HI HR19

Urges U.S. Congress to restore the presumption of service connection for Agent Orange exposure to veterans who served in Vietnamese waters and airspace during the Vietnam War.

Notes that the U.S. military sprayed 22 million gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides containing dioxin over Vietnam, which has been linked to serious illnesses including Type II diabetes, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, prostate cancer, and Parkinson's disease.

Addresses the Department of Veterans Affairs 2001 directive that denies benefits to Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force veterans lacking "boots on the ground" documentation, despite evidence that Agent Orange reached offshore waters through airborne and waterborne distribution.

Cites an Australian study showing that water distillation processes on Navy ships concentrated rather than removed dioxin, and CDC findings of higher cancer rates among U.S. Navy Vietnam veterans.

Requests Congress amend administration of the Agent Orange Act to include inland waterways, offshore waters, and airspace within the entire Combat Zone as eligible for presumptive service-connected illness benefits.