WASHINGTON, November 12, 2026 — Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate would add Iran to the list of combat zones covered by the PACT Act, extending presumptive toxic exposure benefits to veterans of the ongoing conflict. The move mirrors the framework established for Iraq and Afghanistan burn pit veterans and creates a new mechanism for identifying hazards in future war zones.
Legislative Proposal Targets Iran Service
Sen. Peter Welch introduced legislation Monday to ensure veterans of the ongoing Iran war are covered under the PACT Act, according to a report by WCAX. The Vermont senator said the measure aims to make it easier for service members exposed to toxic substances to access treatment when they return home. Since the PACT Act became law in 2022, more than 7 million veterans have been screened for toxic exposures.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., plans to introduce companion legislation Tuesday that would formally add Iran to the list of covered combat zones as a proactive measure. The provision accounts for potential environmental hazards as the conflict continues, including damaged oil facilities, chemical spills, or the use of chemical weapons, according to a bill outline provided to ABC News. “With a new generation of troops being thrown into another war in the Middle East, our nation must learn the lessons from previous conflicts and proactively ensure Iran Veterans don’t suffer from those same mistakes,” Duckworth said in a statement.
Closing the Gap on New Combat Zones
Duckworth’s bill addresses a structural gap in the current law. There is currently no clear mechanism for adding new combat zones to the list of more than a dozen countries and territories where troops are already presumed to have faced toxic exposure. The legislation would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to assess toxic hazards in any new combat zone within 180 days and recommend whether those who served there should be presumed exposed and potentially eligible for health care and compensation.
The mandate covers exposure to intense pollution, radiation, or chemicals. The bill would also require the VA to revisit overseas assignments at least every five years to identify hazards that may have gone unrecognized. This institutionalizes a look-back process that did not previously exist in statute.
PACT Act Framework and Precedent
The PACT Act, enacted in 2022, marked one of the largest expansions of veterans’ health care and disability benefits in U.S. history. The Congressional Budget Office projected nearly $280 billion in new spending over a decade. The law eased the evidentiary burden on veterans by allowing qualifying service to establish a link to certain cancers and respiratory illnesses without proving direct causation.
That framework covered veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan exposed to smoke from burn pits — makeshift disposal sites where troops burned trash, medical waste, jet fuel, and plastics. The law also expanded Agent Orange presumptions for veterans who served in Laos, Cambodia, and other Southeast Asian countries during the Vietnam War era, and covered radiation exposure among troops who responded to the 1968 B-52 crash near Thule Air Force Base in Greenland.
A recent expansion of the Thailand presumption illustrates how the framework evolves. The VA now presumes Agent Orange exposure for veterans who served at any U.S. or Royal Thai military base from Jan. 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976, removing the prior requirement to prove perimeter duties or a qualifying military job. The PACT Act changed the Thailand exposure rule so that veterans no longer need to show they worked near a base perimeter or held a security-related job.
Projected Impact and Next Steps
By May 2024, the VA had approved 1 million claims for health care and disability compensation tied to the PACT Act, according to agency data. Previously, veterans faced a daunting hurdle documenting exposures that may have occurred decades earlier and proving they caused illnesses that surfaced years after leaving the military, leaving claims tangled in legal disputes or stuck in a bureaucratic slog.
The Duckworth bill would expand on that precedent by mandating the hazard assessment timeline and the five-year review cycle for all overseas assignments. The legislation has not yet been assigned a bill number or scheduled for committee markup.
Sources
- Agent Orange Exposure in Thailand: How to Get VA Disability Benefits
- Welch pushes to extend PACT Act protections to Iran war veterans
- PACT Act primer
- Veterans Day money moves: Review your VA benefits, including expanded coverage under the PACT Act
- Sen. Duckworth wants VA to identify toxic threats before veterans get sick
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Photo: Tammy Duckworth (Public domain)
