Data / Federal rules / 2024-21852
VA Adjudication Regulations for Disability or Death Benefit Claims Based on Toxic Exposure
The Veterans Affairs Department published this proposed rule in the Federal Register on October 1, 2024. Comments closed on December 2, 2024.
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What the agency says
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to amend its adjudication regulations to implement provisions of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act or Act). The statute amended procedures applicable to claims based on toxic exposure and modified or established presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure. Pursuant to the Act, VA is proposing to remove the manifestation period requirement and the minimum compensable evaluation requirement from Persian Gulf War claims based on undiagnosed illness and medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses. VA is also proposing to expand the definition of a Persian Gulf veteran; update the list of locations eligible for a presumption of exposure to toxic substances, chemicals, or airborne hazards based on service during the Persian Gulf War; and add presumptions of service connection for 23 diseases associated with exposure to toxins. To implement additional provisions of the Act, VA is also proposing to codify the procedure for determining when medical examinations and nexus opinions are required for claims that cannot be considered on a presumptive basis and the evidence establishes participation in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA). Additional provisions of the PACT Act will be addressed in separate, future rulemakings.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2024-21852
- Type
- Proposed rule
- Action
- Proposed rule
- Agency
- Veterans Affairs Department
- Published
- October 1, 2024
- Comments due
- December 2, 2024
- Dates
- Comments must be received on or before December 2, 2024.
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 2900-AR75
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 38 CFR 3
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Claims; Disability benefits; Health care; Pensions; Radioactive materials; Veterans; Vietnam
- Pages
- 14
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Everything from the Veterans Affairs Department · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on claims · Rules on disability benefits · Published in October 2024
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.