Government affairs

Legislative Updates

Numerous bills affecting veterans already introduced in 115th Congress

The 115th Congress is already seeing a flurry of activity, with many lawmakers introducing and reintroducing measures affecting veterans.

House of Representatives

  • The Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act (H.R. 27) was introduced by Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA) and requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to retain a copy of any reprimand or admonishment received by a VA employee in the employee’s permanent record.
  • H.R. 42 was introduced by Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to authorize the Directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks of the VA to enter into contracts with appropriate civilian accreditation entities or appropriate health care evaluation entities to investigate medical centers of the VA.
  • H.R. 43 was introduced by Mullin to authorize the use of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance funds to pursue independent study programs at certain educational institutions that are not institutions of higher learning.
  • H.R. 63 was introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) provide a tax credit to encourage private employers to hire veterans, to amend Title 38 of the United States Code to clarify the reasonable efforts an employer may make under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act with respect to hiring veterans.
  • H.R. 67 was introduced by Lee to ensure that seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who receive Social Security and certain other federal benefits receive a $250 payment in the event that no cost-of-living adjustment is payable in a calendar year.
  • H.R. 90 was introduced by Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out certain major medical facility leases of the VA.
  • H.R. 91 was introduced by Brownley to make permanent the pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated from service in the Armed Forces.
  • H.R. 92 was introduced by Brownley to increase the maximum age for children eligible for medical care under the CHAMPVA program.
  • H.R. 93 was introduced by Brownley to provide for increased access to VA medical care for women veterans.
  • H.R. 94 was introduced by Brownley to require congressional approval before the appropriation of funds for the VA major medical facility lease.
  • H.R. 95 was introduced by Brownley to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide child care assistance to veterans receiving certain medical services provided by the VA.
  • The Veterans Healthcare Improvement Act (H.R. 101) was introduced by Brownley to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct reviews of certain budget requests of the president for the medical care accounts of the VA.
  • The Expanding Care for Veterans Act (H.R. 102) was introduced by Brownley to expand the research and education on and delivery of complementary and alternative medicine to veterans.
  • The Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act (H.R. 103) was introduced by Brownley to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all VA medical centers and to expand access to such care and services.
  • The Helping Homeless Veterans Act of 2017 (H.R. 104) was introduced by Brownley to make permanent certain programs that assist homeless veterans and other veterans with special needs.
  • The Help Hire Our Heroes Act (H.R. 106) was introduced by Brownley to make permanent the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program.
  • The Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Act (H.R. 107) was introduced by Brownley to direct the Secretary of Labor to prioritize the provision of services to homeless veterans with dependent children in carrying out homeless veterans reintegration programs.
  • The Honoring Our WWII Merchant Mariners Act of 2017 (H.R. 154) was introduced by Rep. Al Green (D-TX) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II.
  • H.R. 244 was introduced by Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) to encourage effective, voluntary private sector investments to recruit, employ and retain men and women who have served in the U.S. military with annual presidential awards to private-sector employers recognizing such efforts.
  • H.R. 245 was introduced by Cook to provide for the calculation of the amount of the monthly housing stipend payable under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs based on the location of the campus where classes are attended.
  • H.R. 282 was introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to authorize spouses of servicemembers to elect to use the same residences as the servicemembers.
  • H.R. 293 was introduced by Rep. Don Young (R-AK) to extend the authorization of appropriations to the Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes of awarding grants to veterans service organizations for the transportation of highly rural veterans.
  • H.R. 299 was introduced by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam.
  • H.R.303 was introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and allows addition retired members of the Armed Forces who have service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the VA for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or combat-related special compensation.
  • H.R. 369 was introduced by Rep. David Poe (R-TN) to eliminate the sunset of the Veterans Choice Program.
  • H.R. 334 was introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) to direct the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide assistance for individuals affected by exposure to Agent Orange.
  • H.R. 333 was introduced by Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-GA) to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated less than 50 percent to receive concurrent payment of both retired pay and veterans' disability compensation, to extend eligibility for concurrent receipt to Chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service.

Senate

  • The Increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability to Veterans Act (S. 12) of 2017 was introduced by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) to improve the accountability of employees of the VA.
  • S. 24 was introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to expand eligibility for hospital care and medical services under section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to include veterans who are age 75 or older.
  • S. 57 was introduced by Cassidy to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to revoke bonuses paid to employees involved in electronic wait list manipulations.
  • S. 75 was introduced by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to provide for the reconsideration of claims for disability compensation for veterans who were the subjects of experiments by the Department of Defense during World War II that were conducted to assess the effects of mustard gas or lewisite on people.

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