PRESERVATION OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESSES TO PROVIDE FOR PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH PROJECTS BY PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS.

SEC. 203. PRESERVATION OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESSES TO PROVIDE FOR PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH PROJECTS BY PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS. (a) Authority for Secretary To Provide for Participation Without Loss of Benefits.—Section 1117 is amended by adding after subsection (g), as added by section 202(b), the following new subsection: 115 STAT. 990 “(h)(1) If the Secretary determines with respect to a medical research project sponsored by the Department that it is necessary for the conduct of the project that Persian Gulf veterans in receipt of compensation under this section or section 1118 of this title participate in the project without the possibility of loss of service connection under either such section, the Secretary shall provide that service connection granted under either such section for disability of a veteran who participated in the research project may not be terminated. Except as provided in paragraph (2), nothwithstanding any other provision of law any grant of service-connection protected under this subsection shall remain service-connected for purposes of all provisions of law under this title. “(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply in a case in which— “(A) the original award of compensation or service connection was based on fraud; or “(B) it is clearly shown from military records that the person concerned did not have the requisite service or character of discharge. “(3) The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a list of medical research projects sponsored by the Department for which service connection granted under this section or section 1118 of this title may not be terminated pursuant to paragraph (1).”. (b) Effective Date.—The authority provided by subsection (h) of section 1117 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), may be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect to any medical research project of the Department of Veterans Affairs, whether commenced before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.