SAN ANTONIO — Almost one year after being signed into law, Texas leads the nation in disability claims filed under the PACT Act.
“The PACT Act is one of the most significant laws that expands health care and benefits for veterans who’ve been exposed to toxic exposure,” said Robert Worley, executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Houston Regional Office.
More than 73,000 PACT Act claims have been filed in Texas since being enacted in August 2022, according to the Texas Veterans Commission.
Worley said the VA has processed over 400,000 PACT Act claims nationally, which has resulted in the distribution of $1.7 billion in retroactive payments for healthcare and benefits.
The Lone Star State is home to the largest veteran population in the country with 1.5 million men and women.
On Wednesday, hundreds of veterans registered for the PACT Act at the VA San Antonio Northwest Health Care Center. These are military servicemen and women dating back to the Vietnam War.
Navy veteran Joe Griner of Round Rock signed up for the PACT Act, with the hopes of learning more about the toxic substances he may have been exposed to during his service.
“I worked in ship yards for a while. I know ship yards there’s a lot of various chemicals around,” Griner said. “I don’t really know what I’ve been exposed to and what is covered so I’m really excited to be here and kind of able to learn a little bit more about that and what I might face in the future.”
Texas-based non-profit Burn Pits 360 played a major role in pushing Congress to pass legislation focused on caring for veterans impacted by toxic waste.
“As our slogan says, the war that follows us home, that we still continue to battle that war,” said Burn Pits 360 co-founder Le Roy Torres, who served in the Army for 23 years and as a DPS trooper for 14 years.
Torres began experiencing health issues after coming home from Iraq, leading to Constrictive Bronchiolitis and Toxic Brain Injury. Denials of service from the VA prompted Torres and his wife to form Burn Pits 360.
The organization maintains a registry of veterans affected by toxic chemicals overseas, which informs Torres on how to better serve military service personnel. Despite the PACT Act's passage and processing of claims, Torres stressed his mission is not over.
“Now that the PACT Act was passed, now it’s about holding the VA accountable. Making sure that we receive the care, not only the veterans but also the families,” Torres said.
South Texas VA is hosting another PACT Act sign up event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Audie Murphy VA Medical Center on Aug. 4.
To learn more about the PACT Act, go here.