PACT Act Presumptive Conditions, Locations and Dates

Last reviewed: October 2026. Lists are taken from VA's PACT Act page, burn pit page and Agent Orange page.

The PACT Act is the law that expanded VA care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. If you served in a listed place during a listed time and have a listed condition, VA presumes your service caused it. You do not have to prove the link. YourVABenefits is independent and is not part of VA.

What is a PACT Act presumptive condition?

Normally you must show that service caused your condition. For a presumptive condition, VA assumes that link if you meet the service requirements. VA's PACT Act page says you "only need to meet the service requirements for the presumption." You still need a diagnosis.

PACT Act key dates

Date	What happened
August 2, 1990	Start date for burn pit presumption in Gulf War locations
September 11, 2001	Start date for burn pit presumption in post-9/11 locations
August 10, 2022	PACT Act signed into law
November 8, 2022	VA medical centers began toxic exposure screenings
March 5, 2024	VA health care opened to more toxic-exposed veterans, years earlier than the law required
January 2, 2025	Urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers became presumptive for burn pit locations
January 10, 2025	Acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myelofibrosis became presumptive

Sources: VA's public health PACT Act page, the PACT Act page, and VA's January 8, 2025 announcement.

Which cancers are presumptive for burn pits?

VA's burn pit page lists these presumptive cancers for Gulf War era and post-9/11 veterans:

• Brain cancer
• Gastrointestinal cancer of any type
• Glioblastoma
• Genitourinary cancer (such as kidney, bladder, and ureter)
• Head cancer of any type
• Hematologic and lymphatic cancers (such as leukemias, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myelofibrosis)
• Lymphoma of any type
• Melanoma
• Neck cancer of any type
• Pancreatic cancer
• Reproductive cancer of any type
• Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type

VA's presumptive cancers page gives detailed examples under each type and notes the examples are not a complete list.

Which illnesses are presumptive for burn pits?

• Asthma diagnosed after service
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Chronic rhinitis
• Chronic sinusitis
• Constrictive or obliterative bronchiolitis
• Emphysema
• Granulomatous disease
• Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
• Pleuritis
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Sarcoidosis

Where do I have to have served for the burn pit presumption?

VA presumes exposure to burn pits and other toxins if you served in any of these places, including the airspace above them.

On or after August 2, 1990: Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the United Arab Emirates. VA's burn pit page also lists the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

On or after September 11, 2001: Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

If your condition or location is not listed, you can still file. You will need evidence that links your condition to service.

What changed for Agent Orange?

The PACT Act added two Agent Orange presumptive conditions: high blood pressure (hypertension) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). VA's full Agent Orange list now includes:

• Cancers: bladder cancer, chronic B-cell leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, prostate cancer, respiratory cancers (including lung cancer), and some soft tissue sarcomas
• Other illnesses: AL amyloidosis, chloracne, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, ischemic heart disease, MGUS, Parkinsonism, Parkinson's disease, early-onset peripheral neuropathy, and porphyria cutanea tarda

For chloracne, early-onset peripheral neuropathy, and porphyria cutanea tarda, VA's rules say the condition must be at least 10% disabling within one year of exposure.

The PACT Act also added five places where VA presumes Agent Orange exposure:

Location	Dates
Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand	January 9, 1962 – June 30, 1976
Laos	December 1, 1965 – September 30, 1969
Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia	April 16, 1969 – April 30, 1969
Guam or American Samoa, or their territorial waters	January 9, 1962 – July 31, 1980
Johnston Atoll, or a ship that called there	January 1, 1972 – September 30, 1977

These add to earlier locations, including the Republic of Vietnam, its inland waterways, and offshore waters within 12 nautical miles from January 9, 1962, to May 7, 1975, and in or near the Korean DMZ from September 1, 1967, to August 31, 1971.

What changed for radiation?

VA added three response efforts where it presumes radiation exposure:

• Cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, January 1, 1977, through December 31, 1980
• Cleanup of the B-52 crash off Palomares, Spain, January 17, 1966, through March 31, 1967
• Response to the B-52 fire near Thule Air Force Base, Greenland, January 21, 1968, to September 25, 1968

What is the toxic exposure screening?

The PACT Act requires VA to offer every veteran enrolled in VA health care a toxic exposure screening, with a follow-up at least once every 5 years. It asks about burn pits, Gulf War exposures, Agent Orange, radiation, Camp Lejeune water, and other exposures. VA says the screening is not part of the benefits claims process. It does not file a claim for you. Ask at your next VA appointment, or ask for the toxic exposure screening navigator at your VA facility.

Step 1 — Check your service and your diagnosis

Compare your service dates and locations with the lists above. Then make sure you have a current diagnosis of a listed condition in your medical records. Your DD-214 and other separation papers help show where and when you served.

Step 2 — Lock in your start date

If you are not ready to file, submit an Intent to File. It gives you one year to file the claim and can set an earlier effective date.

Step 3 — File the claim and name the condition

File VA Form 21-526EZ on VA.gov, by mail, in person, or with an accredited representative. Name the presumptive condition and the service location. A Veterans Service Organization (VSO) helps for free; find one with our VSO finder.

Step 4 — If VA denied you before, file a Supplemental Claim

If VA denied your condition in the past and now considers it presumptive, file a Supplemental Claim. A change in law like the PACT Act is one of the reasons VA accepts one. If your claim was pending when the condition was added, VA says you do not need to do anything.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a deadline to file a PACT Act claim? No. VA says veterans and survivors can file for PACT Act benefits anytime. Filing sooner, or submitting an Intent to File, can mean an earlier start date for payments.

Do I have to prove I was exposed to burn pits? No, if you served in a listed location during the listed time. VA presumes the exposure. You still need a diagnosis of a listed condition.

What if VA denied my claim before the PACT Act? File a Supplemental Claim. VA reviews claims again for conditions that are now presumptive. VA says it will try to contact veterans it may now find eligible, but you do not need to wait.

Does the toxic exposure screening count as a claim? No. VA says the screening is not part of the benefits claims process. To get compensation, you must file a claim.

Can survivors get benefits under the PACT Act? Yes, they may. A surviving spouse, dependent child, or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) if the veteran died from a service-connected condition, including a presumptive one.

Is high blood pressure an Agent Orange presumptive condition? Yes. The PACT Act added hypertension and MGUS to VA's Agent Orange list.

YourVABenefits does not file claims or represent veterans. For advice on your own case, talk to an accredited VSO.