The ACES Act will investigate why military aviators face higher cancer rates. The bipartisan law promises answers for veterans and better protection for future service members.
Congress passed and the president has signed the Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act, a bipartisan measure that directs federal researchers to examine cancer risks among military aviators, a group shown to face elevated rates of certain cancers.
The legislation, championed by senators Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., along with Reps. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., require the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Academy of Sciences to study cancer incidence and mortality among pilots and aircrew.
Research has already shown higher rates of prostate cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and testicular cancer in the community.
"All service members understand there are risks that come with wearing the uniform," Kelly, a former Navy pilot and astronaut, wrote in a statement. "But aviators deserve answers about the health risks that may follow years after their service. This law ensures we will finally get the answers needed to reduce risks for future generations of pilots."
The bill cleared the Senate unanimously and passed the House by voice vote earlier this year, signaling broad bipartisan support.
Cotton, also a military veteran, said the law is overdue. "We owe it to past, present and future aviators in the armed forces to study the prevalence of cancer among this group of veterans," he said.
Pfluger, a former Air Force fighter pilot, called the measure "a lifeline and a message to every pilot who put on the uniform to protect our skies that we will fight to protect their health in return."
Veteran advocacy groups hailed the bill as a landmark step in military health research. Vince Alcazar, a retired Air Force colonel and founder of the Military Aviators Cancer Helpline (MACH) coalition, called the ACES Act "the most significant piece of military aviator health care legislation ever passed."
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The newly elected commander of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) said in a statement "We extend our gratitude for the bipartisan, bicameral leadership of Senators Mark Kelly and Tom Cotton, and Representatives August Pfluger and Jimmy Panetta, all of whom are veterans, for championing this vital legislation.
Their commitment to the cause of ending the wait for toxic-exposed veterans has transformed advocacy into meaningful action."
For Kelly, the measure complements his earlier bipartisan initiative, the Counting Veterans' Cancer Act, which requires Veterans Health Administration facilities to share cancer data with state registries to ensure veterans are included in national cancer tracking.
Key provisions of that bill were signed into law as part of a government funding package last year.
Veterans groups say the new research mandated by the ACES Act could help provide clarity for thousands of former aviators and their families.
Advocates argue that understanding the link between aviation service and cancer risk is essential to improving both prevention and long-term health care for those who served.
