Lawrence J. Hackett Jr. Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Fairness Act

Lawrence J. Hackett Jr. Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Fairness Act

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a task force to assess and make recommendations about the care and compensation that should be provided to veterans who have been exposed to Agent Orange, their spouses, and multiple generations of their offspring.

The task force shall make recommendations:

• to establish the Agent Orange Illness Compensation Program to provide an exposed veteran or eligible survivor a lump sum payment for the veteran's injury, illness, or death;
• for the establishment of a national outreach and education campaign to communicate information about Agent Orange exposures and health conditions to veterans who are affected by incidents of toxic exposures and their families;
• for compensation and health care for individuals with Spina Bifida, birth defects, or other illnesses who are the children or descendants of members of the Armed Forces who served in Vietnam or in or near the demilitarized zone in Korea during certain time periods determined by the task force; and
• for the establishment of a unified policy to deal with the consequences of exposure to hazardous materials in the military.