Senator Murray Helps Pass Bill to Provide Health Care for Post-9/11 Toxic-Exposed Veterans

Earlier this month Senator Murray helped introduce the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act

The bill would expand health care access for Post-9/11 combat veterans, including those suffering from conditions caused by toxic exposures

Senator Murray: “Supporting all of our veterans is a top priority for me, and I will never stop fighting to ensure Washington state veterans get the care and benefits they’ve earned.”

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, helped pass the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, which would expand Post-9/11 combat veterans’, including those suffering from conditions caused by toxic exposures, access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care. Senator Murray helped introduce the bill earlier this month, and it passed the Senate unanimously today. The bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill is part of a three-step approach by Senator Murray and the rest of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee to expand access to health care for toxic-exposed veterans, establish a new process through which VA will determine future presumptive conditions, and provide overdue benefits to thousands of toxic-exposed veterans who have been long-ignored or forgotten.

“We make a promise to our veterans—that after their service ends, we’ll take care of them when they come home. But many who served post-9/11 are suffering from illness caused by toxic exposures, and have been unable to access the VA medical treatment they need,” said Senator Murray. “I am proud the Senate was able to come together and pass this important legislation to provide life-saving care to our nation’s heroes—but this is just the first step we need to take here. Supporting all of our veterans is a top priority for me, and I will never stop fighting to ensure Washington state veterans get the care and benefits they’ve earned.”

Approximately 3.5 million Post-9/11 combat veterans may have experienced some level of exposure to burn pits during their service—many of whom are living with undiagnosed illnesses linked to military toxic exposures—and nearly one-third of those veterans are currently unable to access VA care. Among its many provisions, the bipartisan Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act would:

• Expand the period of health care eligibility for combat veterans who served after September 11, 2001 from five years following discharge to ten years;
• Provide a one-year open enrollment period for any Post-9/11 combat veterans who are outside their 10-year window;
• Establish an outreach plan to contact veterans who did not enroll during their initial period of enhanced eligibility;
• Direct VA to incorporate a clinical screening regarding a veteran’s potential exposures and symptoms commonly associated with toxic substances;
• Mandate toxic exposure related education and training for healthcare and benefits personnel at VA; and
• Strengthen federal research on toxic exposures.

The bill also has strong backing from the nation’s leading Veterans Service Organizations, including Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wounded Warrior Project, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, The American Legion, and Military Officers Association of America.

As a voice for Washington state’s veterans in the Senate, Senator Murray has been consistently fighting to make sure our country fulfills its promise to our veterans long after their service ends. Senator Murray has led the fight to ensure VA expands fertility treatment and adoption services for veterans and their families through her Veteran Families Health Services Act. She is pushing VA to prioritize the long-term care needs of all veterans—including women veterans, veterans of color, LGBTQ+ veterans, and veterans with disabilities. Murray has also authored legislation that will give veterans the tools they need to build real financial security into retirement. She also held a roundtable on Veterans Day with women veterans from across Eastern and Central Washington to discuss what she is working on to help women veterans and to continue hearing about what more can be done at the federal level for women veterans.

A one-pager on the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act can be found HERE.  

###