Congress addressed the problem of veterans’ exposure to dioxin (a chemical in Agent Orange) with a series of laws. The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs prepared this summary of a 1984 act requiring the Veterans Administration to offer disability benefits to some Vietnam veterans and to continue to study environmental hazards of military service.
Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration
Summary of P.L. 98-542, Veterans' Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act, October 24, 1984
Congress Investigates Agent Orange
In the late 1970s Congress began to address the effects of exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant used by the United States military during the Vietnam War. Congressional committees interviewed Vietnam veterans and consulted medical experts to explore possible links between Agent Orange and certain forms of cancer and other health problems. After experts confirmed the product was harmful to humans, Congress mandated the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct further research on consequences of Agent Orange exposure and passed laws providing benefits to affected veterans.
Congress addressed the problem of veterans’ exposure to dioxin (a chemical in Agent Orange) with a series of laws. The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs prepared this summary of a 1984 act requiring the Veterans Administration to offer disability benefits to some Vietnam veterans and to continue to study environmental hazards of military service.
Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration
