H.R. 8524 — Kenya Merritt Renewing our PACT Act of 2026

This section establishes a presumption under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA)—which provides workers' compensation benefits to federal civilian employees for work-related injuries or diseases—that specified diseases on a list maintained by the Secretary of Labor are deemed incurred or aggravated during employment for claims of disability or death by eligible employees exposed to open burn pits or other toxic hazards. Eligible employees include those from the Departments of Justice, State, Defense, Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, elements of the intelligence community, or federal law enforcement officers who performed job responsibilities for at least 30 total days in a country or territory during a U.S. contingency operation on or after August 2, 1990. (The initial list aligns with the Department of Veterans Affairs' presumptive diseases list under 38 U.S.C. 1120(b), including those added by regulation before enactment; additions are limited to diseases the Secretary of Veterans Affairs adds via specified regulations, which the Secretary of Labor must then incorporate by direct final rule within 90 days.) The presumption applies to claims filed on or after enactment, and the Secretary of Labor must report to specified congressional committees within one year on implementation progress, including the number of eligible employees.