IMPROVING COMPENSATION FOR DISABILITIES OCCURRING IN PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS.

SEC. 405. IMPROVING COMPENSATION FOR DISABILITIES OCCURRING IN PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS. (a) [38 U.S.C. 1117] Reduction in Threshold of Eligibility.—Subsection (a)(1) of section 1117 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.—Such section is further amended— (1) by striking subsection (b); (2) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (b) and (c), respectively; and (3) in subsection (a)(2)(C), by striking “under subsection (d)” and inserting “under subsection (c)”. (c) Establishing Singular Disability-based Questionnaire.—Such section is further amended by inserting after subsection (c) (as redesignated by subsection (b)) the following new subsection (d): “(d) If a Persian Gulf veteran at a medical facility of the Department presents with any one symptom associated with Gulf War Illness, the Secretary shall ensure that health care personnel of the Department use a disability benefits questionnaire, or successor questionnaire, designed to identify Gulf War Illness, in addition to any other diagnostic actions the personnel determine appropriate.” . (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 further 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).” .