(UNITED STATES) President Trump on August 14, 2025, signed the Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act, a bipartisan, bicameral law directing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to work with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on a sweeping review of cancer among U.S. military aviators. The law is effective immediately and sets a firm deadline: findings must be delivered within one year of enactment to guide future care, benefits, and prevention.
The mandate is broad by design. Congress ordered the VA and the National Academies to study cancer prevalence and mortality among current and former aircrew who served in fixed‑wing aircraft across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Covered roles include pilots, navigators, weapons and aircraft system operators, loadmasters, medics, and other crew who regularly flew.
Lawmakers say the quick timeline is meant to turn years of concern into concrete data that can be used to help veterans sooner rather than later. VisaVerge.com reports that the ACES Act is the most comprehensive federal response to date to long‑running questions about cancer risk in this community.
The law builds on earlier research, including a 2021 Air Force review and subsequent studies that found military aircrew were up to 24% more likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers than the general U.S. population. Elevated risks were noted for prostate cancer, melanoma, non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, and testicular cancer. Those numbers — often shared informally among squadrons for years — are now the focus of a government‑backed study with a public reporting deadline.
What the ACES Act Requires
Under the law, the VA must, in partnership with the National Academies, collect and analyze data on cancer among fixed‑wing aircrew. The scope is intentionally wide.
The study will include analysis of these cancer types:
– Brain
– Colon and rectal
– Kidney
– Lung
– Melanoma
– Non‑Hodgkin lymphoma
– Pancreatic
– Prostate
– Testicular
– Thyroid
– Bladder
The VA Secretary, after consulting the National Academies, may add more cancers as new evidence appears.
To ensure comprehensive coverage, the study team will draw on multiple sources:
– VA and Department of Defense health records
– State and national cancer registries
Congress tied this work to complementary legislation, the Counting Veterans’ Cancer Act, which requires Veterans Health Administration facilities to share cancer data with state registries. Lawmakers say these steps are meant to close gaps that have made it hard to compare rates across time, bases, and services.
Immediate action steps set by the law
- Start data collection and analysis without delay.
- Consult with advocacy groups and subject‑matter experts to capture real‑world exposures and service histories.
- Report results to Congress and the public within one year.
- Recommend policy changes to improve benefits, screening, and prevention.
Implications for Care and Policy
Veterans’ groups have long argued that better evidence could make a real difference when filing disability claims. Congress expects ACES findings to inform VA disability benefits by providing stronger scientific links between certain cancers and service in fixed‑wing aircraft — potentially lowering the burden of proof for affected veterans.
If the final report confirms elevated risks by role or exposure, possible policy changes include:
– Adjusting presumption rules for service connection
– Updating screening guidance
– Revising benefits or claims procedures to reduce the time veterans spend proving service‑related health effects
The ACES Act also aims to spur deeper research into possible causes unique to military flying. Investigators are expected to examine:
– Ionizing radiation
– Fuel and chemical exposure
– Cockpit environmental factors that may vary by aircraft type, mission length, and maintenance conditions
Depending on findings, services could adopt new safety protocols for current crews, such as changes to protective gear, maintenance processes, or monitoring practices.
A related measure, the Rotary‑wing Operator Toxic Occupational Research (ROTOR) Act, is under consideration to study cancer risks among helicopter and tiltrotor aircrew. Supporters say ACES is a first step and that rotary‑wing crews need targeted research given their unique flight profiles and hazards.
Voices from Capitol Hill and Next Steps
The ACES Act drew support from veterans in Congress with firsthand experience of aviation risks.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D‑AZ), a former Navy pilot:
“Veteran aviators and aircrews deserve answers about the correlation between their job and cancer risks so we can reduce those risks for future pilots. Getting this across the finish line has been a bipartisan effort from the start, and I’m proud to see this bill become law so we can deliver real answers and accountability for those who served.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R‑AR) added: “We owe it to past, present, and future aviators in the armed forces to study the prevalence of cancer among this group of veterans.”
In the House, Rep. August Pfluger (R‑TX), an Air Force Reserve colonel, pressed for action in memory of his friend Andy Shurtleff, who died of cancer in May 2025. He said: “This legislation is more than just a bill — it’s a lifeline and a message to every pilot who has put on the uniform to protect our skies that we will fight to protect their health in return.” Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D‑CA) joined as a lead sponsor, underscoring the bill’s bipartisan path to the president’s desk.
Implementation steps for the VA and partners
- Assemble datasets and confirm the aircrew population to be studied.
- Standardize definitions across services (roles, aircraft types, exposures).
- Consult with outside experts and veterans’ advocates to ensure the study captures relevant cancers and risk factors.
- Publish the public report to Congress and on federal platforms, including actionable recommendations (benefit changes, screening priorities, and future research).
For service members and families, the strict one‑year study timeline is important. Many hope to see practical guidance on screening and documentation within that window. Although the ACES Act does not itself change benefits or create new programs, it establishes the evidence base that could drive those changes.
Veterans and survivors filing claims may wish to keep organized records:
– Flight logs
– Duty histories
– Medical records that show aircraft type and crew role
These documents could be useful if the VA updates claims instructions based on the ACES report.
Why advocates praise the measure
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the measure’s strengths include:
– Across‑service coverage
– A defined list of cancers with flexibility to add more
– A deadline that forces federal agencies to act quickly
The approach reflects years of concern among the military aviation community and a broader push in the United States 🇺🇸 to recognize service‑connected health risks more rapidly.
The full bill text and status are available on Congress.gov, which tracks the ACES Act under H.R. 4704 in the 119th Congress: https://www.congress.gov/
This Article in a Nutshell
The ACES Act, signed August 14, 2025, orders a one‑year VA–NASEM review of cancer in fixed‑wing aviators. It mandates data collection from VA, DoD, and registries, examines eleven cancers, and aims to inform benefits, screening, and prevention for current and former military aircrew nationwide.
