ACES Act Mandates Urgent VA Study on Cancer Rates Among Military Aircrew, Sets 60-Day Deadline

The ACES Act (short for the bill’s official title) is primarily focused on getting answers for a specific group of veterans and active service members: those who served as active duty aircrew on fixed-wing aircraft in the armed forces. This legislation mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study on the prevalence and mortality of cancer within this group.

The Clock is Ticking: Mandating the Aircrew Cancer Study

This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a hard deadline. The bill gives the VA Secretary just 30 days to start negotiations with the National Academies and a firm 60 days from the start of those negotiations to finalize the agreement for the study (Sec. 2). If the VA misses that 60-day deadline, they have to notify the Veterans Affairs Committees in both the House and Senate immediately, explaining the delay and providing a new estimated completion date. They then have to provide updates every 60 days until the agreement is signed. This mechanism is designed to prevent bureaucratic drag and ensure this crucial research actually gets off the ground quickly.

What the Study Needs to Find

For those who served as pilots, navigators, weapons systems operators, or other fixed-wing crew members—the “covered individuals” (Sec. 2)—this study is critical. It must first identify the specific environmental factors, chemicals, or compounds these aircrews were exposed to during their service. Then, researchers must look at existing data from the VA, DoD, and the CDC’s national death index to determine if those exposures are linked to higher rates of cancer, both overall and for a list of specific cancers, including brain, lung, prostate, and testicular cancer.

Think of this as the essential first step in a long process. If the study finds a strong, scientifically backed link between service as a fixed-wing aircrew member and certain cancers, it could pave the way for these conditions to be recognized as service-connected. For veterans currently fighting these diseases and struggling to prove their illness is job-related, this research provides the necessary data to potentially streamline future claims and benefits.

The Fine Print: A Minor Pension Tweak

Section 3 of the ACES Act includes a very specific, administrative change to VA pension policy. It extends the expiration date for certain limits on pension payments under Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, U.S. Code. Instead of these limits expiring on November 30, 2031, they will now expire on December 31, 2031. This is a one-month extension of an existing rule. While it doesn't change the rules themselves, it simply keeps the current framework in place for an extra 31 days before its eventual sunset date. For the average person, this provision is unlikely to have any noticeable effect, but it’s a detail that keeps the existing administrative structure running a little longer.