February 9, 2024: The Department of Veterans Affairs issued a proposed rule outlining plans to expand the locations and time frames for which VA presumes exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides. If this proposed rule becomes final, VA will implement a new presumption of exposure to locations where herbicides were tested, used, or stored outside of Vietnam.
This ruling would add locations in the United States, Canada, and India to the existing presumptive for Agent Orange in Vietnam, Cambodia, Johnson Atoll, Guam, American Samoa, Korea, Laos, and Thailand.
NOTE: A presumption of exposure means that VA automatically assumes that Veterans who served in certain locations were exposed to certain toxins.
This expansion will help Veterans who served in the specified locations receive health care and benefits for certain cancers and chronic conditions. To be eligible, a Veteran must have served in the identified location(s) during a specific period and currently have a condition(s) presumptively associated with herbicide exposure.
Veterans seeking to file an initial claim for herbicide-related disability should visit the VA website, use VA Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits, or work with a VA-recognized Veterans Service Organization to assist with the application process. Survivors are encouraged to file claims for benefits based on the Veteran’s service if the Veteran died from at least one of the recognized presumptive herbicide diseases.