< Back to Action Center Urge Your Senator to Cosponsor the Barbosa Act Captain Rafael Barbosa served more than 20 years in the Army. His service included extensive toxic exposures in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2021, Rafael was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer at just 41 years old. Rafael sought treatment for years within the Military Health System for abdominal pain, but he was never offered a colonoscopy simply because he was under the age of 45. Captain Barbosa’s wife, Amanda, knew something more had to be done. She took her husband’s story to her senator, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and together they developed the Barbosa Act. The Barbosa Act builds on the PACT Act (that Amanda also actively advocated for!) that was passed in 2022 and expands Veterans Affairs health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances during their years of service. The PACT Act expanded the types of cancers that are now presumed to be service-connected disabilities to include colorectal cancer.