SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act
Latest action · Jul 14, 2021 Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 15, 2021
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act
This bill implements reporting requirements and policies related to the treatment and documentation of veterans who have been exposed to open burn pits. A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment.
First, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit quarterly reports on veterans' burn pit exposure
The bill also requires the VA to collaborate with the Department of Defense to submit an annual report detailing specified information about veterans who have been exposed to open burn pits, such as the number of claims for disability compensation approved and denied (including the rationale for denials).
The bill authorizes the survivor of a deceased veteran to report a veteran's exposure to toxic substances from an open burn pit in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, even if the veteran was not included prior to their death.
VA medical professionals must inform veterans of the registry if they present at a medical facility for treatment related to exposure to toxic chemicals by open burn pits.
Finally, the Government Accountability Office must report on the effectiveness of any memorandum of understanding entered into by the VA with respect to the processing of reported cases of burn pit exposure and the coordination of care and provision of health care related to such cases at VA and non-VA facilities.
Cosponsors 24
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 15, 2021 to Nov 18, 2021; 6 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-FL | Brian J. Mast | Original | Apr 15, 2021 |
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Original | Apr 15, 2021 |
| D-TX | Filemon Vela | Original | Apr 15, 2021 |
| D-CT | Jahana Hayes | Original | Apr 15, 2021 |
| R-NY | Lee M. Zeldin | Original | Apr 15, 2021 |
| R-MS | Trent Kelly | Original | Apr 15, 2021 |
| D-PA | Matt Cartwright | Apr 26, 2021 | |
| R-OH | Robert E. Latta | Apr 28, 2021 | |
| R-OH | David P. Joyce | May 7, 2021 | |
| D-WA | Marilyn Strickland | May 7, 2021 | |
| R-AZ | Debbie Lesko | May 11, 2021 | |
| D-HI | Ed Case | May 13, 2021 | |
| R-FL | John H. Rutherford | May 28, 2021 | |
| D-TX | Joaquin Castro | Jun 4, 2021 | |
| D-IA | Cynthia Axne | Jun 11, 2021 | |
| R-AK | Don Young | Jun 22, 2021 | |
| R-WY | Liz Cheney | Jun 22, 2021 | |
| D-MA | Seth Moulton | Jun 30, 2021 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Aug 20, 2021 | |
| R-TN | Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann | Oct 21, 2021 | |
| R-OH | Anthony Gonzalez | Nov 3, 2021 | |
| D-NY | Carolyn B. Maloney | Nov 15, 2021 | |
| D-NV | Dina Titus | Nov 15, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Raul Ruiz | Nov 18, 2021 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Referred Apr 15, 2021 |
| Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee | Referred Jul 14, 2021 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 14, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
- Apr 15, 2021Introduced in House
- Apr 15, 2021Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 65, April 15, 2021, page H1844.
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47542 | Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-168): Expansion of Health Care Eligibility and Toxic Exposure Screenings | Report | Apr 19, 2024 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1188 | SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act | Identical bill | Apr 28, 2021 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress regularly of reported cases of burn pit exposure by veterans, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 15, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
