Veterans Committee hearing on outreach to Guard and Reserve veterans Wednesday
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today highlighted an investigative report issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General (IG), on the efforts of VA to provide transition assistance to veterans returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The Inspector General found VA is not meeting its clear legal obligation to inform new veterans of the benefits they may have earned through their service,†said Akaka. “Especially alarming is the finding that Guard and Reserve veterans made up over half of those uninformed, even though they compose only about a quarter of servicemembers deployed.
“I am deeply concerned that Guard and Reserve veterans, who serve in combat honorably alongside their fellow troops, are not receiving the same level of support from VA. These veterans sacrificed to fulfill their obligation to our country, VA must fulfill its obligation to them.â€
Among other findings, the IG’s audit found that in 2006,VA failed to send individual notices of possible benefits to over 65,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Over 36,000 of those who were not sent notices from VA were members of the Guard and Reserve.
Senator Akaka introduced legislation last year to expand VA outreach, with an emphasis on Guard and Reserve veterans. This provision was included in H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, which was signed into law on January 28, 2008. Under law, VA must inform Guard and Reserve veterans of the benefits they may be eligible by mail.
This Wednesday (July 23), Chairman Akaka will hold a public oversight hearing on the effectiveness of VA’s overall outreach efforts to returning Guard and Reserve members. The hearing will be webcast live from the Committee’s website, www.veterans.senate.gov.
House Veterans Committee Approves Comprehensive Legislative Package to Improve Veterans Care and Augment Needed Services     Â
Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, July 16, 2008, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee led by Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), approved seven bills that would improve health care delivery and augment services for veterans provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Chairman Filner offered the following statement: “I look forward to working with my colleagues in this Congress so that we can further increase access and improve health care treatment for our veterans. Today, we have combined several bills into comprehensive and bi-partisan pieces of legislation that that go a long way to address the health care needs of our veterans and provide for their necessary and earned benefits.â€
The following bills were reported favorably from the Committee:
1.     H.R. 6445, as amended – The Veterans Health Care Policy Enhancement Act of 2008 (Rep. Cazayoux)
Provisions of this bill include:
·      Prohibiting the collection of copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled (Category Group 4) for hospital or nursing home care,
·      Removing the requirement for written informed consent for HIV testing among veterans thereby reducing existing barriers to the early diagnosis of HIV infection and would require VA to follow the same standard of HIV care that is recommended to non-VA patients,
·      Directing VA to develop and implement a comprehensive policy on the management of pain experienced by veterans enrolled for health care services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs,
·      Mandating the VA to centralize third party billing functions at consolidated centers, instead of individual VA Medical Centers, and
·      Repealing the specification that in order for family members of non-service connected veterans to be eligible for counseling services, the counseling must be essential to permit the discharge of the veteran from the hospital.
2.     H.R 1527, as amended – Rural Veterans Access to Care Act (Rep. Jerry Moran)
The bill would establish a pilot program to allow certain veterans to receive covered health services through a non-Department health care provider. For a three year period, veterans defined as “highly rural†that receive care in Veteran Integrated Services Network 1, 15, 18 and 19, would be permitted to receive covered health services through providers other than the VA.
3.     H.R. 2192, as amended – Establishment of the Ombudsman in the Veterans Health Administration (Rep. Hodes)
This bill establishes an Office of the Ombudsman in the Veterans Health Administration to act as a liaison for veterans and their family member with respect to receiving health care and serve as a last resort for resolving issues that cannot be resolved at local or regional level.
4.     H.R. 4255, as amended –United States Olympic Committee Paralympic Program Act of 2008 (Rep. Filner)
The bill would authorize the VA to make a grant to the United States Olympic Committee to provide and develop activities for service members and veterans with physical disabilities. (Rep. Filner)
5.     H.R 6225, as amended – Improving SCRA and USERRA Protections Act of 2008 (Rep. Herseth Sandlin)
Provisions of this bill include:
·      Ensuring that equitable relief is available to all Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) victims when appropriate,
·      Protecting the student service member by capping interest at six percent during deployments, require institutes of higher learning to refund tuition and fees for unearned credit, and in addition, guarantee our servicemembers a place when they return to school,
·      Providing a servicemember 13 months to begin paying their student loans after an activation should they decide not to return to school immediately,
·      Amending the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to cover service contracts to allow our men and women in uniform with deployment orders to more easily terminate or suspend their service contracts without fee or penalty, and
·      Amending the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow a military spouse to claim the same state as the service member in regards to state and property taxes, and voter registration.
6.     H. R. 6221, as amended – Improving Veterans’ Opportunities in Education and Business Act (Rep. Boozman)
Provisions of this bill include:
·      Requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include in each contract the Secretary enters for the acquisition of goods and services a provision that requires the contractee to comply with the contracting goals and preferences for small business concerns owned or controlled by veterans,
·      Conducting a five-year pilot project to expand on existing work-study activities for veterans and allow those veterans the option of working in academic departments and student services, and
·      Assisting veterans in obtaining meaningful employment after their military service by reimbursing employers to offset their cost of training recently separated service members that could lead to permanent employment.
This bill would eliminate the provision in current law that requires the VA Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to cease to exist on December 31, 2009.
Chairman Filner concluded, “I believe that the tireless work of the members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee has provided this Congress with strong legislation which will help to improve the lives of our Nation’s veterans.â€
SB 848 sponsored by Senator Pappageorge has been presented to the Governor for decision. The bill requires the State Treasurer to identify, report and then sell the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund investments in any company doing business with countries identified as States sponsoring terrorism. Similar bills have also been presented eliminating investments in the State’s retirement plans and the other trusts of the State of Michigan.
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HB 5812 sponsored by Representative LeBlanc has been presented to the Governor for decision. The bill provides the appropriation and authorization for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for Fiscal Year 09 beginning on October 1, 2008 and ending on September 30, 2009.