Senator’s bipartisan law expands health care for Arizona veterans exposed to toxic substances
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced that her bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act was signed into law. Sinema’s bipartisan law expands health care eligibility for Arizona veterans exposed to toxic substances.
“We’re proud our bipartisan bill expanding health care access to Arizona veterans who were exposed to toxic substances as a result of their service was signed into law. I’ll continue working across the aisle to find bipartisan solutions to support Arizona veterans and ensure they and their families receive the care and benefits they have earned,” said Sinema, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Sinema worked with Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) to strike a bipartisan deal and advanced legislation inspired by the Sinema-backed Health Care For Burn Pit Veterans Act. The bipartisan SFC Heath Robinson PACT Act includes language from Sinema’s Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act, which creates an assumption of service connection for individuals deployed in support of the Global War on Terror. This legislation also includes language from the Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act, which Sinema is also an original cosponsor.
At least 1 million of the 3.5 million post-9/11 combat veterans potentially exposed to toxic substances are unable to access VA care – Sinema’s legislation corrects this harm.
Sinema’s bipartisan Health Care For Burn Pit Veterans Act expands VA health care eligibility by increasing the period of eligibility for VA health care for post-9/11 combat veterans from five to 10 years after being discharged. The bipartisan legislation additionally creates a one-year open enrollment period for post-9/11 combat veterans who did not enroll during their initial five years after being discharged.