The VA web site 'www.va.gov' would provide a good detailed explanation of what the act is intended to do, what is covered, and the processes recommended. Specifically:
https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-y...

Take Care and Be Safe

Good Luck.

Thanks, I will look into the PACT act. I have nothing else to do.lol Right?

The VSO nearest me is where I first went...they were very happy to give me forms, but my husband and I were responsible for the research. The VSO faxed the information that we gathered in our research. So I think possibly it depends a lot on the state that you live in as to how helpful they are! Also, please understand that Agent Orange is presumptive for those who were on their feet in Vietnam. There are other chemicals in the contamination problems on many of our military bases that are just as harmful...and one of those chemicals is being linked to Parkinson's. Agent Orange does get the attention of the VSO
more quickly...it has been most publicized! My husband's civilian doctor told us to look at environmental chemicals to which my husband had been exposed, since there was no genetic link to PD in my husband's family. My husband named the chemical before we even got home that day...and our research showed how easily contact with it could affect a person's autonomic nervous system, thus causing PD. This was several years ago when we filed our claim, and hopefully the PACT Act will be more helpful to Veterans as they need to file their claims!!!!

I was stationed at Ubon Thailand in 1973-1974 and diagnosed in 2007. In 2016 a friend recommended I go to the local VA office and talk to the them about my condition. It took me almost a year to get around and do that.

I cannot say enough good about the VSOs I worked with at both Plano, Tx and Williamson County(Georgetown), Texas.. The were helpful in having me fill out the right forms and advising me what documentation I needed to provide in order too substantiate my claim. Based on my experience, I would strongly encourage anyone who is considering filing a claim, or trying to understand what to do, to get with your local VA and visit with one of the VSOs. In my case, they were dedicated to assisting me in navigating the process correctly and receive the benefits I was en titled to. They were instrumental in both the initial filing and the appeals later. As PD progresses, so does the impact on our bodies and functionality change.

My understanding is that if you were ever "boots on the ground" (actually stood on the ground) in Viet Nam, you will be approved for some disability based on condition and evaluation. Those of us who were in Thailand or 'Off the Coast' had to prove where we were and what we did and how we came into contact with Agent Orange or other toxic substances, and our illness were on the list. With the recent PACT Act, I don't know what the guidelines are, but I do believe that they are intended to be much clearer, and that the local VA Offices would be more than willing to aid and assist where they can. From what I have seen, the PACT Act seems to be an honest attempt to address those that served in the various conflicts since VietNam. Just My Opinion

But seriously, check with your VA Office to talk with a VSO.

Suzan, filing a VA claim is extremely difficult...for me it took years of research. Each claim is as different as the Veteran and the military environment in which he was exposed to contaminant. You will have to prove to the VA that the chemical (contaminant) was at the site where your husband was stationed, the type of work he was assigned in the military, and how he was exposed...by skin, by breathing, or by water contamination. There are many other questions the VA requires to be answered in the claim process. It took many years of research to build our claim...what we know, we have to prove to the government (my husband was alive to help me during this process). You must be very specific in documenting your husband's situation...sending medical records to the government, and back up documentation for the things that you state in your claim. Trust me, it is not easy...and I wish you the best!