H.R. 1972, VA Billing Accountability Act, as amended:
authorizes VA to waive copayment requirements when the veteran is not billed in a timely manner.
H.R. 3642 , Military SAVE Act, as amended:
would require VA to carry out a pilot program to furnish community care to veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma.
H.R. 3832, Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act, as amended:
would allow for the greater sharing of information between VA and State-based prescription drug monitoring programs.
H.R. 4245, Veterans’ Electronic Health Record Modernization Oversight Act of 2017:
would strengthen Congressional oversight of VA’s electronic health record modernization program.
H.R. 4830, SIT-REP Act, as amended:
would require that in order for a school or training program to be approved for GI Bill benefits they must adopt
a policy that disallows the school or training program from imposing a late fee, denial of access to facilities
or other penalty against the veteran or eligible dependent due to a late payment from VA. This would only apply
if the payments have not been received within 90 days of the beginning of the term and the Secretary would have
the authority to waive this requirement.
H.R. 4958, Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2018:
would provide a cost-of-living adjustment for veterans disability, additional compensation for dependents,
dependency and indemnity, and clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans.
H.R. 5044, Service-Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act:
would address a technical issue that has arisen from legislation that was passed last Congress related to rules
for surviving spouses’ ability to claim service disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) status for the
Vets First contracting program.
H.R. 4451, Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act of 2018, as amended:
would reauthorize the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) as well as the Homeless Women Veterans
and Homeless Veterans With Children Reintegration Grant Program (HVRP-W) for five years. The bill would also
clarify eligibility for both programs to include incarcerated veterans and veterans using a HUD-VASH
voucher.
These bills must now go to the Senate for vote. If you see a bill that you believe will help I urge you to contact your elected representative and let them know your opinion.

We have all heard about the veterans bill that was passed and sent to the president for signature but –
most of the impact won’t be seen until years from now. That’s because most provisions of the measure — which include overhauling the Department ofVeterans Affairs community care programs and benefits to older veterans — will take months or years to put in place.
“(This bill) gives a real choice, real opportunity to make the private sector a force-multiplier for access to health care for our veterans,” Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said before his chamber’s vote. “It also makes our health care system for our veterans accountable to the most important people of all, and that’s our veterans.”
So, while the passage of the bill is good news for veterans, implementation may be a different story.

If you’ve thought about going to college, but didn’t know if you could afford it, then the Military Tuition Assistance program may be just the benefit you need. The program is available to active duty, National Guard and Reserve Component service members. While the decision to pursue a degree may be a difficult one personally, TA can lessen your financial concerns considerably, since it now pays up to 100 percent of tuition expenses for semester hours costing $250 or less.
Tuition assistance may be used for the following programs:
Vocational/technical programs
Undergraduate programs
Graduate programs
Independent study
All four service branches and the U.S. Coast Guard offer financial assistance for voluntary, off-duty education programs in support of service members’ personal and professional goals. The program is open to officers, warrant officers and enlisted active duty service personnel

In November 2017, VA launched Rapid Appeals Modernization Program (RAMP) with the goal of providing eligible Veterans with the earliest possible resolution of their disability compensation claim.
RAMP is voluntary and will provide eligible Veterans the opportunity to enter the new, more efficient review process outlined in the historic Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (Appeals Modernization Act), before the law becomes effective in February 2019
Under RAMP, Veterans can expect to receive a review of the decision on their claim much faster than if they remain in the legacy appeals process. The program will allow participants the option to have their decisions reviewed in the Higher-Level Review or Supplemental Claim Lane outlined in the Appeals Modernization Act.
You are eligible if you have a disability compensation appeal pending in one of the following legacy appeal stages:
Notice of Disagreement (NOD
Form 9, Appeal to Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board)
Certified to the Board but not yet activated for a Board decision
Remand from the Board to VBA.

Representative Mike Coffman (CO) introduced H.R. 5191, a bill directing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish at least three Alzheimer’s disease research, education, and clinical centers within the Department.

Studies show veterans who experienced brain trauma in the course of their service are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.  Likewise, veterans who experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are twice as likely as those without PTSD to develop dementia.

VA’s Geriatric and Mental Illness research, education and clinical centers have become models of innovation which synergize the worlds of research, education and patient care using evidence-based practices to develop new patient care models and clinical treatment protocols for veterans.  These laboratories also often serve to recruit or retain top-flight scarce medical practitioners from leading universities who are then available to treat veterans and educate the next generation of physicians and independent practitioners receiving training within the VA. While these clinical centers conduct geriatric research and education none are focused exclusively on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia although VA does operate centers focused on Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and Multiple Sclerosis.

DAV Resolution 061 calls on VA to support integrated and effective models of care for veterans with dementia.  Creating these new centers will assist VA in determining how best to meet the unique needs of service-disabled veterans with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and allow researchers and physicians to focus on developing best practices and effective treatments so that these veterans can be cared for with dignity, compassion and respect.

Please use the prepared letter and ask your Representative to cosponsor and pass H.R. 5191. Thank you for your support of America’s disabled veterans.

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This legislation, H.R. 4898, focused on ending homelessness among our nation’s veterans, would extend current authorities that assist veterans and their families with preventing or overcoming issues that may lead to homelessness. Specifically, the bill would extend existing provisions to ensure: • Homeless veterans’ reintegration programs provided by the Department of Labor are available, including child care services that allow veterans responsible for caring for minor dependents to participate. • Referral and counseling services for certain veterans at risk of homelessness; • Treatment and rehabilitation services for seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans; • Housing assistance for homeless veterans; • Financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing; • Continuation of the grant program for homeless veterans with special needs; and • Continued authority for the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans.

The Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018 expands support for veterans in agriculture. Introduced by leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow and Chairman Pat Roberts, the legislation ensures all new veterans are eligible for support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture The bill also makes risk management tools like crop insurance more affordable, expands access to land and capital, and prioritizes training and education opportunities for veterans. Specifically, this legislation:
• Streamlines eligibility requirements to allow all new veterans to n benefit from support.
• Makes risk management tools more affordable and accessible for farmer veterans.
• Improves access to loans and land for veterans starting and expanding their farms.
• Prioritizes veteran farmers in training and education programs to help them start and expand their business

A House committee approved a wide-ranging plan 8 MAY to give veterans more freedom to see doctors outside the Veterans Affairs health system and fix a budget crisis in its troubled Choice private-sector program, a major step toward fulfilling President Donald Trump’s promise to expand private care options. The $51 billion plan includes $5.2 billion to avert a catastrophic shutdown of Choice.
The plan, passed 20-2 by the House Veterans Affairs Committee, would mean that veterans could see private doctors at taxpayer expense when VA medical centers are unable to provide timely treatment or the care is deemed inadequate. Still, it may take years to assess the full impact on veterans who turn to private doctors over governmentrun VA care, due to uncertainty in how the rules will be interpreted and how VA determines what “quality” care is. Separately, the House Appropriations Committee chaired by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) passed a $194.5 billion funding plan for the VA in the next budget year beginning 1 OCT, an increase of $9 billion from the previous year. The proposal, which includes money for mental health services and a revamp of the VA’s electronic health records, will need to be approved by the full House and Senate.

Military personnel who have trained with heavy weaponry may have been exposed to blasts that cause traumatic brain injury, a newly published study claims. Emerging evidence presented in a May Center for New American Security report suggests that extensive use of shoulder-fired weapons like the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle, the M72 LAW or the AT4 exposes service members to “overpressure” of the brain, the effect when a blast wave traveling faster than thespeed of sound causes a ripple of the skull, generating additional pressure on the brain.