CALIFORNIA — U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, July 31 hosted a roundtable conversation with local veterans highlighting the Honoring our PACT Act, which expands Department of Veterans Affairs or VA benefits to those exposed to toxic substances, ahead of the Aug. 9 deadline for backdated compensation. Padilla and Takano were joined by local VA representatives to share more information on eligibility for those exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation, and other toxic substances.
The PACT Act, originally authored by Rep. Takano and signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, is one of the largest health and benefit expansions for veterans in more than 30 years. While there is no formal date by which veterans need to apply for these benefits, veterans who apply by Aug. 9, 2023 will be eligible for benefits backdated to Aug. 10, 2022, the day that President Biden signed the PACT Act into law. Last week, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that veterans under 40 who may have been exposed to burn pits and other toxins during their service are now eligible for breast cancer risk assessments and mammograms (as clinically appropriate) at the VA.
Since Congress passed the PACT Act, the VA has delivered more than $1.6 billion in PACT Act-related benefits to veterans and their survivors. All eligible veterans and survivors can file a claim — or submit their intent to file a claim — for PACT Act-related benefits now. Visit VA.gov/PACT for more information.