A bipartisan bill led by U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) to investigate cancer rates among military pilots and aircrew is on its way to becoming law.
The Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives this week after previously clearing the Senate and now awaits the signature of President Donald Trump.
The legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a comprehensive study on cancer incidence and mortality rates among service members who served as aircrew in the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The goal is to better understand potential links between military aviation service and higher cancer risks.
“As a former Navy pilot, there are certain risks that we know and accept come with our service,” said Sen. Kelly. “But we know far less about the health risks that are affecting many aviators and aircrews years later. This bill will help provide real answers and accountability for those who served.”
Sen. Cotton emphasized the need for greater awareness. “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.
The House companion bill was introduced by Representatives August Pfluger (R-TX) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), both of whom also have military backgrounds. Rep. Pfluger called the legislation “deeply personal,” citing the loss of a close friend and fellow pilot, Colonel Shurtleff, to cancer.
“This bill is more than just a bill—it’s a lifeline,” Pfluger said. “It’s a message to every pilot who has ever put on the uniform that we will fight to protect them in return.”
Medical studies have shown military aviators may face higher risks of developing prostate cancer, melanoma, and possibly non-Hodgkin lymphoma and testicular cancer.
The ACES Act mandates a detailed study to confirm and clarify these connections, potentially guiding future health care policies for veterans.
Rep. Panetta said the legislation is a crucial step toward ensuring veterans get the care they need. “This bipartisan achievement reaffirms our commitment to understanding these diagnoses and ensuring that military and VA providers have the data they need,” he said.
The ACES Act builds on Sen. Kelly’s earlier Counting Veterans’ Cancer Act, which required the VA to share cancer data with state registries, improving national tracking and research.
With broad bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress, the ACES Act is expected to be signed into law in the coming days.
