• Increase disability compensation and expand health care services for a larger group of veterans who were exposed to toxic substances or served in certain locations during their military service
• Increase the number of veterans without service-connected disabilities who can receive health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Require several studies and reports on veterans’ toxic exposures during military service
Estimated budgetary effects would mainly stem from
• Increased disability compensation and increased health care costs for certain veterans
• Operating costs and administrative costs for processing disability compensation claims and implementing the bill’s other provisions
Areas of significant uncertainty include
• Estimating the number of veterans affected by the bill and the changes in their disability ratings
• Anticipating the number and prevalence of disabilities presumed to be connected to military service
• Estimating the number of veterans who would receive additional health care
On December 7, 2021, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 3967, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on June 24, 2021. This estimate reflects changes in the version of the bill as posted in Rules Committee Print 117-33 on February 18, 2022, https://go.usa.gov/xzCqG. This version of H.R. 3967, like the earlier version, contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
