Support for bills to define veteran success, address healthcare, and other topics presented to Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Among the pending legislation supported by The American Legion is a bill which would require the president to define veteran success and to develop and implement a “National Veterans Strategy.”
S. 3726, the National Veterans Strategy Act, is among some two dozen pending pieces of legislation that the Legion supported with written testimony by Brandon McClain, deputy director of Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on April 29. Read the testimony here.
While noting that the Department of Veterans Affairs must develop a strategic plan every four years focused on overall operations and goal, “this plan has not always taken into consideration the overall well-being of veterans who swore an oath to defend this nation,” McClain wrote. “In return, the country assumes a corresponding obligation; an oath to care for service members, veterans, and their families throughout the entire life cycle of a veteran.
“A veteran represents far more than a line item on a budget, disability compensation, or medical treatment. The financial investment in a servicemember, which includes months of intense technical, tactical and leadership training, should be sufficient evidence to justify a lifetime of dignity, meaningful employment, and equitable outcomes.
“The significance of a national veterans’ strategy would be evident if the government and VA clearly identify and improve veteran outcomes. Currently, fragmented policy prescriptions, transition programs, and unequal access to benefits, which are often determined by eligibility, only address the needs of most veterans, and can at times exclude certain veterans. The way in which the federal government and VA care for all veterans has a direct impact on national security and our ability to recruit and retain a consistent military presence around the world.
“The proposed legislation would require the president to develop a national strategy every four years, in coordination with veterans, federal agencies, veteran service organization (VSOs), and non-governmental organizations. The plan would identify what veteran success metrics should look like. Education statuses, employment or unemployment rates, military data, suicide rates, whole health markers, and even veteran success stories can be used to highlight best practices or inform policy improvements for veteran outcomes.”
Other pending legislation supported by The American Legion — in some cases, with suggested amendments:
· S. 3591, the Thomas M. Conway Veterans Access to Resources in the Workplace Act, to direct the Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to develop a notice detailing benefits available to veterans, and to require employers to display such notice.
McClain wrote that, while more veterans have received VA healthcare since passage of the PACT Act in 2022, “significant room for improvement remains to ensure the other half of our living veteran population is not missing life improving medical care.
“The proposed legislation aims to increase awareness around eligible benefits, by turning the workplace and employers into crucial access points for veterans to receive credible information regarding these benefits. By increasing interagency coordination between the Department of Labor (DOL) and VA, more veterans will have access to clear information on federal VA benefits, state level benefits, application assistance, and most importantly, the veteran’s crisis line.”
· S. 3988, the Veterans Spinal Trauma Access to New Devices (STAND) Act, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to offer annual preventative health evaluations to veterans with a spinal cord injury or disorder and increase access to assistive technologies, and for other purposes.
“The proposed legislation codifies the requirement for VA to provide assistive technology, such as exoskeletons, neuromodulation technology, or any treatment that will increase independence and mobility at home as part of each annual SCI/D evaluation. This legislation will also ensure veterans who suffer from spinal injuries and other diseases receive the direct care, services, and supplies required for them to become independently mobile; including effective pain management and mental health plans,” McClain wrote.
· S. 4043, the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Act, to make permanent the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment and rehabilitation for seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans, and for other purposes.
“The proposed legislation will permanently authorize the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program, making the program less reliant on reauthorization, thereby ensuring the necessary authorities do not expire due to future government shutdowns. The consistency provided by this program will directly support veterans receiving care, treatment, and essential rehabilitative services,” McClain wrote.
· The VHA Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act, to establish within the Veterans Health Administration an Office of Novel Therapeutics.
Despite significant investments in suicide prevention and mental health services resources, “these efforts have not yet produced sustained, measurable reductions in veteran suicide rates,” McClain wrote. “… Currently, most approved treatments are limited in their outcomes due to the narrow focus on psychotherapy and pharmacological interposition. These treatments are effective for many veterans but are less effective for those with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress (PTS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression, and substance use disorders.”
And while novel therapies have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and for use in VA Medical Centers (VAMC), “VA lacks true coordinative infrastructure to evaluate and scale treatment pilot programs across its healthcare network.
“The proposed legislation would address this core issue by creating the Office of Novel Therapeutics within VHA. The office’s primary responsibilities include developing national clinical standards, clear eligibility guidance, safety regulations, and therapy implementation plans. A clinical testing pipeline would standardize workflow from research to practical application. Pre-selected VAMCs will be identified as national leaders and tasked with providing novel therapeutics research, implementation of best practices, and training standards for other VAMCs to model,” McClain added.
· S. 3286, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act 2.0, to improve processes relating to appeals of decisions regarding claims for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
· S. 4140, legislation to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs schedule for rating disabilities.
· S. 3000, the FRAUD in VA Disability Exams Act, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to identify and report instances of disability benefit questionnaire fraud.
· S. 3098, the Presumptive CLARITY Act, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to publish information about conditions and cohorts the Department of Veterans Affairs is considering for purposes of establishing or removing presumptions of service connection regarding toxic exposure.
· S. 3170, the Stuck on Hold Act, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to implement an automated system with callback functionality for each customer service telephone line of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
· S. 3653, the Veterans’ Bill of Rights Act, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out efforts to inform veterans of their rights with regards to the receipt of health care, benefits, and services furnished under provisions of law administered by the Secretary.
· S. 4108, the Veterans Burial Benefit Correction Act, to increase burial and funeral expenses paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the case of death from a service-connected disability.
· S. 1127, the Dennis and Lois Krisfalusy Act, to expand eligibility for memorial headstones and markers furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certain individuals who died before November 11, 1998.
· S. 3395, the Mammography Access for Veterans Act, to expand the telescreening mammography pilot program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
· S. 3999, the Women Veterans Specialty Care Access Act, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that women veterans may schedule appointments for women’s specialty care under the laws administered by the Secretary without requiring a referral.
· S. 3311, the Veterans Affairs Peer Review Neutrality Act, to eliminate conflicts of interest in peer review for quality management of care conducted by the Veterans Health Administration.
· The Maternal Health for Veterans Act, to require additional support for maternity health care and coordination programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
· S. 4197, the Veterans Outdoor Rehabilitation Act, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program under which the Secretary shall award grants to certain state entities to expand access to structured outdoor recreation programs for veterans that enhance veteran wellness.
· The Optimizing the VA Workforce for Veterans Act, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a five-year human capital plan to support the mission and responsibilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to require the Secretary provide notice before carrying out a reduction in force.
· S. 3992, the Joint Medical Facilities Fund Act, to codify authority for the Joint Medical Facility Fund of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
· S. 3706, the Produce Prescriptions for Veterans Act, to authorize the provision of produce prescriptions to veterans.
· S. 4131, the Veteran Acquired Brain Injury Caregiving Act, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to use amounts under the Veteran-Directed Care program to provide care to veterans with acquired brain injury.
· S. 3647, the Disabled Veterans Dignity Act, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program to address bowel and bladder care needs for veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders.
· S. 749, the Justice for ALS Veterans Act, to 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.
· S. 3993, the Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act, to eliminate those provisions relating to veterans’ educational assistance that disadvantage eligible individuals who choose to pursue programs of apprenticeship or other on-job training instead of a four-year college degree, and for other purposes.
- Legislative