| Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not recognize veterans who served at the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) and other Department of Energy (DOE) facilities as toxic-exposed or radiation-exposed—despite a long history of nuclear testing. S. 2220, the Fighting for the Overlooked Recognition of Groups Operating in Toxic Test Environments in Nevada—or FORGOTTEN Veterans Act of 2025, would extend recognition and coverage to veterans and civilian Department of Defense employees who were stationed at the NTTR since January 27, 1951. The bill would ensure these individuals are formally recognized as having been exposed to toxic substances and radiation and seeks to improve documentation of exposures, establish presumptions of exposure and service connection for related health conditions and streamline access to VA health care and benefits. By classifying the NTTR as a contaminated site and amending relevant statutes, the FORGOTTEN Veterans Act aims to guarantee that affected veterans receive the recognition, support and compensation they have earned. We support S. 2220—the FORGOTTEN Veterans Act of 2025, in accordance with DAV Resolution No. 239, which calls for legislation to establish a concession of individual exposures while awaiting conclusions of studies for presumptive diseases and conditions related to toxic and environmental hazards. Please contact your senators and urge them to cosponsor and support the FORGOTTEN Veterans Act of 2025. Thank you for recognizing veterans exposed to toxic substances and radiation alongside DAV. |
