The recent death of a Sarasota County, Fla., military veteran exposed to toxic air at burn pits while serving overseas prompted U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) to announce cosponsorship of a bipartisan, bicameral bill to expand health coverage for these American veterans.
“I’m deeply saddened by the death of Stephen Shull, who served our country overseas and later protected our community here at home,” Rep. Buchanan said on Nov. 11. “He is one of the many veterans who suffered from critical health problems after being exposed to toxic burn pits. Our country needs to learn from the tragic mistakes in long denying health coverage to Vietnam veterans and do the right thing.”
Shull, 42, a Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputy and father of four, died on Nov. 1 after a four-year battle against metastatic lung cancer. Shull, a retired U.S. Army helicopter pilot, previously served in Iraq and Afghanistan where he was exposed to burn pits, which are sites used by the U.S. military to dispose of chemicals, medical waste, petroleum, and other refuse.
While primarily associated with Iraq and Afghanistan, burn pits have been used in numerous countries, according to Rep. Buchanan’s office, which said the U.S. Department of Veterans Affair (VA) currently does not recognize any presumptive conditions to provide benefits for airborne hazards, such as burn pit exposure, and requires veterans to prove their illnesses were caused by the exposure.
Rep. Buchanan will cosponsor the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2020, H.R. 8261, which was introduced on Sept. 15 in his chamber by U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA). The same-named companion bill, S. 4572, was introduced the same day by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in her chamber.
If enacted, the measure would add 12 diseases to the VA’s list of conditions presumed to be caused by exposure to burn pits, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Buchanan’s office, and would require the VA to provide health benefits to U.S. service members exposed to such hazards who suffer from the added ‘presumptive conditions.’
Under the bill, veterans would have to submit evidence of deployment to one of 34 countries where burn pits were used or receipt of a service-medal associated with the Global War on Terror or the Gulf War, according to the bill summary.