Legislation that U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) championed to study cancer and mortality rates among aviators and aircrew who served in the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is on its way to President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
The House of Representatives approved the Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act of 2025, S. 201, on July 21 following its unanimous passage in the Senate in June. Rep. Pfluger, a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, introduced the House version of the bill, H.R. 530, along with U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). The Senate version of the bill was led by U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
“The ACES Act is my top priority in Congress, and I’m proud that we are now one step closer to making it law,” Rep. Pfluger stated in a speech on the House floor in support of the legislation.
Pilots and aircrews have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer and melanoma, with possible links to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and testicular cancer, the congressman’s office explained. The legislation would better assist the military with understanding the link between military service and cancer risks among veteran aviators and also provide better care for veterans.
“This bill is deeply personal as it is in honor of my dear friend and former fighter pilot, Colonel Shurtleff, who recently lost his life in a second battle he never signed up to fight. The ACES Act is more than just a bill—it’s a lifeline and a message to every pilot who has ever put on the uniform to protect our skies that we will fight to protect them in return,” Rep. Pfluger said.
Specifically, the legislation would provide for a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the prevalence and mortality of cancer among individuals who served as active duty aircrew in the Armed Forces, according to the text of the bill.