VET PFAS Act: Covered Conditions, Eligibility, and Compensation

The VET PFAS Act is a pending federal bill that would give veterans and their families VA healthcare and disability benefits for six illnesses linked to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure at military installations. It has not become law. Reintroduced in the 119th Congress as H.R. 3639 after an earlier version stalled in 2023–2024, the bill remains pending as of mid-2026.¹² Until it passes, the VA does not recognize a presumptive service connection for PFAS-related conditions, and veterans filing claims today must go through the standard, harder process.

What the Bill Would Do

The VET PFAS Act would amend Title 38 of the United States Code in two ways. It would require the VA to provide hospital care and medical services to veterans and their family members who were stationed at contaminated military installations, and it would create a presumption of service connection for certain PFAS-linked conditions.³

The presumption is the heart of the bill. Under current VA policy, the VA does not concede PFAS exposure for veterans who served at contaminated locations. A veteran filing a PFAS-related disability claim today has to produce a current diagnosis, evidence of individual exposure, and a medical nexus opinion tying the two together. That nexus opinion often means paying for an independent medical examination, and claims are frequently denied anyway. The VET PFAS Act would remove the nexus requirement entirely for covered conditions at qualifying installations.⁴

Healthcare benefits would begin 90 days after the date of enactment and would cover diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing monitoring for the covered conditions. That healthcare piece matters on its own, because it would apply even to veterans whose condition has not progressed far enough to qualify for a disability rating. Early detection of kidney and testicular cancer, in particular, dramatically improves outcomes.³

The Six Covered Conditions

H.R. 3639 lists six conditions that would qualify for both healthcare coverage and presumptive service connection:⁵

Kidney cancer
Testicular cancer
Thyroid disease
Ulcerative colitis
High cholesterol
Pregnancy-induced hypertension

These conditions reflect the strongest scientific associations with PFAS exposure identified in epidemiological research, including the C8 Health Project. The bill also directs the VA Secretary and the Department of Health and Human Services to jointly develop and update the list based on ongoing studies, so it could grow after enactment.

Who Would Qualify

Eligibility turns on two things: where you served and what you were diagnosed with.

A veteran would need to have served on active duty at a military installation where personnel were exposed to PFAS. The Department of Defense has identified roughly 700 installations where PFAS use or potential release has occurred, primarily from decades of using aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) for firefighting and training.⁶ The bill would define “covered military installation” specifically, with the qualifying list drawn from DoD contamination data.

The veteran also has to have one of the six covered diagnoses. Under the presumptive framework, you would not need to prove that you personally drank contaminated water or handled AFFF. Service at a covered installation plus a qualifying diagnosis is enough.³

Family Members

The Act extends healthcare eligibility to family members who resided at a covered military installation or who were exposed in utero. If the drinking water on base was contaminated, everyone living there was affected. Family members would be eligible for hospital care and medical services for the same six conditions, though the presumptive service connection for disability compensation applies only to the veteran.³

Survivors

If a veteran died from a condition covered by the Act, surviving spouses, children, and parents may be eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly benefit the VA pays to survivors of veterans who died from service-connected conditions.⁷

What the Compensation Would Look Like

Veterans with presumptive conditions would receive monthly, tax-free disability compensation based on the VA’s standard rating schedule, from 10% to 100%, depending on how severely the condition affects daily life and the ability to work. As of December 1, 2025, monthly rates for a single veteran with no dependents run from $180.42 at 10% to $3,938.58 at 100%, with intermediate ratings in between (for example, $552.47 at 30%, $1,132.90 at 50%, and $1,808.45 at 70%).⁸ Rates go up for veterans with dependents and are adjusted annually for cost of living.

Even under the presumptive framework, the VA will likely still schedule a Compensation and Pension examination. The exam would focus on how severe your condition is for rating purposes, not on whether your service caused it.

How It Fits With the PACT Act

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, signed in August 2022, expanded presumptive conditions for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances, but it does not specifically address PFAS contamination from firefighting foam at military installations.⁹ The VET PFAS Act would fill that gap by targeting a different exposure pathway (contaminated groundwater and drinking water from AFFF) and a set of conditions tied specifically to PFAS science.

Some conditions overlap. Kidney cancer, for instance, already appears on the PACT Act’s presumptive cancer list for certain exposure categories. Others, like high cholesterol and ulcerative colitis, are specific to the PFAS research base and aren’t covered under existing presumptions. Veterans who qualify under both laws would use whichever pathway produces the better outcome.

What You Can Do Now

The bill hasn’t passed, but that doesn’t mean waiting is the right move. The VA currently processes PFAS-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis, without a presumptive framework.⁴ Filing a claim now, even if it is initially denied, can establish an effective date that may matter later if the VET PFAS Act passes with retroactive provisions. The PACT Act, for comparison, let veterans who filed by a specific deadline receive benefits backdated to the law’s signing date.

Practical steps worth taking now:

Pull your service records and check whether your installation appears on the DoD’s list of roughly 700 sites assessed for PFAS contamination.⁶
See a healthcare provider if you have symptoms consistent with one of the six covered conditions, and make sure any diagnosis is documented in your medical records.
Consider filing a direct service-connection claim now using VA Form 21-526EZ. Under current rules you will need a medical nexus opinion, but a claim on file protects your effective date.¹⁰
Contact an accredited veterans service organization. Groups like DAV, VFW, and the American Legion help build claims at no cost and follow legislative developments closely.

Private PFAS blood testing is available through commercial labs, typically $150 to $400 depending on the number of compounds tested. Insurance rarely covers it for routine screening. A positive result showing elevated PFAS levels can support your claim by corroborating exposure, though it would not be required under the proposed presumptive framework.

If You File and Get Denied

Claims can be denied for insufficient proof of service at a covered location, a diagnosis outside the covered list, or administrative errors. If you receive an unfavorable decision, the VA offers three review paths: a Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence, a Higher-Level Review by a senior reviewer using the existing record, or a Board Appeal before a Veterans Law Judge. Higher-Level Reviews and Board Appeals must be requested within one year of the decision date on your letter.¹¹¹² A supplemental claim has no strict deadline, though filing sooner preserves an earlier effective date.

If the VET PFAS Act is enacted after you’ve already been denied, a supplemental claim citing the new law would be the natural way back in. That’s another reason having a claim on file now, even a denied one, can be worth the effort.

1
Congress.gov. H.R.3639 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) VET PFAS Act
2
Congress.gov. S.2294 – VET PFAS Act 118th Congress (2023-2024)
3
Office of Representative Lawler. H.R. ll – Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS Act
4
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. PFAS – Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances – Public Health
5
Congress.gov. Text – H.R.3639 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) VET PFAS Act
6
Department of Defense. Installations Being Assessed for PFAS Use or Potential Release as of Sept 30 2021
7
Veterans Affairs. About VA DIC for Spouses, Dependents, and Parents
8
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Current Veterans Disability Compensation Rates
9
Veterans Affairs. The PACT Act and Your VA Benefits
10
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. File for Disability Compensation with VA Form 21-526EZ
11
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Decision Reviews and Appeals
12
Veterans Affairs. Choosing a Decision Review Option