The PACT Act — Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act — was signed into law in August 2022. It is the largest expansion of VA benefits in decades.
If you served near burn pits, were exposed to Agent Orange, or faced other toxic exposures during service, the PACT Act may entitle you to service connection without a nexus letter.
That last part matters: no nexus letter required for presumptive conditions. The VA presumes the connection. You document the exposure and the diagnosis — the legal link is assumed by law.
Who the PACT Act Covers
The PACT Act created presumptive service connection for veterans in three main exposure categories.
Post-9/11 Veterans — Burn Pit Exposure
If you deployed to Southwest Asia (Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria, and others) after August 2, 1990, you are presumed to have been exposed to airborne hazards and open burn pits.
Conditions covered include:
- Constrictive bronchiolitis and obliterative bronchiolitis
- Constrictive pericarditis
- Any cancer not already on the VA presumptive list, if it manifests to a compensable degree
Vietnam-Era Veterans — Agent Orange
The PACT Act expanded the list of Agent Orange presumptive conditions. If you served in Vietnam, the Korean demilitarized zone, or certain other locations between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, new conditions were added to the presumptive list including:
- Hypertension
- Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)
- Additional cancers identified by VA or the National Academies of Sciences
Radiation-Exposed Veterans
Expanded coverage for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation during service — including atmospheric nuclear testing and cleanup at Enewetak Atoll.
How to Check If You Qualify
Use our PACT Act Presumptive Checker — enter your service dates, deployment locations, and current conditions. The tool cross-references your inputs against the VA's presumptive lists and returns which conditions may qualify without a nexus letter.
How to File a PACT Act Claim
Filing is the same process as any VA disability claim — VA Form 21-526EZ — with one key difference: you do not need to submit a nexus letter for presumptive conditions.
What you do need:
- Service records showing your deployment to a covered location
- A current diagnosis of the condition you're claiming
- Completed VA Form 21-526EZ with "presumptive service connection" noted
File an Intent to File today to lock your effective date while you gather documentation.
What If Your Condition Isn't on the Presumptive List
Not every condition linked to toxic exposure is presumptive. If you have a condition related to burn pit exposure or Agent Orange that isn't on the presumptive list, you can still claim it — but you'll need a nexus letter establishing the medical connection. The standard secondary claim process applies.
Our free nexus templates cover many toxic-exposure-linked conditions.