SHIELD Act

House Bill

H.R. 4424

119th Congress

SHIELD Act

In Committee

Introduced:Oct 3, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Rudy Yakym

Representative

Republican

IN-2

Cosponsors

16

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Armed Forces and National Security

Summary

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to study the prevalence of a rare type of cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, in veterans who served during the Vietnam War. The goal is to better understand how many veterans have been affected by this disease and track its occurrence over time.

Latest Action

Received in the Senate.

SponsorRudy Yakym (R-IN)

Introduced10/3/2025

StatusReferred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

ChamberHouse

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

SHIELD Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to study the prevalence of a rare type of cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, in veterans who served during the Vietnam War. The goal is to better understand how many veterans have been affected by this disease and

Community Breakdown

Pass

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This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to study the prevalence of a rare type of cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, in veterans who served during the Vietnam War. The goal is to better understand how many veterans have been affected by this disease and track its occurrence over time.

Bill Number: 4424
Sponsor: Rudy Yakym (R-IN)
Introduced: 10/3/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Policy Area: Armed Forces and National Security

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: SHIELD Act
Bill Number: 4424
Sponsor: Rudy Yakym (R-IN)
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Introduced: 10/3/2025
Summary: This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to study the prevalence of a rare type of cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, in veterans who served during the Vietnam War. The goal is to better understand how many veterans have been affected by this disease and track its occurrence over time.

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to study the prevalence of a rare type of cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, in veterans who served during the Vietnam War. The goal is to better understand how many veterans have been affected by this disease and track its occurrence over time.

Last updated: 12/29/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct an epidemiological study and report on the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) in veterans who served in the Vietnam theater of operations during the Vietnam era. The study shall identify the rate of incidence of cholangiocarcinoma in such veterans and in U.S. residents. The bill also requires the VA to track and report on the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma using the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Requires the VA to conduct an epidemiological study on the rate of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) in Vietnam War veterans
Directs the VA to use its cancer registry to track and report on the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma in this group of veterans
Aims to gather data to better understand the impact of this rare cancer on Vietnam veterans

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If passed, this bill would affect Vietnam War veterans by directing the VA to study and monitor a specific type of cancer that may be impacting them at higher rates. This could lead to improved understanding of the health issues facing this population and potentially inform future support and treatment options.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Armed Forces and National Security

Related Subjects

Asia

Cancer

Conflicts and wars

Congressional oversight

Government studies and investigations

Health information and medical records

Medical research

Veterans' medical care

Vietnam

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

4424, 119th Congress (2025). "SHIELD Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-4424

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