501 East Price Street, P.O. Box 186, Savannah, Missouri 64485, United States
Pending Legislation - Introduced House
H.R.2368 - COVENANT Act of 2021
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption of service connection for illnesses associated with exposure to certain airborne hazards, and for other purposes.
H.R.1771 - Defending Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights Act
This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from transmitting personally identifiable information of veterans or their beneficiaries to the national instant criminal background check system utilized by licensed importers or dealers of firearms solely on the basis that a veteran has a service-connected disability.
H.R.1520 - Veterans Access to Direct Primary Care Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to provide eligible veterans with the option to receive primary care services from a non-VA health care provider under a direct primary care service arrangement through the use of a veteran health savings account. Eligible veterans are those enrolled in the VA health care system.
H.R.1361 - AUTO for Veterans Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide (or assist in providing) an eligible veteran or service member with an additional automobile or other conveyance under the VA automobile allowance and adaptive equipment program. Currently, a veteran or service member with a specified service-connected disability or impairment may not receive more than one automobile or other conveyance under the program.
The bill authorizes the additional benefit for such veterans and service members if 10 years have passed since the person last received such benefit.
H.R.1355 - K2 Veterans Care Act of 2021
This bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for certain diseases becoming manifest in a veteran who served on active duty at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005. Specifically, there must be a presumption of service-connection for veterans who manifest illnesses that have a positive association with exposure to jet fuel, volatile organic compounds, high levels of particulate matter, depleted uranium, asbestos, or lead-based paint, as determined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.
Veterans who served at K2 Air Base during the specified period are eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for an illness that has been determined by NASEM to have a positive association with exposure to jet fuel, volatile organic compounds, high levels of particulate matter, depleted uranium, asbestos, or lead-based paint.
H.R.1292 - Same-Day Accountability for Veterans Enhancement Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop quantifiable objectives and performance measures to assess the effects of the provision of same-day services on the access of veterans to medical care and mental health services.
H.R.914 - Dental Care for Veterans Act
This bill expands eligibility for veterans for dental care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill makes all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system eligible for VA-provided dental services. Currently, only veterans who have a service-connected dental issue or meet other narrow criteria are eligible for certain dental services.
H.R.430 - Veterans Cannabis Use for Safe Healing Act
This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from denying a veteran any VA benefit due to participation in a state-approved marijuana program.
H.R.364 - Veterans’ True Choice Act of 2021
This bill allows covered veterans to receive coverage under TRICARE Select, a health care program of the Department of Defense (DOD). Veterans covered by this bill include those with service-connected disabilities, former prisoners of war, Purple Heart recipients, Medal of Honor recipients, those discharged from service due to disability, and those entitled to disability compensation.
H.R.333 - Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act
This bill modifies provisions related to military retired pay. Specifically, the bill authorizes veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to concurrently receive both retired pay and disability compensation. The bill also makes qualified disability retirees with less than 20 years of retirement-creditable service eligible for concurrent receipt, subject to specified reductions in retired pay.
H.R.303 - Retired Pay Restoration Act
This Resolution seeks to allow “additional retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability” to qualify for both VA disability pay and military retirement pay “by reason of their years of military service or combat-related special compensation”.
H.R.110 - Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act
This bill updates the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including by requiring the VA to continue to provide assistance to a family caregiver for at least six months after the death of a veteran participating in the program
Pending Legislation - Introduced Senate
S.951 - PAWS Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a grant program for the purpose of pairing service dogs with eligible veterans. Organizations that receive grants shall provide veterinary health insurance coverage, hardware, and travel expenses for each service dog and veteran participating in the program.
S.810 - Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act of 2021
This bill provides a presumption of service-connection for hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) for veterans who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.
S.458 - Veterans Claim Transparency Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide the representative of a veteran with an opportunity to review a proposed determination regarding a claim for compensation or benefits before such determination becomes final. The VA must notify the representative in writing that a proposed determination is ready for review and may not make a final determination until the review period has ended.
Under the bill, a representative has up to 48 hours to review the proposed determination.
S.454 - K2 Veterans Care Act of 2021
This bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for certain diseases becoming manifest in a veteran who served on active duty at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005. Specifically, there must be a presumption of service-connection for veterans who manifest illnesses that have a positive association with exposure to jet fuel, volatile organic compounds, high levels of particulate matter, depleted uranium, asbestos, or lead-based paint, as determined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.
Veterans who served at K2 Air Base during the specified period are eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for an illness that has been determined by NASEM to have a positive association with exposure to jet fuel, volatile organic compounds, high levels of particulate matter, depleted uranium, asbestos, or lead-based paint.
S.444 - AUTO for Veterans Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide (or assist in providing) an eligible veteran or service member with an additional automobile or other conveyance under the VA automobile allowance and adaptive equipment program. Currently, a veteran or service member with a specified service-connected disability or impairment may not receive more than one automobile or other conveyance under the program.
The bill authorizes the additional benefit for such veterans and service members if 10 years have passed since the person last received such benefit.
S.134 - A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a retraining assistance prog
This bill addresses the employment and retraining of veterans, specifically during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
Pending Legislation - Passed House
H.R.7795 Veterans Benefits Fairness and Transparency Act of 2020
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.
Pending Legislation - Passed Senate
S.189 - Veterans' Disability Compensation Automatic COLA Act of 2021
This bill provides that whenever there is a cost-of-living increase in benefits for Social Security recipients, the Department of Veterans Affairs shall increase by the same percentage the amounts payable for veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.
Pending Legislation - Passed House & Senate
H.R.1448 - PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
This bill implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year 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.