Keeping Our Commitment to Veterans
As the men and women of our armed services return home, I make it a priority to uphold the moral commitment our country has made to them for their service and sacrifice. Sadly, the VA is failing our veterans. With an aging veteran population and more recent veterans facing non-traditional challenges, the system designed to support our veterans must move out of its old bureaucratic past and into the 21st century.
From January to July, the House was able to pass 17 bills designed to improve the services provided to and quality of life of veterans. These bills are either signed into law or pending in the
* H.R. 22 - Hire More Heroes Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt employees with health coverage under TRICARE or the
* Members of the military (and their families) serve the Nation with dedication and honor. After this service, veterans deserve the best job opportunities the country can offer.
* Small businesses are a primary source of job creation. Incentives for businesses to hire veterans, especially small businesses, play a valuable role in expanding job opportunities for veterans.
* The Affordable Care Act requires employers with 50 or more full-time employees to offer medical coverage to their full-time employees (and dependents) or possibly face a tax penalty. Under the bill, an individual who already has medical coverage under the TRICARE program or a program of the
* H.R. 203 - Clay Hunt SAV Act - Requires a pilot program on loan repayment for psychiatrists who agree to serve in the
* The number of veterans using VA mental health care treatment has risen from about 900,000 in 2006 to more than 1.4 million in 2013 and is expected to increase as service members exit the military and enter the VA health care system.
* Mental health diagnoses of veterans range from mild depression to severe PTSD, requiring an equally broad range of treatment options.
* Additionally, different veterans with the same diagnosis may respond differently to the same treatment. The most severe cases of PTSD are frequently treated with intensive therapies at VA medical centers. Less severe cases can be treated at Vet Centers, which often appeal to veterans because of their welcoming, home-like nature. Certain veterans respond better to one-on-one therapies, while others respond well to group environments.
* Despite changes to VA's mental health program, difficulties still exist. Over the last few years, I have heard from a number of veterans about several ongoing concerns.
* H.R. 216 - To authorize the Secretary of
o According to VA, in fiscal year 2013, the Secretary issued a total of
o On
* H.R. 294 - Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act - Authorizes the VA, for three years beginning on
o A medical foster home is designed to provide non-institutionalized, long-term care for veterans who are unable to live alone. Under current law, the
* H.R. 474 - Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act - Reauthorizes at current levels the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) through fiscal year 2020 and clarifies that homeless veterans participating in the Department of Housing and Urban Development--
o HVRP has two goals:
- The first is to assist veterans in achieving meaningful employment, and
- The second is to assist in the development of a service delivery system to address the problems facing homeless veterans.
o HVRP grantee organizations provide services that include outreach, assistance in drafting a resume and preparing for interviews, job search assistance, subsidized trial employment, job training, and follow-up assistance after placement.
o Recipients of HVRP grants also provide supportive services not directly related to employment such as transportation, provision of assistance in finding housing, and referral for mental health treatment or substance abuse counseling.
* H.R. 1038 - Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act - Requires the Secretary of the
o Under current VA practice, an admonishment is a lesser corrective action than a reprimand and may only remain in an employee's permanent record for two years, while a reprimand may only remain in such record for three. The artificial limitations make it difficult for VA managers to properly review employee performance and obtain an accurate picture of their work history.
* H.R. 1313 - Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act - Amends current law to allow a surviving spouse of a veteran who has a service-connected disability rating of 100 percent, or who dies as a result of a service-connected disability, to retain the veteran's small business status for up to 10 years following death.
o Under current law, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) "must be at least 51 percent unconditionally and directly owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans.
o When the veteran and small business owner passes away, the surviving family members and business owners are not guaranteed any time to transition away from SDVOSB status, putting the businesses in jeopardy of losing any federal contracts they might have.
o There were an estimated 500,000 SDVOSBs in
* H.R. 1382 - Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment Act - Allows the Secretary of the
o A major problem for returning veterans, especially those serving in
o The bill is designed to boost employment rates among this population by rewarding companies that provide such incentives and encouraging others to do the same.
* H.R. 91 - Veterans' I.D. Card Act - Requires the Secretary of the
- Request the card,
- Received an honorable discharge from the Armed Forces;
- Present a copy of the DD-214 form or other official document demonstrating such service; and,
- Who pay a fee needed to cover the cost of the card.
o Currently, the VA only offers ID cards to those who have served at least 20 years in the Armed Forces or those who receive medical care for a service-connected disability. This leaves a large population of veterans who have served honorably with no easy way to prove their military service. Under current law, veterans who do not qualify for a VA-issued ID card must carry around a paper DD-214 document to prove their veteran status. This form includes sensitive personal information including
* H.R. 1816 - Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to exclude payments made to veterans' health-care providers by the
o Under current law, the
o Exempting these benefits from counting towards a veteran's gross income will "ensure vets can afford to stay in their homes and continue to receive the aid and attendance benefit that is so crucial to their daily lives.
o According to HUD, in 2014, there were 49,933 homeless veterans, or approximately 11 percent of the homeless adult population in
In addition I am the cosponsor of a various bills that will positively impact veterans in a number of ways:
* H.R. 303 - Retired Pay Restoration Act :
o Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (under current law, only a disability rated at 50% or more).
o Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability.
o Expresses the sense of
* H.R. 313 - the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015 - Entitles any federal employee who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 30% or more, during the 12-month period beginning on the first day of employment, to up to 104 hours of leave, without loss or reduction in pay, for purposes of undergoing medical treatment for such disability for which sick leave could regularly be used.
* H.R. 868 - Veteran TRICARE Choice Act - Allows an individual who is eligible to participate in the TRICARE program to:
* H.R. 969 - the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Act of 2015 - Includes as part of the
* H.R. 1094 - Chris Kyle Medal of Honor Act - Authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor posthumously to Navy Seal Christopher Scott Kyle for acts of valor during Operation Iraqi Freedom, notwithstanding otherwise applicable time limitations.
* H.R. 1909 - Directs the Secretary of
* H.R. 1994 - Provides for the removal or demotion of employees of the
Read this original document at: http://farenthold.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399023
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