Honoring OurPact Act
Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021, also known as the Honoring our PACT Act of 2021 is a bill that addresses the eligibility for veterans to receive medical care and other support due to exposure to toxins either by participating In an activity with exposure risk or by serving at specific locations on certain dates or being deployed in a contingency operation which allowed for exposure.
What is the Honoring Our PACT Act?
The Honoring Our PACT Act is comprehensive legislation that covers service members and their families who have been exposed to hazardous chemicals, airborne hazards, and burn pits. The bill concedes exposure to these toxins and streamlines the review process from the VA to determine individual eligibility.
The bill requires medical exams for any veterans who have submitted disability claims for toxic exposure. A total of 23 respiratory illnesses and various cancers have been connected to toxic substances from airborne hazards and burn pits. This legislation also creates a presumption of exposure to radiation while expanding exposure to Agent Orange.
Another goal of the bill is to improve data collection between the VA and DOD while requiring the VA to provide standardized training.
The committee that worked on the bills were also dedicated to raising awareness of the effects of exposure to toxic products. The work on this bill builds off what was accomplished by the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act that was passed by the previous Congress.
Camp Lejeune Justice Act
This pact treats exposure to toxic chemicals as a cost of war, allowing veteran to have access to benefits they have earned. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is part of the Honoring the PACT Act as one situation where soldiers and their families were exposed to toxins. This exposure lasted from 1953 to 1987, causing potential harm to anyone who lived or worked at the base during that period.
Krause & Kinsman Law Firm is dedicated to upholding the Honoring Our PACT Act and representing those who were victims of the toxic drinking water.