Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) that seeks to lower cancer rates among United States military aviation service members recently became law with the president’s signature.
“I am thrilled that President Trump has signed the ACES Act into law today,” Rep. Pfluger said on Aug. 14. “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.”
The congressman on Jan. 16 sponsored the Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act of 2025, H.R. 530, to require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study and report on the prevalence and mortality of cancers among veterans who served on active duty as aircrew members and regularly flew in fixed-wing aircraft.
“The ACES Act has been my top priority in Congress, and it is deeply personal to me,” said Rep. Pfluger. “I introduced this bill in honor of my dear friend and former fighter pilot, Col. Shurtleff, who recently lost his life in a second battle he never signed up to fight. We owe it to him, and every service member like him, to properly study the prevalence of military aviation cancer rates.”
The congressman added that the new law is critical because it will improve the nation’s understanding of the link between military service and cancer risks among veteran aviators in an effort to better assist the U.S. military in providing more adequate care for veterans.
H.R. 530 garnered 13 original cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Jake Ellzey (R-TX), David Valadao (R-CA), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and on May 5 received approval from the U.S. House of Representatives, which advanced it to the U.S. Senate.
The Senate reconciled H.R. 530 with the related ACES Act of 2025, S. 201, introduced on Jan. 23 by U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), and then approved the bill on June 3 before sending it back to the House for final approval on July 21. The bill then on Aug. 12 was presented to the president, who signed it into law on Aug. 14.