Military-Veterans Advocacy™ (MVA) has established a Bill of the Week. With this program we will highlight critical legislature that will benefit veterans. Scroll down for previous Bills of the Week!
Week of April 25 - May 2 - HR 7524
HR 7524, the ACES Act, will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the incidence and mortality of cancer among individuals who served in the Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps as aircrew. For too long the VA has denied the nexus of medical disabilities and military service by claiming a paucity of evidence. The thorough approach required by the ACES Act should resolve the question as it relates to these cancers. MVA™ supports this legislation and hopes that it will become the standard for future legislative approaches.
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Week of April 18 - April 25 - HR 4601 and S 2405
HR 4601 and S 2405, Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, will authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to states to improve outreach to veterans.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 11 - April 18 - HR 7050
HR 7050, Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act, will make certain improvements in the laws relating to the administration of benefits payable to survivors of deceased veterans.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 4 - April 11 - HR 6543
HR 6543, Restore Veterans' Compensation Act of 2022, will eliminate the recoupment of separation pay, special separation benefits, and voluntary separation incentive payments from members of the Armed Forces who subsequently receive disability compensation under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 28 - April 4 - Repeat of HR 3368, HR 5026, HR 2269, and S 657
We have had all of these as previous Bills of the Week, but we still need to get more support. HR 3368 will provide a presumption of service-connection for veterans exposed to certain herbicides while serving on Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Island. HR 5026 will grant federal benefits to veterans who served in or near the Panama Canal Zone, all of whom were potentially exposed to deadly tactical herbicides such as Agent Orange. HR 2269 & S 657 will modify the presumption of service connection for veterans who were exposed to herbicide agents while serving in the Armed Forces in Thailand during the Vietnam era.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 21 - March 28 - HR 5607 and S 3483
HR 5607 and S 3483, Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2022, these bills will extend increased dependency and indemnity compensation paid to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, regardless of how long the veterans had such disease prior to death.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 7 - March 21 - HR 3967
HR 3967, Honoring our PACT Act of 2021, will improve health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of February 28 - March 7 - HR 3402 and S S 976
HR 3402 and S 976, Caring for Survivors Act of 2021, will improve and expand eligibility for dependency and indemnity compensation paid to certain survivors of certain veterans.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of February 15 - February 28 - HR 6659 and S 3541
HR 6659 and S 3541, the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Acts, will provide health care and benefits to veterans suffering from the effects of toxic exposure. It is a cost of war that must be paid, and it is past time for Congress to deliver on this promise. It is consistent with the pending COST of War Act, won’t negatively impact VA’s delivery of care or benefits to veterans, and can garner enough bipartisan support to get it all the way to the President’s desk— making it our best chance at ensuring all past, present, and future generations get the care and benefits they earned.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of February 7 - February 14 - HR 6402 and S 1725
HR 6402 and S 1725 will grant a Federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated. Veteran services for tribal areas have been spotty at best. Native American Veterans often do not have access to either service officers or medical clinics. Chartering this group will help to correct these deficiencies. Native Americans are participating in military service in ever increasing numbers. We need to ensure that the VA serves their needs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 24 - February 7 - HR 5944
HR 5944, Veterans Administration Backlog Accountability Act of 2021, will direct the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the backlog of disability compensation claims submitted to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 17 - January 24 - HR 3596
HR 3596, the Lawrence J. Hackett, Jr., Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Fairness Act, will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a task force on Agent Orange exposure.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 10 - January 17 - HR 1836
HR 1836, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021, will ensure that the time during which members of the Armed Forces serve on active duty for training qualifies for educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 3 - January 10 - HR 6260
HR 6260, the Casualty Assistance Reform Act of 2021, will direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a working group for the reform of the casualty assistance officer program.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of December 27 - January 3 - HR 2992
HR 2992, TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act, will direct the Attorney General to develop crisis intervention training tools for use by first responders related to interacting with persons who have a traumatic brain injury, another form of acquired brain injury, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of December 20 - December 27 - HR 3400
HR 3400, VA Emergency Transportation Act, will reimburse Veterans for the cost of emergency medical transportation to a Federal facility.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of December 13 - December 20 - HR 2800
HR 2800, the WINGMAN Act, will permit veterans to grant access to their records in the databases of the Veterans Benefits Administration to certain designated congressional employees.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 29 - December 13 - HR 1361 and S 444
HR 1361 and S 444, AUTO for Veterans Act, will authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide or assist in providing an additional vehicle adapted for operation by disabled individuals to certain eligible persons.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 22 - November 29 - HR 2601 and S 1188
HR 2601 and S 1188, SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act, will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress regularly of reported cases of burn pit exposure by Veterans.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 8 - November 22 - HR 2819 and S 1198
HR 2819 and S 1198, Solid Start Act of 2021, will improve and expand the Solid Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 1 - November 8 - HR 3537 and S 1813
HR 3537 and S 1813, Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act, will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to support research on, and expanded access to, investigational drugs for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 18 - November 1 - S 1970
S 1970, The Clean Water for Military Families Act, will require the Secretary of Defense to conduct testing for and remediation of perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances at or surrounding installations of the Department of Defense located in the United States, formerly used defense sites, and State-owned facilities of the National Guard.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 11 - October 18 - HR 4949 and S 692
HR 4949 and S 692, the Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021, will award a Congressional Gold Medal to the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, known as the "Hello Girls".
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 27 - October 11 - HR 852 and S 221
HR 852 and S 221, United States - Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act, will direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a grant program to increase cooperation on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder research between the United States and Israel.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 13 - September 27 - RECA Cleanup Veterans
We have reason to believe RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) legislation will be introduced mid-September that may not include two groups of Veterans that should be included. The first group is approximately 6000 Veterans that participated in the Enewetak Atoll Radiological Cleanup Project. The second group omitted is the Palomares, Spain Broken Arrow Operation. Click the link to learn more and to contact your Member of Congress and Senators.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 6 - September 13 - HR 3368, HR 5026, HR 2269, & S 657
We have had all of these as previous Bills of the Week but we still need to get more support. HR 3368 will provide a presumption of service-connection for veterans exposed to certain herbicides while serving on Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Island. HR 5026 will grant federal benefits to veterans who served in or near the Panama Canal Zone, all of whom were potentially exposed to deadly tactical herbicides such as Agent Orange. HR 2269 & S 657 will modify the presumption of service connection for veterans who were exposed to herbicide agents while serving in the Armed Forces in Thailand during the Vietnam era.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of August 23 - September 7 - HR 5026
HR 5026, The Panama Canal Zone Veterans Act of 2021 will grant federal benefits to veterans who served in or near the Panama Canal Zone, all of whom were potentially exposed to deadly tactical herbicides such as Agent Orange.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of August 16 - August 23 S 2189 and HR 1014
S 2189 and HR 1014 will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to a veteran who has a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS).
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of July 26 - August 16 HR 2192
HR 2192, The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021, will provide a federal cause of action for those individuals affected by exposure to the water provided at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC from August 1, 1953 to December 31, 1987.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of July 12 - July 26 - HR 1976 and S 810
HR 1972 and S 810, the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act, will extend the list of diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents for which there is presumption of service connection for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam to include hypertension.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of June 28 - July 12 - HR 1656
HR 1656, TREAT PTSD Act, will require the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to furnish enrolled members and veterans of the Armed Forces who have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with stellate ganglion blocks, should they elect to have them.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of June 21 - June 28 - HR 303 and S 1147
HR 303 and S 1147, The Retired Pay Restoration Act, will permit additional retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or combat-related special compensation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of June 7 - June 21 - HR 2441 and S 1468
HR 2441 and S 1468, Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021, will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study to access certain mental health care resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs available to veterans who live in rural and tribal areas.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of May 24 - June 7 - HR 3368
HR 3368 will provide for a presumption of service-connection for certain veterans exposed to herbicides while serving in the Armed Forces on Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Island.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of May 17 - May 24 - HR 855
HR 855, VETS Safe Travel Act, will provide PreCheck to certain severely injured or disabled veterans. Our disabled American heroes have suffered enough in the service of their country.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of May 10 - May 17 - HR 2580 and S 1151
HR 2580 and S 1151 will provide for the treatment of veterans who participated in the cleanup of Palomares, Spain as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the presumption of service-connection of certain disabilities by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of May 3 - May 10 - Recap of previous bills
This week we are doing a recap of all of our previous Bills of the Week. HR 1014, HR 109, HR 1355, S 454, HR 1585, S 565, HR 1022, S 951, HR 1448, S 613, HR 2372, S 952, HR 2269, S 657, HR 2127, and S 927.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 26 - May 3 - HR 2127 and S 927
HR 2127 and S 927 will improve the provision of health care and other benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 19 - April 26 - HR 2269 and S 657
HR 2269 and S 657 cover herbicide exposure in Thailand. These bills will modify the presumption of service connection for veterans who were exposed to herbicide agents while serving in the Armed Forces in Thailand during the Vietnam era.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 7 - April 14 - HR 2372 and S 952
HR 2372 and S 952 will provide for presumption of service connection for certain diseases associated with exposure
to toxins. The Warfighter bills are essential to provide needed medical coverage and compensation for victims of military toxic exposure.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 31 - April 7 - HR 1022, S 951, HR 1448, and S 613
HR 1022 and S 951 will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a grant program under which the Secretary shall make grants to private entities for the provision of service dogs to eligible veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
HR 1448 and S 613 will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on dog training therapy, and to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses who do not have mobility impairments.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 24 - March 31 - HR 1585 AND S 565
These companion bills will provide for the treatment of veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the presumption of service-connection of certain disabilities by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 17 - 24 - HR 1355 AND S 454
These companion bills will provide health care and benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 10 - March 16 - HR 109
This bill will establish an advisory committee on the implementation by the Department of Veterans Affairs of an electronic health record.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 3 - March 9 - HR 1014
This bill will establish a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to a veteran who has a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS).
Week of April 25 - May 2 - HR 7524
HR 7524, the ACES Act, will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the incidence and mortality of cancer among individuals who served in the Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps as aircrew. For too long the VA has denied the nexus of medical disabilities and military service by claiming a paucity of evidence. The thorough approach required by the ACES Act should resolve the question as it relates to these cancers. MVA™ supports this legislation and hopes that it will become the standard for future legislative approaches.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 18 - April 25 - HR 4601 and S 2405
HR 4601 and S 2405, Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, will authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to states to improve outreach to veterans.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 11 - April 18 - HR 7050
HR 7050, Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act, will make certain improvements in the laws relating to the administration of benefits payable to survivors of deceased veterans.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 4 - April 11 - HR 6543
HR 6543, Restore Veterans' Compensation Act of 2022, will eliminate the recoupment of separation pay, special separation benefits, and voluntary separation incentive payments from members of the Armed Forces who subsequently receive disability compensation under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 28 - April 4 - Repeat of HR 3368, HR 5026, HR 2269, and S 657
We have had all of these as previous Bills of the Week, but we still need to get more support. HR 3368 will provide a presumption of service-connection for veterans exposed to certain herbicides while serving on Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Island. HR 5026 will grant federal benefits to veterans who served in or near the Panama Canal Zone, all of whom were potentially exposed to deadly tactical herbicides such as Agent Orange. HR 2269 & S 657 will modify the presumption of service connection for veterans who were exposed to herbicide agents while serving in the Armed Forces in Thailand during the Vietnam era.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 21 - March 28 - HR 5607 and S 3483
HR 5607 and S 3483, Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2022, these bills will extend increased dependency and indemnity compensation paid to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, regardless of how long the veterans had such disease prior to death.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 7 - March 21 - HR 3967
HR 3967, Honoring our PACT Act of 2021, will improve health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of February 28 - March 7 - HR 3402 and S S 976
HR 3402 and S 976, Caring for Survivors Act of 2021, will improve and expand eligibility for dependency and indemnity compensation paid to certain survivors of certain veterans.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of February 15 - February 28 - HR 6659 and S 3541
HR 6659 and S 3541, the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Acts, will provide health care and benefits to veterans suffering from the effects of toxic exposure. It is a cost of war that must be paid, and it is past time for Congress to deliver on this promise. It is consistent with the pending COST of War Act, won’t negatively impact VA’s delivery of care or benefits to veterans, and can garner enough bipartisan support to get it all the way to the President’s desk— making it our best chance at ensuring all past, present, and future generations get the care and benefits they earned.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of February 7 - February 14 - HR 6402 and S 1725
HR 6402 and S 1725 will grant a Federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated. Veteran services for tribal areas have been spotty at best. Native American Veterans often do not have access to either service officers or medical clinics. Chartering this group will help to correct these deficiencies. Native Americans are participating in military service in ever increasing numbers. We need to ensure that the VA serves their needs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 24 - February 7 - HR 5944
HR 5944, Veterans Administration Backlog Accountability Act of 2021, will direct the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the backlog of disability compensation claims submitted to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 17 - January 24 - HR 3596
HR 3596, the Lawrence J. Hackett, Jr., Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Fairness Act, will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a task force on Agent Orange exposure.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 10 - January 17 - HR 1836
HR 1836, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021, will ensure that the time during which members of the Armed Forces serve on active duty for training qualifies for educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 3 - January 10 - HR 6260
HR 6260, the Casualty Assistance Reform Act of 2021, will direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a working group for the reform of the casualty assistance officer program.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of December 27 - January 3 - HR 2992
HR 2992, TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act, will direct the Attorney General to develop crisis intervention training tools for use by first responders related to interacting with persons who have a traumatic brain injury, another form of acquired brain injury, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of December 20 - December 27 - HR 3400
HR 3400, VA Emergency Transportation Act, will reimburse Veterans for the cost of emergency medical transportation to a Federal facility.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of December 13 - December 20 - HR 2800
HR 2800, the WINGMAN Act, will permit veterans to grant access to their records in the databases of the Veterans Benefits Administration to certain designated congressional employees.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 29 - December 13 - HR 1361 and S 444
HR 1361 and S 444, AUTO for Veterans Act, will authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide or assist in providing an additional vehicle adapted for operation by disabled individuals to certain eligible persons.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 22 - November 29 - HR 2601 and S 1188
HR 2601 and S 1188, SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act, will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress regularly of reported cases of burn pit exposure by Veterans.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 8 - November 22 - HR 2819 and S 1198
HR 2819 and S 1198, Solid Start Act of 2021, will improve and expand the Solid Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 1 - November 8 - HR 3537 and S 1813
HR 3537 and S 1813, Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act, will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to support research on, and expanded access to, investigational drugs for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 18 - November 1 - S 1970
S 1970, The Clean Water for Military Families Act, will require the Secretary of Defense to conduct testing for and remediation of perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances at or surrounding installations of the Department of Defense located in the United States, formerly used defense sites, and State-owned facilities of the National Guard.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 11 - October 18 - HR 4949 and S 692
HR 4949 and S 692, the Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021, will award a Congressional Gold Medal to the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, known as the "Hello Girls".
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 27 - October 11 - HR 852 and S 221
HR 852 and S 221, United States - Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act, will direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a grant program to increase cooperation on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder research between the United States and Israel.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 13 - September 27 - RECA Cleanup Veterans
We have reason to believe RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) legislation will be introduced mid-September that may not include two groups of Veterans that should be included. The first group is approximately 6000 Veterans that participated in the Enewetak Atoll Radiological Cleanup Project. The second group omitted is the Palomares, Spain Broken Arrow Operation. Click the link to learn more and to contact your Member of Congress and Senators.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 6 - September 13 - HR 3368, HR 5026, HR 2269, & S 657
We have had all of these as previous Bills of the Week but we still need to get more support. HR 3368 will provide a presumption of service-connection for veterans exposed to certain herbicides while serving on Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Island. HR 5026 will grant federal benefits to veterans who served in or near the Panama Canal Zone, all of whom were potentially exposed to deadly tactical herbicides such as Agent Orange. HR 2269 & S 657 will modify the presumption of service connection for veterans who were exposed to herbicide agents while serving in the Armed Forces in Thailand during the Vietnam era.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of August 23 - September 7 - HR 5026
HR 5026, The Panama Canal Zone Veterans Act of 2021 will grant federal benefits to veterans who served in or near the Panama Canal Zone, all of whom were potentially exposed to deadly tactical herbicides such as Agent Orange.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of August 16 - August 23 S 2189 and HR 1014
S 2189 and HR 1014 will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to a veteran who has a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS).
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of July 26 - August 16 HR 2192
HR 2192, The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021, will provide a federal cause of action for those individuals affected by exposure to the water provided at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC from August 1, 1953 to December 31, 1987.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of July 12 - July 26 - HR 1976 and S 810
HR 1972 and S 810, the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act, will extend the list of diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents for which there is presumption of service connection for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam to include hypertension.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of June 28 - July 12 - HR 1656
HR 1656, TREAT PTSD Act, will require the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to furnish enrolled members and veterans of the Armed Forces who have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with stellate ganglion blocks, should they elect to have them.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of June 21 - June 28 - HR 303 and S 1147
HR 303 and S 1147, The Retired Pay Restoration Act, will permit additional retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or combat-related special compensation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of June 7 - June 21 - HR 2441 and S 1468
HR 2441 and S 1468, Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021, will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study to access certain mental health care resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs available to veterans who live in rural and tribal areas.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of May 24 - June 7 - HR 3368
HR 3368 will provide for a presumption of service-connection for certain veterans exposed to herbicides while serving in the Armed Forces on Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Island.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of May 17 - May 24 - HR 855
HR 855, VETS Safe Travel Act, will provide PreCheck to certain severely injured or disabled veterans. Our disabled American heroes have suffered enough in the service of their country.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of May 10 - May 17 - HR 2580 and S 1151
HR 2580 and S 1151 will provide for the treatment of veterans who participated in the cleanup of Palomares, Spain as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the presumption of service-connection of certain disabilities by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of May 3 - May 10 - Recap of previous bills
This week we are doing a recap of all of our previous Bills of the Week. HR 1014, HR 109, HR 1355, S 454, HR 1585, S 565, HR 1022, S 951, HR 1448, S 613, HR 2372, S 952, HR 2269, S 657, HR 2127, and S 927.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 26 - May 3 - HR 2127 and S 927
HR 2127 and S 927 will improve the provision of health care and other benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 19 - April 26 - HR 2269 and S 657
HR 2269 and S 657 cover herbicide exposure in Thailand. These bills will modify the presumption of service connection for veterans who were exposed to herbicide agents while serving in the Armed Forces in Thailand during the Vietnam era.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of April 7 - April 14 - HR 2372 and S 952
HR 2372 and S 952 will provide for presumption of service connection for certain diseases associated with exposure
to toxins. The Warfighter bills are essential to provide needed medical coverage and compensation for victims of military toxic exposure.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 31 - April 7 - HR 1022, S 951, HR 1448, and S 613
HR 1022 and S 951 will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a grant program under which the Secretary shall make grants to private entities for the provision of service dogs to eligible veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
HR 1448 and S 613 will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on dog training therapy, and to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses who do not have mobility impairments.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 24 - March 31 - HR 1585 AND S 565
These companion bills will provide for the treatment of veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the presumption of service-connection of certain disabilities by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 17 - 24 - HR 1355 AND S 454
These companion bills will provide health care and benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 10 - March 16 - HR 109
This bill will establish an advisory committee on the implementation by the Department of Veterans Affairs of an electronic health record.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of March 3 - March 9 - HR 1014
This bill will establish a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to a veteran who has a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS).
