Veterans' Health: New Bill Seeks 180-Day Toxic Threat Review
Senator Duckworth proposes mandatory assessments for new combat zones and adds Iran to the list of covered areas for benefits.
By Kevin Iyer ·
Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, plans to introduce legislation on Tuesday that mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs identify toxic hazards within 180 days of troops entering a new combat zone. The proposal aims to accelerate the process by which military personnel gain access to healthcare and disability compensation for service-related illnesses.
Under the current system, there is no defined method for adding new regions to the list of more than a dozen countries where toxic exposure is already presumed. The new bill would require the VA to evaluate pollution, radiation, and chemical threats in any newly designated area. If risks are found, veterans who served there would be presumed exposed and eligible for benefits.
The legislation also requires the department to review overseas assignments at least every five years to identify hazards that may have been overlooked in the past. This periodic review addresses gaps in the current framework, which has relied on specific historical events to trigger benefit eligibility.
Duckworth’s bill builds on the PACT Act, which expanded VA care to millions of veterans in 2022. That law reduced the burden of proof for veterans seeking disability benefits for conditions like cancer and respiratory issues. Instead of documenting a direct causal link to toxic exposure, qualifying service time is sufficient to establish the connection.
The PACT Act covered veterans exposed to burn pit smoke in Iraq and Afghanistan, a source of waste burning that the VA has linked to various health problems. It also extended Agent Orange presumptions to veterans who served in Laos, Cambodia, and other Southeast Asian nations during the Vietnam era, as well as those exposed to radiation from a 1968 B-52 crash in Greenland.
In a proactive step, the new bill adds Iran to the list of covered combat zones. Although no specific toxic threat has been identified yet, the provision accounts for potential exposure to environmental hazards such as damaged oil facilities, chemical spills, or chemical weapons use as the conflict continues.
Duckworth stated that the nation must learn from previous conflicts to ensure veterans serving in the Middle East do not face the same bureaucratic hurdles. She emphasized the need to protect a new generation of troops from the mistakes of the past.
The Congressional Budget Office projected nearly $280 billion in new spending over a decade for the PACT Act. By May 2024, the VA had approved one million claims for healthcare and disability compensation under that law.
