Renewing our PACT Act of 2026
Sen. Gillibrand Introduces Renewing our PACT Act to Help Federal Workers Exposed to Toxic Burn Pits
A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to improve access to workers' compensation for civilian Federal employees exposed to toxic burn pits, and for other purposes.
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being introduced in the Senate. It has been sent to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
This bill builds on popular existing laws for veterans, but it may face hurdles regarding the cost of expanding benefits to a new group of civilian workers.
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Civilian federal employees from eight agencies who served 30 or more days in foreign conflict zones since 1990 would gain a legal presumption that certain diseases were caused by their work. This eliminates the burden of proving a direct connection between burn pit exposure and illness, making it far easier to receive workers' compensation benefits for serious conditions like cancers and respiratory diseases.
“a disease specified on the list established under subsection (c), as updated under that subsection, shall be deemed to have been incurred in or aggravated during the employment of that eligible employee, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence of such disease during the period of such employment.”
Programs
Disabilities
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to improve access to workers' compensation for civilian Federal employees exposed to toxic burn pits, and for other purposes.
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.