The PACT Act and how it helps our vets

I want to talk to you about the PACT Act, a landmark piece of bipartisan legislation signed into law a couple years ago that finally addressed the serious issue of toxic exposure among our veterans.

The PACT Act provides specialized treatment and benefits to veterans who are suffering from health issues due to their exposure to toxic burn pits during their service in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

I’ve met too many Michigan veterans who have been fighting the VA while also fighting these health complications. The PACT Act finally delivers the care they have earned, so I was thrilled to see the law go into effect. A key component of the PACT Act is my bipartisan Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act, which was incorporated into the final bill. My legislation requires the VA to acknowledge that any service member who served in Operation Desert Storm or our post-9/11 conflicts was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits.

I talked more about this historic legislation in a video I shared last week.

It’s critical that we ensure that burn pit exposure does not become the Agent Orange of the post-9/11 generation of American veterans.

An important reminder to veterans: If you submitted an Intent-to-File for a PACT Act related claim, you have 365 days to finalize your claim in order to receive backdated benefits.

That means if you submitted your claim before the August 14, 2023 deadline to receive backdated benefits, you must finalize it soon, before the 365 days are up.

For more information about the PACT Act and your benefits click HERE. And if you have any questions, my office has dedicated caseworkers with years of experience who can help. You can give my office a call at (517) 993-0510 or visit my website at slotkin.house.gov.

– Rep. Elissa Slotkin