501 East Price Street, P.O. Box 186, Savannah, Missouri 64485, United States
Both chambers of Congress now have bills that would direct VA to establish a "Buddy Check Week," provide educational opportunities, materials, and references for veterans to learn how to conduct personal wellness checks, as well as require increased resources for the Veterans Crisis Line to handle any potential increased usage during the designated week.
To 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, and for other purposes.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into an agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to complete a study to identify and assess any causation or correlation between exposure to toxicants at the Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan between October 7, 2001, and November 21, 2005, and incidents of cancer or other diseases in members of the Armed Forces. The bill also expands the definition of an open burn pit, for purposes of the VA's open burn pit registry, to include burn pits located on land in Uzbekistan. A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment.
To amend title 38, United States Code, to concede exposure to airborne hazards and toxins from burn pits under certain circumstances, and for other purposes.
This bill extends the presumption of service-connection for certain diseases associated with herbicide (e.g., Agent Orange) exposure to veterans who served in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone between September 1, 1967, and August 31, 1971.
Both chambers of Congress now have bills to encourage the President to expand the VA's list of presumptive medical conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange to include Parkinsonism, bladder cancer, hypertension, and hypothyroidism.
Note: Since 2016, there has been research showing a connection between these conditions and Agent Orange. The VA said they would make a determination in November 2017. Then in March 2019 they stated they would make a decision within 90 days. Since then, Congress initiated this legislation. The Senate referred it to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs on November 13, 2019. Please contact your Senator and ask them to act on this legislation.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to publish on its website the disability benefit questionnaire forms for non-VA medical providers submitting evidence regarding a disability of a claimant for purposes of VA benefits.
To provide flexibility for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in caring for homeless veterans during a covered public health emergency, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a retraining assistance program for unemployed veterans, and for other purposes.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement a pilot program to assess the effectiveness of addressing post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder through a method where veterans train service dogs for veterans with disabilities.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make grants to eligible entities that provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness.
This bill authorizes specified individuals to update the burn pit registry with the cause of death of a registered individual. The Department of Veterans Affairs established the burn pit registry to allow certain veterans and servicemembers to document their exposures and report health concerns. The registry is for individuals who may have been exposed to toxic airborne chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits (areas used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment) while deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq.