The PACT Act: What It Means for Veterans Exposed to Toxics

Signed into law on August 10, 2022, the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act — the PACT Act — is the largest expansion of veterans’ health care and benefits in VA history. For veterans who believe their cancer or other illness is connected to toxic exposure during service, it changed the landscape in three fundamental ways.

1. More than 20 new presumptive conditions

A “presumptive” condition is one the VA automatically assumes is service-connected — a veteran does not have to prove their specific illness was caused by their specific exposure, which historically was the hardest part of a toxic-exposure claim. The PACT Act added more than 20 presumptive conditions, including brain cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and respiratory cancers of any type, along with illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma diagnosed after service, and pulmonary fibrosis. For Vietnam-era veterans, hypertension and MGUS were added to the Agent Orange presumptive list.

2. Coverage across generations of service

The law reaches veterans of the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the post-9/11 conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, including those exposed to burn pits, airborne hazards, sand and dust, radiation, depleted uranium, and herbicides like Agent Orange. It also expanded eligibility for VA health care itself: combat veterans of the post-9/11 era gained a ten-year enrollment window, and others may qualify based on exposure history alone.

3. Toxic exposure screening for every enrolled veteran

The VA must now offer every enrolled veteran a toxic exposure screening, repeated at least every five years. The screening takes only a few minutes, creates a record of your exposure history, and can connect you to follow-up care — ask for it at any VA health appointment.

Which exposures does this cover?

The law’s reach maps closely onto the substances documented across this site. AFFF firefighting foam and the PFAS compounds it contains were used at airfields and fire-training areas across every branch for decades, and PFAS contamination is the most common finding at bases under environmental review today. Industrial solvents like TCE drove the Camp Lejeune water contamination and appear at many Superfund-listed installations. Asbestos remains the signature exposure of older ships, barracks, and base housing, and PCBs persist at depots and maintenance facilities. If you served at one of the installations profiled here, the base page lists what was found there — useful context when you describe your exposure history to the VA.

One practical note: a presumptive condition still requires showing you served in a qualifying place and period — orders, unit records, and base assignment history are the evidence that matters most. The toxic exposure screening and burn pit registry both help put your exposure on the record before a claim is ever filed.

How to file

You can file a disability claim online at VA.gov without enrolling in VA health care first. There is no deadline to file a PACT Act claim — the law’s provisions are permanent. If you filed a claim in the past and were denied for a condition that is now presumptive, you can submit a Supplemental Claim and ask the VA to reconsider under the new rules. The VA’s official PACT Act guide covers eligibility in detail.

Camp Lejeune and the Justice Act

The PACT Act also contained the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, which opened a two-year window for anyone exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 to file a claim against the federal government. That window closed on August 10, 2024, with more than 400,000 claims filed — but the closure affects only the lawsuits. VA disability claims for Camp Lejeune presumptive conditions remain open, with no deadline.

What to do now

If you served at a base covered on this site — or anywhere you believe you were exposed — three practical steps: enroll for a toxic exposure screening, join the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry if your exposure involved burn pits or airborne hazards, and file (or re-file) a claim for any condition on the new presumptive lists. The resources page collects the official links.

This article is general information, not legal or medical advice. Eligibility details come from VA.gov and may change; always confirm against the VA’s current guidance.