Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26), a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement encouraging veterans who began the process of filing for benefits under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act to complete their claims before an upcoming deadline: 

(View Congressman Kennedy speaking on the House floor here.)

In remarks on the House floor Congressman Kennedy said, “We owe it to our veterans—who have defended democracy and preserved our precious freedoms—to deliver the benefits they have earned and deserve. That’s why Democrats passed, and President Biden signed into law, the PACT Act, which represents the largest expansion of benefits and services for veterans exposed by toxins during their time in service in over 30 years.”

Background:

Prior to the PACT Act, veterans unknowingly exposed to toxic substances or radiation while serving in the military faced an arduous process of proving a direct correlation between a medical condition, such as cancer or respiratory conditions, and their service-connected exposure to toxins. The PACT Act, signed into law in 2022, added a new classification of 23 conditions as presumptive eligibility, streamlining the process of obtaining benefits for veterans. The law also expanded eligibility for veterans who served in the Gulf War and post-9/11 conflicts.

Approaching Deadlines:

Individuals who submitted an “Intent to File” by August 14, 2023, are eligible to receive benefits backdated to the day the PACT Act was signed into law, August 10, 2022. Veterans and their survivors have 365 days from submitting the “Intent to File” to submit the full claim for backdated benefits. For many that deadline is approaching.

Veterans and survivors who did not file before the August 2023 deadline are still eligible to apply for benefits under the PACT Act but will not receive retroactive benefits. An estimated 35,840 veterans live in New York’s 26th Congressional District. As of May 2024, approximately 2,600 people in NY-26 and nearly 1.7 million people nationwide have submitted PACT Act claims.

For more information visit: va.gov/pact or call: 1-800-698-2411. Western New York veterans with questions or in need of assistance are also welcome to call Congressman Kennedy’s office at: 716-852-3501. 

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