House Passes Dr. Ruiz's Burn Pits Legislation as Part of NDAA

July 23, 2020

Right now, our brave servicemembers overseas and our returning veterans continue to suffer the health effects of their exposure to toxic burn pits. Our heroes cannot afford to wait. That is why I am continuing the fight to end the use of burn pits once and for all.

Continuing the Fight: Burn Pits Legislation Passes House

On Tuesday, the House passed the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2021, which included my provisions:

H.R. 7600, the Burn Pit Registry Expansion Act, which would require DOD and VA to expand the Burn Pits Registry to include Egypt and Syria.
H.R. 7596, the DOD Burn Pits Health Provider Training Act, which would require DOD to implement mandatory training for all medical providers working under DOD on the potential health effects of burn pits.
H.R. 7597, the DOD Burn Pits Research Status Act, which would require DOD to provide a report to Congress on the status and timeline for completion of all studies being conducted or funded by DOD to assess the health effects of burn pits.
H.R. 7598, the Post-Deployment Burn Pit Question Act, which would require DOD to include a separate, stand-alone question about burn pit exposure in the Post Deployment Health Assessments (DD Form 2796) to increase reporting of Burn Pit Exposure.

Click on the image above to watch my remarks on the House floor. You can also read more about my 2020 burn pits bills package here.

These bills will help bring us closer to providing the attention that this DOD self-inflicted public health crisis requires, quickly identify at-risk servicemembers and give them the timely and appropriate care they need, expand the Burn Pit Registry, and find gaps in scientific research.

I'm glad to support this year's NDAA that helps us address this urgent problem right away and gives our servicemembers the pay raise they deserve. I'll keep you informed as I continue to address this urgent problem for our servicemembers and veterans.

Sincerely,

Raul Ruiz, M.D.
Member of Congress

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