July 20, 2023
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand got the PACT Act passed in 2022. PACT stands for “Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics”. The senator says it established a presumptive military service connection to certain illnesses, such as sicknesses from Agent Orange in the Vietnam War, or burn pits in more recent conflicts. At the time it was signed into law, Gillibrand stated “I am proud that my bill, the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act, formed the centerpiece of this bill and I am grateful to Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Rubio, Congressman Ruiz, Chairman Tester, and Ranking Member Moran, as well as the veterans service organizations, Jon Stewart, and John Feal, and all who have fought tirelessly on behalf of those exposed to toxic burn pits.”
Gillibrand and the VA are saying today, that there’s no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits. But if you file your PACT Act claim—or quickly submit your intent to file—on or before August 9, 2023, to receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2022, if approved. “The most important thing is, they have to file by August 9,” Gillibrand said in a media zoom call today. “It does give them flexibility to go retroactive but they have to file by August 9.”
