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H.Con.Res. 45: Expressing the sense of Congress that those who served in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975, should be presumed to have served in the Republic of Vietnam for all purposes under the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

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H.Con.Res. 45: Expressing the sense of Congress that those who served in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975, should be presumed to have served in the Republic of Vietnam for all purposes under the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

115th Congress · introduced 2017-04-04 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-04-04 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Expressing the sense of Congress that those who served in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975, should be presumed to have served in the Republic of Vietnam for all purposes under the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

Plain summary

Recognizes that the intent of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 included the presumption that veterans who served in the Armed Forces in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, served in Vietnam for all purposes under the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Expresses the intent that such veterans who served in those areas and other areas exposed to Agent Orange who have been diagnosed with connected medical conditions should be equally recognized for such exposure through equitable benefits and coverage as those who served in the inland rivers and on the Vietnamese land mass. Calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs to review its policy that excludes presumptive coverage for Agent Orange exposure for such veterans.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Expressing the sense of Congress that those who served in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975, should be presumed to have served in the Republic of Vietnam for all purposes under the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] · 73 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

David G. Valadao (R-CA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), James A. Himes (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), Sam Graves (R-MO), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Don Bacon (R-NE), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Tom Cole (R-OK), William R. Keating (D-MA), André Carson (D-IN), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Julia Brownley (D-CA) and 13 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] reported raising $5.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Resolution
A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote
A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hconres45 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115