a list of deaths kept by the CDC.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineHow: statuteSec. 2 in the PDF
What the document says
“At the conclusion of the study required under subsection (a), the National Academies shall submit to the Secretary, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report containing the results of the study described in subsection (b).”
Subsection (c). The report goes to three recipients at once, and it is owed at the conclusion of the study. The section fixes no date for that conclusion.
What the document actually says
“At the conclusion of the study required under subsection (a), the National Academies shall submit to the Secretary, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report containing the results of the study described in subsection (b).”
That sentence, in plain words
When the study is done, the group must write up what it found. It sends that to the VA and to the two groups in Congress.
What this is about
The write up must cover the whole study. Nothing in this part sets a date for it.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “means”Who acts: CongressHow: statuteSec. 2 in the PDF
What the document says
“the term "covered individual" means an individual who served on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps as an aircrew member of a fixed-wing aircraft, including as a pilot, navigator, weapons systems operator, aircraft system operator, or any other crew member who regularly flew in a fixed-wing aircraft.”
Subsection (d), and the definition every other requirement in the section turns on. It is limited to active duty service, to four of the armed forces, and to fixed-wing aircraft. The roles listed after "including" are examples, closing with any other crew member who regularly flew in such an aircraft.
What the document actually says
“the term "covered individual" means an individual who served on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps as an aircrew member of a fixed-wing aircraft, including as a pilot, navigator, weapons systems operator, aircraft system operator, or any other crew member who regularly flew in a fixed-wing aircraft.”
That sentence, in plain words
This part says who counts. A person counts after flying as crew on a plane with wings. Pilots count. So do the others who flew with them.
What this is about
The rule covers the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marines. The person must have been on active duty. Planes with wings are not the same as planes with blades on top.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
Each distinct thing the section requires: the agreement the Secretary must seek, the deadline for finalizing it, the report and the recurring briefings owed to Congress if that deadline is missed, the three things the study must do, the report at the end of the study, and the definition of the term the section turns on.
One of the three data sources listed in subsection (b)(3) is quoted only in part. The third, the study conducted under section 750 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, is named in the summary rather than quoted, because the printer breaks the public law number across a line and quoting across that break would put a number on the site the law does not contain.
The section sets no deadline for completing the study or for submitting the report at its conclusion. It points to a study required by an earlier defense authorization act, and that act is not indexed here, so the site does not record what that study covers or found.
