New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner James Hendon today applauded the passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 after President Joseph Biden signed it into law this afternoon. The PACT Act establishes a presumption of service connection to burn pits and other airborne exposure for over 23 illnesses, including certain cancers and respiratory and lung diseases. The largest veterans’ health care bill in recent years, the PACT Act will help expand the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ health care coverage and treatment options to as many as 3.5 million veterans believed to have been exposed to toxins in the line of duty.
“Our veterans put their health and lives on the line to protect our freedoms. The PACT Act is the least we can do to honor and care for our nation’s bravest once they return home,” said Mayor Adams. “Thanks to this new law, my administration can ensure tens of thousands of veterans across the five boroughs have access to the care they earned and deserve. I salute President Biden and the members of Congress who voted for this law and supported what has become the largest veterans’ health care bill in decades.”
“The sacrifice made by our veterans and their families will finally be realized thanks to the PACT Act,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “I applaud the veterans, spouses, and caregivers who played a crucial role in advocating for this law. Thanks to their tireless support, millions of veterans will have expanded access to health care and life-changing disability compensation.”
“This historic bipartisan achievement will finally treat toxic exposure as a cost of war by expanding access to health care and disability benefits to veterans of all generations — from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan,” said New York City Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner James Hendon. “The Department of Veterans’ Services assists veterans with VA claims, including disability compensation for illnesses presumed to be caused from deployments. This comprehensive law could bring countless more service members and veterans into our care, and our agency stands at the ready to serve them.”
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