Press Releases
Congressman Kennedy Announces Expansion of Eligibility Under the PACT Act
Washington, DC,
January 8, 2025
VA Benefits And Care Available To More Veterans WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26), a member of the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs, announced an expansion of the eligibility criteria under the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, otherwise known as the PACT Act. On January 8, 2025, President Biden announced new measures to expand benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits while serving in the United States military. “Veterans struggling with critical illness and serious health conditions should not have to jump through hoops to receive the care they deserve,” said Congressman Kennedy. “I applaud President Biden’s action to ease the path to VA care for the men and women who made great sacrifices in service to this country.” The newly announced change expands the list of cancers presumed to be linked to burn pit exposure to include bladder cancer, ureter cancer, other genitourinary cancers, acute and chronic leukemias, and multiple myeloma. Veterans diagnosed with these conditions, along with their survivors, can now apply for access to VA care and benefits. The PACT Act, signed into law in August 2022, gives veterans nationwide access to the care and benefits they deserve, eliminating the need to prove their illness is linked to their service. The law ensures veterans who were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, Gulf War toxins, and radiation get the healthcare they need. The use of burn pits to dispose of garbage and waste was a common practice on military bases, particularly exposing Gulf War era and post-9/11 veterans to toxins impacting their health. Under the PACT Act, veterans with the following cancers, now presumed to be linked to burn pit exposure, were made eligible for VA benefits: brain, gastrointestinal, glioblastoma, head, kidney, lymphoma, melanoma, neck, pancreatic, reproductive, and respiratory cancers. This latest announcement expands that list to make more cancer fighters eligible for care. For more information on the PACT Act, visit VA.gov/PACT. ### |