By Mary O’KEEFE

The PACT Act is a new law that expands the Veterans Administration healthcare and benefits for veterans who were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances.

On Aug. 10, 2022 President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act into law. It was touted as the most significant expansion of benefits and services for veterans exposed to toxic substances in more than 30 years.

This historic legislation is delivering timely benefits and services to veterans – across all generations – who have been impacted by toxic exposures while serving our country, according to a White House statement.

Although the deadline of Aug. 14 has passed to apply through PACT for backdated (Aug. 10, 2020) eligible benefits veterans can still apply for current benefits.

A strong supporter of PACT and of veterans, prior to the Aug. 14 deadline Congresswoman Judy Chu joined Congresswoman Grace Napolitano to host a veterans’ forum for military, National Guard, reservists and their families. This annual event helps veterans connect to services; however, this year provided extra help with filling out PACT applications.

“[PACT] is a historic step forward,” Chu said in an interview with CVW.

She said this new law was important in helping veterans who suffer from the results of these toxins.

“Some were denied benefits,” she said.

But many veterans give up on even asking for benefits because of the mountain of paperwork that has to be completed and the stress of forcing them to prove their illness was caused by toxins like Agent Orange.

“I have been fighting for veteran health care for such a long time,” Chu said.

She worked to open more clinics for veterans so they would not have to travel to one centralized VA clinic. One of those clinics she helped establish is the San Gabriel Valley VA Clinic in Arcadia. This saved veterans from traveling to the main VA office in Westwood. And there are more clinics being planned.

According to the VA, the PACT Act will: expand and extend eligibility for VA healthcare for veterans with toxic exposure and veterans of the Vietnam Gulf War and post-9/11 eras, it adds more than 20 presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic exposures, adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation, and requires the VA to provide toxic exposure screening to every veteran enrolled in VA healthcare.

The PACT Act was named in honor of SFC Heath Robinson who died in 2020 after battling lung cancer for three years. His cancer was attributed to smoke exposure from burning trash pits during his deployment to Iraq in 2006 and 2007.

Veterans who were deployed to a combat zone but never enrolled in VA healthcare and left the military between Sept. 11, 2001 and Oct. 1, 2013 need to apply before the deadline of Sept. 30, 2023.

For information, go to va.gov/healthcare. Another way to find out about veterans’ healthcare and up-to-date benefits is to join a local American Legion and/or Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). For information concerning the Crescenta Valley area, call American Legion Post 288 and VFW 1614 at (818) 541-1336 or email post288ca@gmail.com.