2026年5月14日 美国东部时间下午6:52 / 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻
作者：莎拉·N·林奇
莎拉·N·林奇 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻高级司法部记者
莎拉·N·林奇是哥伦比亚广播公司新闻驻华盛顿特区的高级司法部记者。
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莎拉·N·林奇
一个两党议员团体周四公布了一项法案草案，旨在帮助包括执法人员在内的平民，在患上通常与接触有毒焚烧坑相关的癌症等疾病时，能够获得工伤赔偿。
这项名为《肯尼亚·梅里特更新我们应对毒性承诺法案》——以在伊拉克服役期间接触有毒焚烧坑后死于肺癌的联邦调查局特工肯尼亚·梅里特命名——将使平民雇员获得与军人相同的法律地位，并简化他们领取福利的流程。
2022年通过的一项法律简化了在服役期间接触过焚烧坑的军人申请赔偿的流程。但曾在伊拉克、阿富汗等地与军人一同服役的平民并未被该法案覆盖。因此，他们在向美国劳工部申请工伤赔偿时，必须证明自己的疾病与接触有毒化学物质之间存在直接关联。
如果该法案获得通过，将为那些在海外行动中接触过焚烧坑的符合条件的联邦雇员设立推定规则，即认定某些疾病与工作相关。该法案还将使平民保护措施与退伍军人事务部针对接触过焚烧坑的军人的法律框架保持一致。
“据劳工部调查人员称，所有与焚烧坑相关的平民联邦索赔都被驳回了，”来自新泽西州的民主党众议员内莉·普说道，她与纽约州民主党参议员柯尔斯滕·吉利布兰德、宾夕法尼亚州共和党众议员布莱恩·菲茨帕特里克以及犹他州共和党众议员塞莱斯特·马洛伊共同提出了这项法案。
“这令人愤慨，绝不能继续下去，”普补充道。
该法案是在国会山由议员们和联邦调查局特工协会共同公布的，该协会正在推动这项法案，正值美国庆祝警察周之际。
blob:https://www.cbsnews.com/28441092-18f8-43c0-987a-fe965b4adc31
联邦调查局特工协会主席娜塔莉·巴拉周四对记者表示，联邦调查局也支持这项法案，并补充说，在过去二十年里，已有数千名特工前往海外并接触过焚烧坑。
Lawmakers unveil bipartisan bill to bolster access to benefits for civilians exposed to toxic burn pits
May 14, 2026 6:52 PM EDT / CBS News
By Sarah N. Lynch
Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter
Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C.
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Sarah N. Lynch
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers unveiled a draft bill on Thursday to help civilians, including law enforcement agents, receive workers’ compensation for illnesses like cancer that are often associated with toxic exposure to burn pits.
The Kenya Merritt Renewing Our Promise to Address Toxicity Act — named for FBI Special Agent Kenya Merritt, who died from lung cancer after he was exposed to toxic burn pits during his service in Iraq — would put civilian employees on the same legal footing as military service members and make it easier for them to receive benefits.
A law passed in 2022 made it easier for military members who were exposed to burn pits during their tours of duty to get approved for compensation. But civilians, who have sometimes also served alongside military members in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, were not covered by the bill. As a result, they are required to prove there is a direct connection between their illness and the exposure to toxic chemicals when they apply to the U.S. Department of Labor for workers’ compensation.
If enacted into law, it would create a presumption that certain illnesses are work-related for eligible federal employees exposed to burn pits during overseas operations. It would also align civilian protections with the Department of Veterans Affairs legal framework for service members exposed to burn pits.
“According to the Department of Labor investigators, every single civilian federal burn pit-related claim has been denied,” said Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou of New Jersey, who is introducing the bill along with Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Celeste Maloy of Utah.
“That’s an outrage. And it cannot stand,” Pou added.
The bill was unveiled at Capitol Hill by lawmakers and the FBI Agents Association, which is championing the measure, as the country celebrates Police Week.
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Natalie Bara, president of the FBI Agents Association, told reporters Thursday that the bureau supports the bill as well, adding that there have been thousands of agents who have gone overseas and have been exposed to burn pits throughout the past two decades.
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