PACT Act covers illnesses that may have been caused by burn pits at a potential cost of $28 billion annually

The legislation expands Department of Veterans Affairs medical eligibility for ailments potentially related to exposure to smoke from massive burn pits in Afghanistan, Iraq and bases in the Middle East. The veterans could qualify from a long list of potential ailments five or 10 years after discharge. It also creates a one-year enrollment period for post 9/11 vets who did not enroll during their first five years after discharge.