Bilirakis, Ruiz, Welch and Murkowski Introduce Bills to Eliminate Use of Burn Pits and Help Exposed Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA), along with Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have introduced bicameral Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry 2.0 Act and the Burn Pit Elimination Act.  These bills will improve, expand, and enhance protections for Veterans under the PACT Act in addition to eliminating burn pits to prevent future toxic exposure cases.   The Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry 2.0 Act would direct the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report to Congress on the status and timeline of when the redesigned Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry 2.0 will be completed. The redesigned registry, which was planned to launch in October 2023, will enhance veterans’ experience with documenting their exposure to airborne hazards during military service and tracking the health effects of toxic exposure. This bill asks the VA to provide Congress with an update on their new registry, including expected completion date.   Burn Pit Elimination Act would redirect funding from existing open-air burn pit contingency operations to additional U.S. Army Expeditionary Solid Waste Disposal Systems, currently under prototype as an alternative to burn pits.

“While we’ve made significant strides with the PACT Act, we still have a long way to go when it comes to understanding the full impact of burn pit toxic exposure, ensuring all Veterans exposed received the support they deserve, and preventing future exposure to these toxins,” said Congressman Gus Bilirakis.  These bills are an important step in the right direction as we work toward these goals.”

“As the co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Burn Pits Caucus, I am honored to champion the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) 2.0 Act and Burn Pit Elimination Act alongside my colleague, Senator Peter Welch,” said Rep. Dr. Raul Ruiz. “These bills are the next step to ensure that the VA will complete the new burn pit registry and work on eliminating the remaining burn pits, ensuring our servicemembers are no longer exposed to harmful airborne hazards. It is crucial that we continue to advocate that our nation’s veterans receive the care they need, have earned and deserve.” 

“Those who have served our country deserve our support and commitment when they return home. The PACT Act was a significant step toward ensuring that veterans exposed to burn pits are adequately protected.  However, we still have a long way to go to mitigate the risk of toxic exposure to servicemembers,” said Senator Welch. “These bills will improve protections for veterans exposed to toxic substances and invest in waste disposal alternatives that will eliminate burn pits.”