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Josh Riley’s Bill Demanding Answers For Vietnam Veterans Diagnosed with Rare Cancer Passes House

“50 years after the end of the war is too long for our veterans to wait for answers from the country they risked their lives to defend.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the  Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act (H.R. 586), which is the first bill co-sponsored by Representative Josh Riley to pass the House.  The bipartisan legislation would commission a study to investigate the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer, in veterans who served in the Vietnam theater of operations.

“Our nation’s Vietnam Veterans answered the call to serve in a conflict far from home, under extremely challenging conditions, and they’ve waited far too long to get the answers and care they deserve,” said Riley. “I proudly co-sponsored this bipartisan legislation to make sure they finally get it.”

Vietnam Veterans are battling cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and deadly bile duct cancer that has been linked to liver fluke exposure. By directing the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the prevalence of this disease, Congress is taking a critical step toward better understanding the risks our service members faced and ensuring they are provided the treatment and support they need.

The study is the first in a series of steps necessary for the Department of Veterans Affairs to consider policy changes that would prioritize care for veterans with potential liver fluke exposure.

Background on the “Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act” (H.R. 586):

  • The legislation directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to study the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma among veterans who served in the Vietnam theater of operations during the Vietnam era.
  • Using the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry and the National Program of Cancer Registries, the study will identify the incidence rate of cholangiocarcinoma and provide demographic information, including age, gender, race, ethnicity, and geographic location at diagnosis.
  • The bill requires regular reporting to Congress and ongoing tracking of new cases, ensuring that lawmakers and veterans remain informed about the scope of this illness.

Representative Riley has also supported the following legislation to serve veterans:

The Protect Veterans Jobs Act (H.R. 1637), a bill to reinstate veteran Federal employees, to require reports from executive branch agencies of the Federal Government on the number of veteran employees fired from such agencies.

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