June 8, 2022 - Washington - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Tuesday released a statement in support of the Honoring Our Pact Act.

The bipartisan bill, introduced by Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), would ensure that veterans exposed to toxic chemicals receive the benefits and health care they have earned.

“This bill is of critical importance to millions of American military veterans exposed to toxic chemicals, burn pits and other hazards encountered as part of their jobs,” Senator Feinstein said.

“The bill will make it easier for veterans exposed to these harmful chemicals to qualify for timely health care and benefits, and it invests in VA medical facilities and workforce to give our veterans the care and support they need.

“We can’t send our uniformed men and women off to war and then ignore the consequences of their service. Ensuring proper care and benefits for veterans is a critical obligation and I urge my colleagues to pass this bill as soon as possible.

What the bill would do: 

• Expand access to VA health care for veterans that were exposed to toxic substances or were assigned to certain high-risk locations or contingency operations.
• Extend the period of VA health care eligibility for post-9/11 combat veterans from five years after discharge to 10 years.
• Create a framework for the VA to determine whether service members should be presumed to have been exposed to toxic substances.
• Increase toxic exposure screening for veterans, and training and education for VA health care personnel.
• Increase research on toxic exposure to inform decisions about VA care and disability determinations.
• Increase VA claims processing capacity and shorten response times by modernizing the electronic system that processes claims and by increasing automation.
  Source: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein