133 STAT. 966  PUBLIC LAW 116–23—JUNE 25, 2019  Public Law 116–23  116th Congress  An Act  SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.  SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE FOR VET- ERANS WHO SERVED IN VICINITY OF REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.  ‘‘§ 1116A. Presumptions of service connection for veterans  who served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam  Determination.  Determination.  ‘‘(c) EFFECTIVE DATE OF AWARD.—(1) Except as provided by  paragraph (2), the effective date of an award under this section  shall be determined in accordance with section 5110 of this title.  ‘‘(2)(A) Notwithstanding subsection (g) of section 5110 of this  title, the Secretary shall determine the effective date of an award  based on a claim under this section for an individual described  in subparagraph (B) by treating the date on which the individual  filed the prior claim specified in clause (i) of such subparagraph  as the date on which the individual filed the claim so awarded  under this section.  ‘‘(b) EXPOSURE.—A veteran who, during active military, naval,  or air service, served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam during  the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May  7, 1975, shall be presumed to have been exposed during such  service to an herbicide agent unless there is affirmative evidence  to establish that the veteran was not exposed to any such agent  during that service.  Time period.  ‘‘(a) SERVICE CONNECTION.—For the purposes of section 1110  of this title, and subject to section 1113 of this title, a disease  covered by section 1116 of this title becoming manifest as specified  in that section in a veteran who, during active military, naval,  or air service, served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam during  the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May  7, 1975, shall be considered to have been incurred in or aggravated  by such service, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence  of such disease during the period of such service.  Time period.  38 USC 1116A.  (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code,  is amended by inserting after section 1116 the following new section:  This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Blue Water Navy Vietnam  Veterans Act of 2019’’.  Blue Water Navy  Vietnam  Veterans Act  of 2019.  38 USC 101 note.  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of  the United States of America in Congress assembled,  To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the  exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam,  and for other purposes.  June 25, 2019  [H.R. 299] 