The PACT Act is the largest expansion of veteran benefits in decades. It adds dozens of presumptive conditions tied to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures. If you have a presumptive condition, you do not have to prove it was caused by your service. This guide lists the PACT Act presumptive conditions for 2026 and how to file.

RelatedPACT Act Explained →What Are Presumptive Conditions? →How to File →

What Is a Presumptive Condition?

Normally, you must prove your condition is linked to your service. With a presumptive condition, the VA already accepts the link. You just need a current diagnosis and proof you served in a qualifying time and place. This makes claims faster and easier to win.

Burn Pit Presumptive Cancers

The PACT Act made these cancers presumptive for veterans exposed to burn pits and airborne hazards (Gulf War and post-9/11 service):

Burn Pit Presumptive Illnesses (Non-Cancer)

New Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions

The PACT Act added two conditions for veterans exposed to Agent Orange:

It also expanded the list of locations presumed exposed to Agent Orange, including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Atoll.

Gulf War Syndrome and Jet Fuel Exposure

Gulf War Syndrome, also called Gulf War illness or chronic multisymptom illness, is a presumptive category that predates the PACT Act. Under 38 CFR 3.317, veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations — and, following the PACT Act's expansion of qualifying service, other listed Gulf War and post-9/11 locations — can be compensated for an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (fatigue, headaches, joint and muscle pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, respiratory problems, and similar clusters) without having to prove a specific diagnosis or an exact in-service cause. The illness generally has to have appeared during the qualifying service period or the presumptive window that follows it, and to have persisted for a period the VA considers chronic.

Jet fuel exposure is not a separate PACT Act presumptive-conditions list. It falls under the same burn pit and airborne hazards framework covering the cancers and respiratory illnesses listed above. Veterans who worked flight lines, fuel storage, refueling, or generator and vehicle maintenance — where JP-8 and similar jet fuels are handled — can file for one of those presumptive respiratory or cancer conditions using their military occupational specialty (MOS) and duty locations as supporting evidence of exposure, the same way a burn pit claim is documented.

To file a Gulf War Syndrome or jet-fuel-exposure claim, confirm your service dates and location fall in a qualifying Gulf War or post-9/11 period, gather medical records documenting your symptoms or diagnosis, and note any MOS or duty assignments that placed you near fuel, exhaust, or burn pit smoke. File on VA.gov or with a VSO using the same process as any other PACT Act claim above.

How to File a PACT Act Claim

  1. Confirm your condition is on the presumptive list above.
  2. Gather your diagnosis and service records showing where you served.
  3. File a disability claim on VA.gov or with a VSO.
  4. Attend any VA exam (C&P exam) the VA schedules.

There is no deadline to file under the PACT Act, but filing sooner can set an earlier effective date for back pay. Learn the basics in our PACT Act explainer.

New for 2026: See our Agent Orange 2026 additions page for the running list of newly-added presumptive conditions and expanded exposure locations, and our PACT Act appeals process guide if your claim was denied.