PATCHOGUE, NY — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will highlight her proposed Toxic Exposure and Women Veterans' Health Outcomes Act at a Veterans Day news conference at American Legion Patchogue Post 269 on Wednesday, officials said.
The legislation directs the VA to study the links between toxic burn pit exposure and gender-specific health outcomes for female service members, expanding the PACT Act.
The bill would require the VA to examine the linkages between military service near burn pits and gender-specific health outcomes for women veterans, including effects on female reproductive capacity and reproductive organs and on reproductive outcomes, including birth defects, adverse reproductive outcomes, and fertility.
It would also study the effects on developmental disabilities, which is as defined in section 102 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 of the children of covered individuals, and the effects on female-specific organs and tissues, and other effects unique to the physiology of women.
The goal of the legislation is to build a body of evidence to enable the addition of more health conditions specific to women veterans in the PACT Act, and to provide insight into the care for their children who may be carrying birth defects.
The news conference will kick off at 3 p.m.
The American Legion Patchogue Post 269 is located on Ocean Ave.
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