VVA’s Continued Support for Proposed Veterans Legislation

BY TOM BURKE

Among the many issues that VVA has supported, the proposed Molly R. Loomis Research for Descendants of Toxic Exposed Veterans Act of 2024 stands out. It is a critical piece of legislation aimed at understanding and addressing the health impacts which the exposure of servicemembers to Agent Orange and other toxins may cause for them or their descendants. Exposure to toxic chemicals during military service has an impact on veterans and on their children and grandchildren. The bill’s intent is to ensure comprehensive research into the diagnosis and treatment of exposure-related health conditions that may be passed down through generations.

The bill would require annual reports and a publicly available website to ensure transparency in research activities and findings. If the bill becomes law, families would have access to crucial information about ongoing research and progress.

Another bill VVA wholeheartedly supports is the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (HR 8371). We are hopeful that it will be enacted by Congress and approved by the President.

If passed, the bill would improve and expand home and community health care for disabled veterans being cared for through the VA’s family caregiver program. This bill is extremely important.

We hope that all state councils and chapters share information about these very worthy bills with friends, family, and social networks, and that they also contact their congressional representatives and ask them to support both bills.

The VA has announced new additions to the list of presumptive conditions under the PACT Act for 2024. They include several significant updates as the VA continues to adapt its policies based on the latest research. The following conditions have been added to the presumptive list:

• Monoclonal Gammopathy of undetermined Significance (MGUS), a blood disorder that can lead to more severe conditions such as multiple myeloma
• Male Breast Cancer
• Urethral Cancer, Cancer of the Paraurethral Glands

It’s been two years since the passage of the PACT Act. The VA reports that 1,016,086 veterans’ and survivors’ claims have been approved under it, and that more than 1.27 million claims have been fully processed. If true, this represents $6.8 billion in paid benefits.

In the last issue, my column focused on the controversy over expanding the Gold Star designation to include the families of veterans who lost their lives during their service, but not in combat.

As I wrote, I support the current designation: that the Gold Star honors only those families who have given one of their own during combat. I was honored to learn that many of you agree with me. Thank you to all who have contacted me.

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