The new rule allows for veterans serving in the Southwest Asia theater of operations (Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar) starting August 2, 1990, or in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Syria or Djibouti starting September 19, 2001, to file for disability compensation claims.
Diagnosed within 10 years from discharge of Active Duty
- Asthma
- Rhinitis
- Sinusitis
Waiting on final rules for establishing service connection
- squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx
- squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea
- adenocarcinoma of the trachea
- salivary gland-type tumors of the trachea
- Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung
- large cell carcinoma of the lung
- salivary gland-type tumors of the lung
- Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung and typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung
Airborne Hazards and Burn Pit Exposures – Public Health (va.gov)
There is still more to come and a lot of work left to do. Currently the Honoring our Pact Act is sitting in Congress awaiting a vote. This bill will add more conditions to the list of presumptive’s for Burn Pit exposure, but it will also do the following:
- List Hypertension as a presumptive for Agent Orange exposure
- Review and provide a report within two years of the enactment of this law as to the rates of breast cancer amongst veterans exposed to Burn Pits. This report is to determine if presumptive service connection is warranted.
- Finally add Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Guam, and American Samoa as locations where exposure to Agent Orange is conceded. Specific dates of service will be listed within the final text of the la
- Expand health care from 5 years to 10 years post discharge for veterans of combat service.
- Addition of the following conditions to the list of Burn Pit presumptive’s:
- Head cancer of any type.
- Neck cancer of any type.
- Respiratory cancer of any type.
- Gastrointestinal cancer of any type.
- Reproductive cancer of any type.
- Lymphoma cancer of any type.
- Lymphomatic cancer of any type.
- Kidney cancer.
- Brain cancer.
- Melanoma.
- Pancreatic cancer.
- Chronic bronchitis.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis.
- Emphysema.
- Granulomatous disease.
- Interstitial lung disease.
- Pleuritis.
- Pulmonary fibrosis.
- Sarcoidosis.
- Chronic sinusitis.
- Chronic rhinitis.
- Glioblastoma.
To read this bill in its entirety please visit: Text of H.R. 3967: Honoring our PACT Act of 2021 (Passed the House version) – GovTrack.us
As of today the Senate has not voted on this bill. We ask each of you to contact Senators Toomey and Casey to urge them to vote YES on this bill and to urge them to work together to bring this bill to the floor for a vote.
Senator Bob Casey:
202-224-6324
Office Locations | Senator Bob Casey (senate.gov)
Senator Pat Toomey:
202-224-4254
Email Senator Toomey | Senator Pat Toomey (senate.gov)