A majority of the U.S. House voted to pass the William Collins Jet Fuel Exposure Recognition Act on Wednesday.
Introduced last year by U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the bipartisan bill is named in honor of William G. Collins, a U.S. Air Force veteran and resident of Louisa County, Va. who has Parkinson’s Disease.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a press release, does not currently recognize Collins’ condition as having a connection to his military service.
“Tonight, we are one step closer to making sure America’s veterans suffering from the long-term impacts of jet fuel exposure receive the benefits and support they deserve,” Spanberger said in the press release. “This legislation would make sure we have the backs of veterans like Mr. Collins, whose years of constant exposure to jet fuel put him at risk. By requiring the VA to fully understand the health threats associated with these exposures, we can prevent veterans and their families from struggling to keep up with the bills or to receive the service-connection recognition they deserve. These men and women sacrificed so much to keep our nation safe, and we need to keep our promises to them.”
According to the press release, multiple studies show that long-term exposure to jet fuel can be a significant factor in developing neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease.
The amendment passed the House Wednesday, July 13 as part of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, and would encourage the VA to compile additional research on the negative health impacts of jet fuel exposure.
Last year, Spanberger reintroduced a bipartisan bill, the Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act, to provide veteran firefighters with the fair compensation, healthcare and retirement benefits they earned through their service. Named after a Powhatan County resident, Lecik was a U.S. Air Force firefighter twice deployed to the Middle East. After his service, Lecik became a civilian firefighter, then chief fire inspector at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Lee. He died in March 2021.
In December 2021, President Joe Biden signed the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act into law, which was another legislation led by Spanberger to protect veterans. This legislation recognizes American’s Atomic Veterans.
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Rebecca Barnabi
