Lawrence, KANSAS – According to the state officials, the bill is the result of a bipartisan agreement between Kansas’ U.S. Senator Jerry Moran and Senator Jon Tester of Montana.
The House of Representatives has passed the bill and the Senate is expected to vote on its passage in the coming days.
State officials have announced that this bill is named for Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, who was deployed to Kosovo and Iraq with the Ohio National Guard and died in 2020 from toxic exposure during his military service.
Among other things, the Honor our PACT Act will expand Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare eligibility to Post-9/11 combat veterans, which includes more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans. Nearly half of the troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11 were from the National Guard and reserves.
Governor Laura Kelly said:
“As Commander in Chief of the Kansas National Guard, I am calling on the U.S. Senate to pass the Honoring our PACT Act – and on President Biden to sign it – because it is essential that we care for the troops who have done so much to protect us.
For far too long, our veterans have been left without the benefits and services they deserve because Congress failed to act. I want to thank Senator Jerry Moran for working to change that and for finding a bipartisan solution that delivers long overdue healthcare for our veterans.”