This Just In! The U.S. Senate has resoundingly passed the Sgt.1st Class Heath Robinson PACT Act of 2022. The vote was 85 Yes, 15 No. The bill, HR 3967, will now go back to the US House to get voted on because the Senate made several adjustments to the bill they had received from the House. After House passes it, it goes on to President for signing into law. Text of the Senate's final bill will be available on Congress.gov after the bill comes back from Senate to the House.
What is this bi-partisan bill?
Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson deployed to Kosovo and Iraq with the Ohio National Guard. He died in 2020 from toxic exposure as a result of his military service. Among its many priorities, the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 will:
Expand VA health care eligibility to Post-9/11 combat veterans, which includes more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans;
Create a framework for the establishment of future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure;
Add 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to VA’s list of service presumptions;
Expand presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure;
Includes Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Atoll as locations for -Agent Orange exposure;
Strengthen federal research on toxic exposure;
Improve VA’s resources for toxic-exposed veterans and training for VA health care and benefits professionals; and Set VA and veterans up for success by investing in: VA claims processing; VA’s workforce; and VA health care facilities.
Read more here: