Dear John,

I am writing with an update on The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.

On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the Honoring Our PACT Act into law. The legislation expands U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care treatment and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances.

Since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law last year, the VA has delivered more than $1.4 billion in PACT Act benefits to veterans. More than 665,000 veterans, including 30,000 from the Fifth District, have applied for PACT Act-related benefits. Over 3.9 million veterans have received new toxic exposure screenings, and more than 287,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care.

While there is no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits, you must file your claim by August 9, 2023, to receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2022.

 To file a claim for PACT Act-related disability compensation, please click here.

Additional information on The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act is available here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. As always, please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me. 

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress