§ 1117. Compensation for disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf War veterans
(a)
(1)
The Secretary may pay compensation under this subchapter to a Persian Gulf veteran with a qualifying chronic disability that became manifest—
(2)
For purposes of this subsection, the term “qualifying chronic disability” means a chronic disability resulting from any of the following (or any combination of any of the following):
(b)
The Secretary shall prescribe by regulation the period of time following service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War that the Secretary determines is appropriate for presumption of service connection for purposes of this section. The Secretary’s determination of such period of time shall be made following a review of any available credible medical or scientific evidence and the historical treatment afforded disabilities for which manifestation periods have been established and shall take into account other pertinent circumstances regarding the experiences of veterans of the Persian Gulf War.
(c)
(1)
Whenever the Secretary determines under section
1118
(c) of this title that a presumption of service connection previously established under this section is no longer warranted—
(d)
(e)
A disability for which compensation under this subchapter is payable shall be considered to be service connected for purposes of all other laws of the United States.
(f)
For purposes of this section, the term “Persian Gulf veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.
(g)
For purposes of this section, signs or symptoms that may be a manifestation of an undiagnosed illness or a chronic multisymptom illness include the following:
(h)
(1)
If the Secretary determines with respect to a medical research project sponsored by the Department that it is necessary for the conduct of the project that Persian Gulf veterans in receipt of compensation under this section or section
1118 of this title participate in the project without the possibility of loss of service connection under either such section, the Secretary shall provide that service connection granted under either such section for disability of a veteran who participated in the research project may not be terminated. Except as provided in paragraph (2), notwithstanding any other provision of law any grant of service-connection protected under this subsection shall remain service-connected for purposes of all provisions of law under this title.
(3)
The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a list of medical research projects sponsored by the Department for which service connection granted under this section or section
1118 of this title may not be terminated pursuant to paragraph (1).