Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon today voted to pass H.R. 3967, the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or Honoring Our PACT Act. The bill, which passed the House 256-174 on a bipartisan basis, will finally treat toxic exposure as a cost of war by addressing the full range of issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans, including access to earned benefits and health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). An amendment offered by Scanlon will provide resources to the VA to ensure claims from newly eligible veterans can be processed in a timely manner.  

The Honoring Our PACT Act is a comprehensive legislative package that opens up health care to over 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service and finally addresses exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards. It creates presumptions for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers, shifting the burden of proof off of our veterans. This means that if a veteran served in a particular theater at a particular time, they will be presumed to be exposed to toxic substances and therefore potentially eligible for health care and benefits. Critically, this bipartisan legislation will also streamline VA’s presumption decision-making process so Congress does not have to keep intervening, and our veterans don’t have to wait decades for help. 

“There are the obvious risks and sacrifices in military service — physical and mental challenges, time away from loved ones, and the possibility that one will be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice for your country,” said Rep. Scanlon. “But the risks that burn pits and toxic substance exposure pose have not been properly addressed, until now. For too long, veterans suffering from chronic respiratory illness, cancer, and a variety of other illnesses caused by exposure during their military service to toxic substances and radiation were not covered by the VA. The Honoring Our PACT Act cuts red tape to ensure that toxic-exposed veterans can access the care they need.”

Scanlon’s amendment to the Honoring Our PACT Act authorizes $150 million for fiscal year 2023 to expand the capacity of the Veterans Benefits Management System at the VA to support the anticipated increase in claims processing for newly eligible veterans. The additional resources funded with the Scanlon amendment will help the VA process these long-overdue claims in a timely manner.

Rep. Scanlon continued, “I am proud to lead an amendment to the Honoring Our PACT Act to ensure newly eligible veterans are able to actually access earned benefits and health care in a timely manner. With over 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service, we can expect a notable increase in claims once the Honoring Our PACT Act becomes law. My amendment would support the VA’s processing of these long-overdue claims by funding expansion of the Veterans Benefits Management System’s capacity.”

The Honoring Our PACT Act will: 

• Provide Priority Group 6 health care for over 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans.
• Provide extension of combat eligibility for health care from 5 to 10 years with a one-year open enrollment period for those veterans who missed their window.
• Streamline VA’s review process for establishing toxic exposure presumptions. 
• Concede exposure to airborne hazards/burn pits based on locations & dates of service.
• Require medical exams/opinions for certain veterans with toxic exposure disability claims.
• Add hypertension and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance to the list of presumptions for Agent Orange exposure.
• Establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to burn pits/airborne hazards exposure.
• Create a presumption of exposure to radiation for veterans who participated in cleanup activities in Palomares, Spain and Enewetak Atoll.
• Allow for a new tort claim for veterans and families exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune.
• Expand Agent Orange exposure to veterans who served in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
• Improve data collection between VA and the Department of Defense.
• Commission studies related to incidents of cancer among veterans, health trends of Post 9/11 veterans, and feasibility of providing health care to dependents of veterans.
• Require VA to provide standardized training to improve toxic exposure disability claims adjudications.
• Require VA to conduct outreach and provide resources to toxic exposed veterans.

Leaders from 11 Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) including the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), The American Legion (TAL), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), Minority Veterans of America (MVA), and Burn Pits 360, among others, support the comprehensive bipartisan package. 

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