Congressman Salud Carbajal met with local Veterans and Veterans service organizations in San Luis Obispo on Monday to highlight a new veterans health law.
The "Honoring our PACT Act," which Carbajal co-sponsored in the U.S. House of Representatives, expanded healthcare benefits for more than 3.5 million Veterans who may have been exposed to toxic substances during their military service.
This ensures the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs treats exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards as a cost of war.
"This is not some new law that will take years to implement," said Carbajal. "The Department of Veterans Affairs at the instruction of President Biden has taken the steps to immediately implement this new law, meaning you do not have to wait to seek these new benefits. In fact, we don't want you to wait. The Department of Veteran Affairs is now holding toxic exposure screenings and VA clinics across the country to identify which veterans may have been exposed during their service."
Carbajal was joined by representatives from San Luis Obispo County Veterans Services, SLO Veterans Service Collaborative, and American Legion Post 66.
