Last year, on Aug. 10, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the historic Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, more commonly called the PACT Act, that I’d introduced — and passed thanks to strong bipartisan support — as then-Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Within an hour of the PACT Act becoming law, the Department of Veterans Affairs had its website live, allowing veterans and their survivors to immediately start filing claims and scheduling appointments for toxic exposure screenings.

The impact was felt instantly, as the VA could automatically presume that they were exposed to harmful toxins, based on when and where a veteran served. Nearly 1 in 5 veterans became eligible for additional care and benefits, and in just under a year, over four million veterans have received toxic exposure screenings and hundreds of thousands of toxic-exposed veterans and their survivors have received approved claims.

Danielle and Brielle Robinson, the wife and daughter of Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson, who died of cancer two years ago watch as President Joe Biden signs the "PACT Act of 2022" during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Washington.

FILE - Danielle and Brielle Robinson, the wife and daughter of Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson, who died of cancer two years ago watch as President Joe Biden signs the "PACT Act of 2022" during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP, File)

And so, I encourage all veterans who were or think they were exposed to toxins during their service to schedule a toxic-exposure screening at a local VA clinic and file a claim at VA.gov/PACT, ASAP.

There is no deadline, but if you file a claim or submit an intent to file before Aug. 9, you may also qualify to receive backdated benefits.

For decades, millions of our service members and veterans were becoming sick from exposure to dangerous toxins during their service. And yet, after sacrificing so much for our country, veterans and their families were being denied the crucial healthcare and benefits they so desperately needed.

Previous Congresses and the Department of Veterans Affairs were not doing enough to help care for these veterans, so I’d brought together my colleagues and veterans’ service organizations around one simple idea: it should not be a partisan issue to provide the care our veterans need, and the bill had to be as comprehensive as possible to leave no cohort of toxic-exposed veterans behind.

Together, we likeminded lawmakers and veterans advocates brought about the largest expansion of veteran’s health care and benefits in more than 30 years, and I am incredibly proud of how it has been able to already help veterans and their survivors.

As we celebrate the PACT Act and all it has been able to accomplish in a year, I implore all my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to recognize that we must not rest now. This fight is far from over: we must continue to pay for all the costs of war. We must work to ensure that no toxic-exposed veteran is left without the care they need.

A year ago, I fought for this bill to honor our veterans lost to toxic exposure and the loving families they have left behind, to aid our veterans now battling rare illnesses and those still living undiagnosed and to support our brave men and women currently serving in our military and the next generations to come.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., is the ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

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