ACES Act of 2025

The study will assess whether occupational exposures faced by military aircrew are associated with cancer and provide findings to the Department of Veterans Affairs and Congress.

What the law does ​

• Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to seek an agreement with the National Academies within 30 days and generally finalize it within 60 days after negotiations begin.
• Requires delay explanations and progress briefings to the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees at least every 60 days if the agreement is not timely completed.
• Requires researchers to identify chemical, environmental, and other occupational exposures linked to military aircrew service.
• Reviews evidence connecting those exposures to overall cancer illness, cancer deaths, and specified cancers, including brain, lung, prostate, testicular, thyroid, and bladder cancers.
• Uses available federal health, military, mortality, and prior study data to estimate cancer prevalence and deaths where possible.
• Requires a final report to the Department of Veterans Affairs and Congress.

Who it affects ​

• Former active-duty Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps members who regularly served aboard fixed-wing aircraft.
• Pilots, navigators, systems operators, and other covered aircrew members.
• Federal officials responsible for veterans’ health policy and congressional oversight.

Breakdown ​

ACES Act of 2025 ​

The ACES Act of 2025 directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to arrange a National Academies study of cancer rates and cancer deaths among former active-duty fixed-wing aircrew members. The study will examine occupational exposures, their possible associations with specified cancers, and available health and mortality data, followed by a report to the Department and Congress.

Key takeaways

• The Department of Veterans Affairs must seek an agreement with the National Academies within 30 days of enactment and generally finalize it within 60 days after negotiations begin.
• If the agreement is delayed, the Department must explain the delay to the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees and provide progress briefings at least every 60 days.
• The study must identify chemical, environmental, and other exposures associated with military aircrew occupations.
• The National Academies must review research on links between those exposures and overall cancer illness, cancer deaths, and specified cancers such as brain, lung, prostate, testicular, thyroid, and bladder cancers.
• The study must use available federal health, military, mortality, and prior study data to estimate cancer prevalence and mortality where possible.
• Covered individuals include active-duty Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps members who regularly served aboard fixed-wing aircraft as pilots, navigators, systems operators, or other aircrew.