H.R. 3967: Honoring our PACT Act of 2021

Bill · 117th Congress (2021–2022). Passed in two versions, 16 Jun 2022. Introduced 17 Jun 2021.

Official title: To improve health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances, and for other purposes.

Vote results

House, 3 Mar 2022: Passed, 256 Yea, 174 Nay, 0 Present, 3 Not voting. The House’s roll call
Senate, 16 Jun 2022: Bill Passed, 84 Yea, 14 Nay, 0 Present, 2 Not voting. The Senate’s roll call
President: Not presented to the President.

How each member voted

Senate

Yea (84): Chuck Grassley (R-IA); Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT); Edward J. Markey (D-MA); Charles E. Schumer (D-NY); Ron Wyden (D-OR); Richard J. Durbin (D-IL); Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD); James M. Inhofe (R-OK); Thomas R. Carper (D-DE); Jack Reed (D-RI); Bernard Sanders (I-VT); Dianne Feinstein (D-CA); Sherrod Brown (D-OH); Patty Murray (D-WA); Robert Menendez (D-NJ); Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Roy Blunt (R-MO); Susan M. Collins (R-ME); Jerry Moran (R-KS); Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); Tammy Baldwin (D-WI); Maria Cantwell (D-WA); Rob Portman (R-OH); Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV); John Boozman (R-AR); John Cornyn (R-TX); Lisa Murkowski (R-AK); Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA); Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY); Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI); Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); Christopher Murphy (D-CT); Jon Tester (D-MT); Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); John Barrasso (R-WY); Bill Cassidy (R-LA); Martin Heinrich (D-NM); Ben Ray Luján (D-NM); Jeff Merkley (D-OR); Gary C. Peters (D-MI); Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH); Mark R. Warner (D-VA); Michael F. Bennet (D-CO); Christopher A. Coons (D-DE); Joe Manchin, III (D-WV); Richard Blumenthal (D-CT); John Hoeven (R-ND); Ron Johnson (R-WI); Marco Rubio (R-FL); Tim Scott (R-SC); Todd Young (R-IN); Brian Schatz (D-HI); Tom Cotton (R-AR); Kevin Cramer (R-ND); Ted Cruz (R-TX); Tammy Duckworth (D-IL); Deb Fischer (R-NE); Tim Kaine (D-VA); Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME); Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ); Elizabeth Warren (D-MA); Cory A. Booker (D-NJ); Joni Ernst (R-IA); Ben Sasse (R-NE); Dan Sullivan (R-AK); Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV); Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH); John Kennedy (R-LA); Roger Marshall (R-KS); Jacky Rosen (D-NV); Tina Smith (D-MN); Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS); Mike Braun (R-IN); Josh Hawley (R-MO); Rick Scott (R-FL); Mark Kelly (D-AZ); Bill Hagerty (R-TN); John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO); Jon Ossoff (D-GA); Alex Padilla (D-CA); Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA).

Nay (14): Richard C. Shelby (R-AL); Mike Crapo (R-ID); Richard Burr (R-NC); John Thune (R-SD); Patrick J. Toomey (R-PA); James E. Risch (R-ID); James Lankford (R-OK); Mike Lee (R-UT); Rand Paul (R-KY); Cynthia M. Lummis (R-WY); Mike Rounds (R-SD); Thom Tillis (R-NC); Mitt Romney (R-UT); Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

Not voting (2): Roger F. Wicker (R-MS); Steve Daines (R-MT).

Not in office (2): Kamala D. Harris (D-CA); Kelly Loeffler (R-GA).

House

Yea (256): Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-4); Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD-5); Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9); Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR-4); Fred Upton (R-MI-6); Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12); Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6); Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1); David E. Price (D-NC-4); Jim Cooper (D-TN-5); Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-3); Maxine Waters (D-CA-43); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10); Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2); James E. Clyburn (D-SC-6); Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-18); Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30); Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY-12); Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-40); Bobby L. Rush (D-IL-1); Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-3); Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7); Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-2); Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-35); Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18); Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19); Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3); Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7); Diana DeGette (D-CO-1); Ron Kind (D-WI-3); James P. McGovern (D-MA-2); Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-9); Brad Sherman (D-CA-30); Adam Smith (D-WA-9); Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-5); Barbara Lee (D-CA-13); John B. Larson (D-CT-1); Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA-32); Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL-9); Mike Thompson (D-CA-5); James R. Langevin (D-RI-2); Rick Larsen (D-WA-2); Betty McCollum (D-MN-4); Adam B. Schiff (D-CA-28); Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-8); Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-3); C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2); Tim Ryan (D-OH-13); David Scott (D-GA-13); Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38); Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5); Jim Costa (D-CA-16); Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28); Al Green (D-TX-9); Brian Higgins (D-NY-26); Gwen Moore (D-WI-4); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23); Doris O. Matsui (D-CA-6); Albio Sires (D-NJ-8); Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL-12); Kathy Castor (D-FL-14); Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-9); Steve Cohen (D-TN-9); Joe Courtney (D-CT-2); Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA-4); Jerry McNerney (D-CA-9); Ed Perlmutter (D-CO-7); John P. Sarbanes (D-MD-3); Peter Welch (D-VT-AL); John A. Yarmuth (D-KY-3); André Carson (D-IN-7); Jackie Speier (D-CA-14); Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11); James A. Himes (D-CT-4); Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1); Bill Posey (R-FL-8); Paul Tonko (D-NY-20); Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5); Mike Quigley (D-IL-5); Judy Chu (D-CA-27); John Garamendi (D-CA-3); Bill Foster (D-IL-11); Karen Bass (D-CA-37); David N. Cicilline (D-RI-1); Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-4); Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-3); Bill Johnson (R-OH-6); William R. Keating (D-MA-9); Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16); David B. McKinley (R-WV-1); Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-7); Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24); Dina Titus (D-NV-1); Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-7); Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1); Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-1); Thomas Massie (R-KY-4); Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ-10); Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3); Ami Bera (D-CA-7); Julia Brownley (D-CA-26); Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17); Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8); Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20); Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29); Lois Frankel (D-FL-21); Richard Hudson (R-NC-8); Jared Huffman (D-CA-2); Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8); David P. Joyce (R-OH-14); Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI-5); Derek Kilmer (D-WA-6); Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-2); Ann M. Kuster (D-NH-2); Alan S. Lowenthal (D-CA-47); Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY-18); Grace Meng (D-NY-6); Scott H. Peters (D-CA-52); Mark Pocan (D-WI-2); Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36); Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15); Mark Takano (D-CA-41); Juan Vargas (D-CA-51); Marc A. Veasey (D-TX-33); Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-2); Katherine M. Clark (D-MA-5); Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12); Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1); Pete Aguilar (D-CA-31); Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA-8); Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-2); Ed Case (D-HI-1); Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11); Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12); Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-7); John Katko (R-NY-24); Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI-14); Ted Lieu (D-CA-33); Seth Moulton (D-MA-6); Kathleen M. Rice (D-NY-4); Norma J. Torres (D-CA-35); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12); Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL-10); David G. Valadao (R-CA-21); Warren Davidson (R-OH-8); Dwight Evans (D-PA-3); Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44); Jack Bergman (R-MI-1); Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL); Anthony G. Brown (D-MD-4); Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA-24); J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46); Val Butler Demings (D-FL-10); Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13); Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1); Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1); Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-15); Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5); Steven Horsford (D-NV-4); Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7); Ro Khanna (D-CA-17); Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8); Al Lawson, Jr. (D-FL-5); Brian J. Mast (R-FL-18); Stephanie N. Murphy (D-FL-7); Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-1); Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20); Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8); Darren Soto (D-FL-9); Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY-3); Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34); Conor Lamb (D-PA-17); Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY-25); Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5); Susan Wild (D-PA-7); Colin Z. Allred (D-TX-32); Cynthia Axne (D-IA-3); Tim Burchett (R-TN-2); Sean Casten (D-IL-6); Ben Cline (R-VA-6); Angie Craig (D-MN-2); Jason Crow (D-CO-6); Sharice Davids (D-KS-3); Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4); Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16); Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7); Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29); Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-4); Jared F. Golden (D-ME-2); Josh Harder (D-CA-10); Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5); Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6); John Joyce (R-PA-13); Andy Kim (D-NJ-3); Susie Lee (D-NV-3); Andy Levin (D-MI-9); Mike Levin (D-CA-49); Elaine G. Luria (D-VA-2); Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-7); Lucy McBath (D-GA-6); Joe Neguse (D-CO-2); Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14); Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5); Chris Pappas (D-NH-1); Dean Phillips (D-MN-3); Katie Porter (D-CA-45); Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7); Kim Schrier (D-WA-8); Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11); Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-8); Abigail Davis Spanberger (D-VA-7); Greg Stanton (D-AZ-9); Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11); Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13); Lori Trahan (D-MA-3); David J. Trone (D-MD-6); Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14); Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10); Gregory F. Murphy (R-NC-3); Mike Garcia (R-CA-25); Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4); Stephanie I. Bice (R-OK-5); Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-GA-7); Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16); Cori Bush (D-MO-1); Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-2); Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53); Mondaire Jones (D-NY-17); Kaiali’i Kahele (D-HI-2); Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-3); Nancy Mace (R-SC-1); Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11); Kathy E. Manning (D-NC-6); Lisa C. McClain (R-MI-10); Peter Meijer (R-MI-3); Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN-1); Marie Newman (D-IL-3); Jay Obernolte (R-CA-8); Deborah K. Ross (D-NC-2); Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10); Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15); Nikema Williams (D-GA-5); Troy A. Carter (D-LA-2); Melanie A. Stansbury (D-NM-1); Shontel M. Brown (D-OH-11); Mike Carey (R-OH-15); Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20); Don Young (R-AK-AL); Michael F. Doyle (D-PA-18); G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-1); Theodore E. Deutch (D-FL-22); Tom Reed (R-NY-23); Filemon Vela (D-TX-34); A. Donald McEachin (D-VA-4); Charlie Crist (D-FL-13); Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19).

Nay (174): Harold Rogers (R-KY-5); Ken Calvert (R-CA-42); Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3); Steve Chabot (R-OH-1); Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-4); Kay Granger (R-TX-12); Michael K. Simpson (R-ID-2); Pete Sessions (R-TX-17); Sam Graves (R-MO-6); Joe Wilson (R-SC-2); Michael C. Burgess (R-TX-26); John R. Carter (R-TX-31); Tom Cole (R-OK-4); Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25); Mike Rogers (R-AL-3); Michael R. Turner (R-OH-10); Darrell Issa (R-CA-50); Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5); Louie Gohmert (R-TX-1); Michael T. McCaul (R-TX-10); Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC-10); Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5); Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16); Jim Jordan (R-OH-4); Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5); Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23); Adrian Smith (R-NE-3); Robert E. Latta (R-OH-5); Robert J. Wittman (R-VA-1); Steve Scalise (R-LA-1); Tim Walberg (R-MI-7); Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2); Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3); Tom McClintock (R-CA-4); Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15); Mo Brooks (R-AL-5); Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8); Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR-1); Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3); Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (R-TN-3); Bob Gibbs (R-OH-7); Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ-4); H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9); Andy Harris (R-MD-1); Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4); Bill Huizenga (R-MI-2); Mike Kelly (R-PA-16); Billy Long (R-MO-7); Steven M. Palazzo (R-MS-4); David Schweikert (R-AZ-6); Austin Scott (R-GA-8); Daniel Webster (R-FL-11); Steve Womack (R-AR-3); Mark E. Amodei (R-NV-2); Andy Barr (R-KY-6); Rodney Davis (R-IL-13); Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1); Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-2); Scott Perry (R-PA-10); Tom Rice (R-SC-7); Chris Stewart (R-UT-2); Ann Wagner (R-MO-2); Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX-14); Brad R. Wenstrup (R-OH-2); Roger Williams (R-TX-25); Jason Smith (R-MO-8); Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12); Brian Babin (R-TX-36); Ken Buck (R-CO-4); Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA-1); Tom Emmer (R-MN-6); Garret Graves (R-LA-6); Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6); Jody B. Hice (R-GA-10); J. French Hill (R-AR-2); Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11); John R. Moolenaar (R-MI-4); Alexander X. Mooney (R-WV-2); Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4); Gary J. Palmer (R-AL-6); David Rouzer (R-NC-7); Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY-21); Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4); Lee M. Zeldin (R-NY-1); Trent Kelly (R-MS-1); Darin LaHood (R-IL-18); James Comer (R-KY-1); Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19); Don Bacon (R-NE-2); Jim Banks (R-IN-3); Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5); Ted Budd (R-NC-13); Liz Cheney (R-WY-AL); Neal P. Dunn (R-FL-2); A. Drew Ferguson IV (R-GA-3); Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8); Clay Higgins (R-LA-3); Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN-9); Mike Johnson (R-LA-4); David Kustoff (R-TN-8); John H. Rutherford (R-FL-4); Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11); Ron Estes (R-KS-4); Ralph Norman (R-SC-5); John R. Curtis (R-UT-3); Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-8); Michael Cloud (R-TX-27); Troy Balderson (R-OH-12); Kevin Hern (R-OK-1); Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-AL); James R. Baird (R-IN-4); Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2); Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1); Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16); Lance Gooden (R-TX-5); Mark E. Green (R-TN-7); Michael Guest (R-MS-3); Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL); Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9); Carol D. Miller (R-WV-3); Greg Pence (R-IN-6); Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14); John W. Rose (R-TN-6); Chip Roy (R-TX-21); Pete Stauber (R-MN-8); Bryan Steil (R-WI-1); W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17); William R. Timmons IV (R-SC-4); Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ-2); Michael Waltz (R-FL-6); Claudia Tenney (R-NY-22); Fred Keller (R-PA-12); Dan Bishop (R-NC-9); Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI-7); Chris Jacobs (R-NY-27); Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2); Lauren Boebert (R-CO-3); Kat Cammack (R-FL-3); Jerry L. Carl (R-AL-1); Madison Cawthorn (R-NC-11); Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA-9); Byron Donalds (R-FL-19); Pat Fallon (R-TX-4); Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4); Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-7); Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-5); Scott Franklin (R-FL-15); Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL-26); Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23); Bob Good (R-VA-5); Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14); Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-1); Yvette Herrell (R-NM-2); Ashley Hinson (R-IA-1); Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13); Young Kim (R-CA-39); Jake LaTurner (R-KS-2); Tracey Mann (R-KS-1); Mary E. Miller (R-IL-15); Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-2); Barry Moore (R-AL-2); Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1); Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22); Burgess Owens (R-UT-4); August Pfluger (R-TX-11); Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr. (R-MT-AL); Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27); Victoria Spartz (R-IN-5); Michelle Steel (R-CA-48); Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24); Julia Letlow (R-LA-5); Jake Ellzey (R-TX-6); Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE-1); Jackie Walorski (R-IN-2).

Not voting (3): Kevin Brady (R-TX-8); Mike Bost (R-IL-12); Van Taylor (R-TX-3).

Not in office (16): Connie Conway (R-CA-22); Mayra Flores (R-TX-34); Mike Flood (R-NE-1); Brad Finstad (R-MN-1); Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK-AL); Patrick Ryan (D-NY-19); Joseph Sempolinski (R-NY-23); Rudy Yakym III (R-IN-2); Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL-20); Devin Nunes (R-CA-22); Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH-11); Steve Stivers (R-OH-15); Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-2); Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-1); Debra A. Haaland (D-NM-1); Ron Wright (R-TX-6).

Summary

Main subject: Expands Department of Veterans Affairs health care eligibility and sets presumptions of service connection for veterans exposed to toxic substances, and adds research, training, records and funding provisions on toxic exposure. Sec. 103, Sec. 202, Sec. 406

Its core areas: Department of Veterans Affairs health care eligibility for toxic-exposed veterans; Process for establishing and removing presumptions of service connection; Presumptions of service connection for burn pit, herbicide and radiation exposures; Medical examinations and claim reevaluation for toxic exposure claims; Toxic exposure research and studies; Registries and exposure records; Camp Lejeune water exposure lawsuits; Veterans Toxic Exposures Fund.

Unexpected Items: 19 provisions

These provisions fall outside the bill’s main subject or apply narrowly. This describes the text; it is not a judgment.

Not related to the bill’s main subject (11)

Sec. 111: Expansion of period of eligibility for health care for certain veterans of combat service: Changes the enrollment eligibility window for health care for certain combat-service veterans, replacing a five-year period with a 10-year period and opening a one-year enrollment window beginning October 1, 2022.
Sec. 112: Authorization period for emergency treatment in non-Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities: Requires the Secretary to treat emergency care at a non-Department facility as authorized if an application is made within a period set by the Secretary, which may not be less than 96 hours after admission.
Sec. 504: Study on health trends of post 9/11 veterans: Requires the VA to conduct an epidemiological study on the health trends of veterans who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, assessing race, ethnicity, age, service period, occupational specialty, gender and disability status, and to report within two years.
Sec. 505: Study on cancer rates among veterans: Requires the VA to study trends in the incidence of cancer in veterans and available early detection diagnostics, assessing race, ethnicity, age, service period, occupational specialty, gender and cancer type, and to report within two years.
Sec. 509: Study on veterans in Territories of the United States: Requires the Comptroller General to study access and barriers to Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and services for veterans in U.S. Territories and report within one year.
Sec. 708: Authorization of electronic notice in claims under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Authorizes the VA to send claim and Board of Veterans' Appeals decision notices electronically when a claimant elects it, and amends title 38 provisions on how notices are issued.
Sec. 710: Non-applicability of non-Department of Veterans Affairs covenants not to compete to appointment of Veterans Health Administration personnel: Makes covenants not to compete with non-Department parties have no force or effect for applicants to Veterans Health Administration positions, and requires appointees to agree to a service obligation of at least one year, which the Secretary may waive.
Sec. 711: Recruitment of physicians on a contingent basis prior to completion of training requirements: Allows the Secretary to appoint physicians to Veterans Health Administration positions on a contingent basis if they are expected to finish residency within two years, and converts the appointment to permanent upon completion.
Sec. 712: Authority for Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to States to improve outreach to veterans: Creates a grant program for States to improve outreach to veterans and hire county or tribal veterans service officers, authorizing $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, and allows one added full-time employee in the Office of the General Counsel. ($50,000,000)
Sec. 715: Authorization of appropriations for expansion of claims automation: Authorizes $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 to modernize and expand the Veterans Benefits Management System for claims processing. ($150,000,000)
Sec. 605: Guidelines for active duty military on potential risks and prevention of toxic exposures: Requires the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish guidelines, within 90 days, for training active duty members on toxic exposure risks and prevention.

Funds a specific named project or event (1)

Sec. 714: Budget information for alternatives to burn pits: Requires the Secretary of Defense to include a dedicated budget line item for incinerators and waste-to-energy waste disposal alternatives to burn pits in the President's budget submission for fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

Exception or delay for a subset (3)

Sec. 103: Expansion of health care for specific categories of toxic-exposed veterans and veterans supporting certain overseas contingency operations: Expands VA health care eligibility to three groups of veterans, with start dates phased in from October 1, 2024 through October 1, 2032 depending on the period in which a veteran was discharged or released.
Sec. 202: Improvements to ability of Department of Veterans Affairs to establish presumptions of service connection based on toxic exposure: Exempts the newly created Formal Advisory Committee on Toxic Exposure from the sunset requirements of section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Sec. 706: Federal cause of action relating to water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina: Creates a federal cause of action over Camp Lejeune water exposure, but excludes any claim or action arising out of the combatant activities of the Armed Forces.

Changes a government process (1)

Sec. 709: Authorization of appropriations for expansion of claims automation: Authorizes $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 for claims processing automation, self-service features for filing claims, and reducing reliance on the legacy claim system. ($30,000,000)

Condition defined by a narrow set of criteria (1)

Sec. 713: Study and report on herbicide agent exposure in Panama Canal Zone: Requires the Secretary of Defense to study exposure of service members to herbicide agents in the Panama Canal Zone from January 1, 1958 to December 31, 1999, and report to Congress within one year.

Program name includes a political figure’s name (2)

Sec. 401: Treatment of veterans who participated in cleanup of Enewetak Atoll as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of presumption of service connection of certain disabilities by Department of Veterans Affairs: Gives the section a short title that includes a person's name, and adds cleanup of Enewetak Atoll from January 1, 1977 to December 31, 1980 to the radiation-exposed veteran activities for presumption of service connection.
Sec. 717: Burn pit transparency: Gives the section the short title 'SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act' and requires quarterly and annual reports on reported burn pit exposure cases.

What it does

Sec. 103: Makes veterans who took part in a toxic exposure risk activity, covered veterans, and veterans deployed in listed contingency operations eligible for VA hospital care, medical services and nursing home care for any illness, with start dates phased from October 1, 2024 to October 1, 2032.
Sec. 202: Creates a nine-member Formal Advisory Committee on Toxic Exposure and sets a process of formal evaluations and regulations for the Secretary to establish or remove presumptions of service connection based on toxic exposure.
Sec. 203: Requires the Secretary to identify claims denied before a presumption of service connection was established or modified, to allow reevaluation at the veteran's election, and to pay compensation effective from the original claim date if approved.
Sec. 302: Requires the Secretary to presume that covered veterans who served in listed locations, such as Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait on or after August 2, 1990, were exposed to substances on a list the Secretary maintains, unless there is affirmative evidence otherwise.
Sec. 303: Requires a medical examination and a medical opinion on a possible nexus when a claim has evidence of a disability and of a toxic exposure risk activity but the evidence is not enough to establish service connection, unless the Secretary finds no indication of an association.
Sec. 403: Extends the herbicide presumption of service connection beyond Vietnam to service in listed periods in Thailand bases, Laos, Cambodia, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll.
Sec. 406: Establishes a presumption of service connection for listed diseases in covered veterans, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis and several types of cancer.
Sec. 706: Lets individuals exposed for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, to water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, bring an action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina for harm caused by that exposure.
Sec. 707: Establishes the Veterans Toxic Exposures Fund in the Treasury, administered through the VA, and authorizes appropriations to it for fiscal year 2023 and each later fiscal year.
Sec. 701: Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a registry of individuals who may have been exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from aqueous film-forming foam on military installations.

Written automatically from the official text by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model. Written 15 Oct 2026 and published after the automatic checks, without a person reading it first. Every line names the section it came from.