WAITING ROOM BLOG

THE MAN RULES

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THE MAN RULES

AT LAST A GUY HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO WRITE THIS ALL DOWN

FINALLY, THE GUYS’ SIDE OF THE STORY.

(I MUST ADMIT, IT’S PRETTY GOOD.)

WE ALWAYS HEAR”THE RULES”

FROM THE FEMALE SIDE….

NOW HERE ARE THE RULES FROM THE MALE SIDE.

THESE ARE OUR RULES!

PLEASE NOTE… THESE ARE ALL NUMBERED “1”

ON PURPOSE!

1. MEN ARE NOT MIND READERS.

(FIRST & FOREMOST RULE)

1. LEARN TO WORK THE TOILET SEAT.

YOU’RE A BIG GIRL. IF IT’S UP, PUT IT DOWN.

WE NEED IT UP, YOU NEED IT DOWN.

YOU DON’T HEAR US COMPLAINING ABOUT YOU LEAVING IT DOWN.

1. SUNDAY SPORTS, IT’S LIKE THE FULL MOON

OR THE CHANGING OF THE TIDES.

LET IT BE.

1… CRYING IS BLACKMAIL.

1. ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.

1. ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.

LET US BE CLEAR ON THIS ONE:

SUBTLE HINTS DO NOT WORK!

STRONG HINTS DO NOT WORK!

OBVIOUS HINTS DO NOT WORK!

JUST SAY IT!

1. YES AND NO ARE PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS TO ALMOST EVERY QUESTION.

1. COME TO US WITH A PROBLEM ONLY IF YOU WANT HELP SOLVING IT. THAT’S WHAT WE DO.

SYMPATHY IS WHAT YOUR GIRLFRIENDS ARE FOR.

1. ANYTHING WE SAID 6 MONTHS AGO IS INADMISSIBLE IN AN ARGUMENT.

IN FACT, ALL COMMENTS BECOME NULL AND VOID AFTER 7 DAYS.

1. IF YOU THINK YOU’RE FAT, YOU PROBABLY ARE.

DON’T ASK US.

1. IF SOMETHING WE SAID CAN BE INTERPRETED TWO WAYS AND ONE OF THE WAYS MAKES YOU SAD OR ANGRY, WE MEANT THE OTHER ONE

1. YOU CAN EITHER ASK US TO DO SOMETHING

OR TELL US HOW YOU WANT IT DONE.

NOT BOTH.

IF YOU ALREADY KNOW BEST HOW TO DO IT, JUST DO IT YOURSELF.

1. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, PLEASE SAY WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO SAY DURING COMMERCIALS…

1. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS DID NOT NEED DIRECTIONS AND NEITHER DO WE.

1. ALL MEN SEE IN ONLY 16 COLORS, LIKE WINDOWS DEFAULT SETTINGS.

PEACH, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A FRUIT, NOT A COLOR. PUMPKIN IS ALSO A FRUIT. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MAUVE IS.

1. IF IT ITCHES, IT WILL BE SCRATCHED.

WE DO THAT.

1. IF WE ASK WHAT IS WRONG AND YOU SAY “NOTHING,” WE WILL ACT LIKE NOTHING’S WRONG.

WE KNOW YOU ARE LYING, BUT IT IS JUST NOT WORTH THE HASSLE…

1. IF YOU ASK A QUESTION YOU DON’T WANT AN ANSWER TO, EXPECT AN ANSWER YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR.

1. WHEN WE HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE, ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU WEAR IS FINE… REALLY.

1. DON’T ASK US WHAT WE’RE THINKING ABOUT UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO DISCUSS SUCH TOPICS AS FOOTBALL

OR HOCKEY OR FOOTBALL.

1. YOU HAVE ENOUGH CLOTHES.

1. YOU HAVE TOO MANY SHOES.

1. I AM IN SHAPE. ROUND IS A SHAPE!

1. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS.

YES, I KNOW, I HAVE TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH TONIGHT;

BUT DID YOU KNOW MEN REALLY DON’T MIND THAT? IT’S LIKE CAMPING.

PASS THIS TO AS MANY MEN AS YOU CAN –

TO GIVE THEM A LAUGH.

PASS THIS TO AS MANY WOMEN AS YOU CAN –

TO GIVE THEM A BIGGER LAUGH.

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WAITING ROOM BLOG

It was a tough year….

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It was a tough year, but I made it!!!

But not everyone is as lucky as I am……

The economy is so bad that I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

I ordered a burger at McDonald’s, and the kid behind the counter asked, “Can you afford fries with that?”

CEO’s are now playing miniature golf.

If the bank returns your check marked “Insufficient Funds,” you have to call them and ask if they mean you or them.

Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.

McDonald’s is selling the 1/4 ‘ounce’.

Parents in Beverly Hills and Malibu are firing their nannies and learning their children’s names.

A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico.

Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.

Motel Six won’t leave the light on anymore.

The Mafia is laying off judges.

BP Oil laid off 25 Congressmen.

Congress says they are looking into the Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great!! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!

And, finally…

I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, and our bleak future, that I called the Suicide Lifeline and was connected to a call center in Pakistan. When I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.

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WAITING ROOM BLOG

Haile Salassie

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Haile Salassie I (1892-1975)

Ethiopian Emperor from 1930 to 1974.

Haile Salassie I, was originally called Ras (Prince) Tafari Makonnen. He took the name Haile Selassie, meaning “Instrument in the Power of the Trinity,” when he became emperor. His early life was marked by tragedy. His 10 brothers and sisters were killed in a boating accident when he was a child, and his father died when he was 15. Ras Tafari was crowned Emperor on November 2, 1930, after the death of Empress Zauditu. He took the title Haile Selassie I, King of Kings, Conquering Lion of Judea, and Elect of God, and immediately moved to establish Ethiopia as a modern state. He abolished slavery, instituted a constitution, and set up an appointed, advisory parliament and a more modern judiciary.

In 1935, Italy, which already controlled Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, invaded Ethiopia. Though Ethiopia was able to field an army of 1,000,000 men, it was not able to cope with air strikes, poison gas warfare, and modern mechanized assault tactics. Haile Salassie I was forced to flee in 1936, but return in 1941 when the British, with the aid of Ethiopian guerrillas, recaptured the country.

Under Haile Salassie I, Ethiopia became one of the charter members of the United Nations, and a leader in the establishment of the Organization of African Unity. When he first came to power, there were fewer than 10 schools throughout the country. Twenty- five (25) years later there were over 10,000. His autocratic rule, combined with famine in the Horn of Africa, resulted in unrest in the 1960s. He was over-thrown by a military coup in 1974 and murdered the following year. In addition to his legacy in Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I became one focus of Rastafarianism, a religion in Jamaica that derives its name from Haile Selassie’s original name, Ras Tafari

RASTAFARIANISM: A religion that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s and that continues to have a widespread impact. Rastafarians believe that the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I was a direct descendant of the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and was a living god. The Belief in the holiness of Haile Selassie derived from Marcus Garvey’s prophecy that an African King will arise who would unite all the black peoples in the world. Rastafarians do not cut their hair, nor does the men shave, their hair hangs in long twisted strands “dreadlocks”. Rastafarians see themselves as the reincarnation of the ancient Hebrews of Israel, and their interpretation of biblical scriptures differs substantially from mainstream Christian and Jewish doctrine. Rastafarian beliefs focus on the oppression of black peoples around the world, the future overthrow of wicked, repressive governments (referred to symbolically as Babylon), and the eventual triumph of the poor and righteous. Though many Rastafarians are vegetarians and refrain from using alcoholic beverages, the use of marijuana or “ganja”, is an important part of various Rasta rituals, especially “Groundation,” during which Rastafarians reaffirm their beliefs. Among the most famous Rastafarians was legendary Bob Marley.

Details taken from Susan Altman’s “Ency. of Afro.-Amer. Heritage”

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FEATURED, HEALTH CARE

Asparagus for Cancer

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Asparagus for Cancer

My Mom had been taking the full-stalk canned style asparagus that she pureed and she took 4 tablespoons in the morning and 4 tablespoons later in the day. She did this for over a month. She is on chemo pills for Stage 3 lung cancer in the pleural area and her cancer cell count went from 386 down to 125 as of this past week. Her oncologist said she does not need to see him for 3 months. THE ARTICLE: Several years ago, I had a man seeking asparagus for a friend who had cancer. He gave me a photocopied copy of an article, entitled, Asparagus for cancer ‘printed in Cancer News Journal, December 1979.

I will share it here, just as it was shared with me: I am a biochemist, and have specialized in the relation of diet to health or over 50 years. Several years ago, I learned of the discovery of Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S. that asparagus might cure cancer. Since then, I have worked with him on his project we have accumulated a number of favorable case histories. Here are a few examples: Case No. 1, A man with an almost hopeless case of Hodgkin’s disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a schedule of strenuous exercise. Case No. 2, a successful businessman 68 years old who suffered from cancer of the bladder for 16 years. After years of medical treatments, including radiation without improvement, he went on asparagus. Within 3 months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal.  Case No. 3, a man who had lung cancer. On March 5th 1971, he was put on the operating table where they found lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable.

The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the Asparagus therapy and immediately started taking it By August, x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had disappeared.. He is back at his regular business routine.  Case No. 4, a woman who was troubled for a number of years with skin cancer. She finally developed different skin cancers which were diagnosed by the acting specialist as advanced. Within 3 months after starting on asparagus, her skin specialist said that her skin looked fine and no more skin lesions. This woman reported that the asparagus therapy also cured her kidney disease, which started in 1949. She had over 10 operations for kidney stones, and was receiving government disability payments for an inoperable, terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus. I was not surprised at this result, as `The elements of materia medica’, edited in1854 by a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, stated that asparagus was used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of asparagus in dissolving stones. Note the dates! We would have other case histories but the medical establishment has interfered with our obtaining some of the records. I am therefore appealing to readers to spread this good news and help us to gather a large number of case histories that will overwhelm the medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and natural remedy. For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked before using, and therefore canned asparagus is just as good as fresh. I have corresponded with the two leading canners of asparagus, Giant and Stokely, and I am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or preservatives.

Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to make a puree, and store in the refrigerator. Give the patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and evening. Patients usually show some improvement in 2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do no harm and may be needed in some cases. As a biochemist I am convinced of the old saying that `what cures can prevent.’ Based on this theory, my wife and I have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with our meals. We take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold. For years we have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as part of our regular checkups. The last blood survey, taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the nutritional approach to health, showed substantial improvements in all categories over the last one, and we can attribute these improvements to nothing but the asparagus drink. As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better with the latest theories about cancer. Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called histones, which are believed to be active in controlling cell growth

For that reason, I believe asparagus can be said to contain a substance that I call cell growth normalize. That accounts for its action on cancer and in acting as a general body tonic. In any event, regardless of theory, asparagus used as we suggest, is a harmless substance. The FDA cannot prevent you from using it and it may do you much good. It has been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, which is considered one of the body’s most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.

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CURRENT ISSUE

The Oldest Profession in the World

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The Oldest Profession in the World: Prostitution!
Written by Eya

When it comes to sex trafficking, there is a lot of tension among abolitionists over the topic of prostitution. On the extreme ends, some see all prostitution as a form of trafficking while others make a clear distinction between a person who is a prostitute and someone who is a victim of trafficking. There is, of course, a lot of grey area in between. I bring this up though because today I’m feeling a little frustrated with people who make statements such as, “Prostitution is the oldest profession” or “It’s been around for centuries,” – as if that somehow proves a point or justifies anything in the prostitution vs. trafficking debate (or, the more common debate over whether prostitution should be legalized).

I hate it when people point this out – as if it somehow legitimates anything. Just because something has been around for a long time, doesn’t mean it’s a good thing.

It’s hard to say that women 2000+ years ago chose prostitution of their own free will – more likely, they chose it because it was the only option. It was certainly not some grand statement of female empowerment – rather it was a reaction to the social restrictions placed on women at the time. (Now, some might point to various societies where sex was not as taboo or wrapped up in morality as we see it today, and to them I say that we are talking about commercial transactions for sex – and that if someone can point out a society where prostitution was just as valid a decision as any other business endeavor, and garnered just as much respect and inclusion in society without any opportunity costs (such as marriage) that other business endeavors did not have – I’m willing to listen). ANYWAY – fast forward 2000 years and I wonder how much of this has changed – how much of the decision to become a sex worker today is an enthusiastic embracement of one’s own sexuality and the desire to express it in a particular manner, and how much of the decisions is a product of circumstances.

In the present day tension, the idea that someone might choose or even be forced to become a sex worker because of certain circumstances is often overlooked. Now, it is true that, at least from a federal law perspective there has to be some sort of force, fraud, or coercion involved for a commercial transaction involving sex to be considered trafficking. What isn’t so clear is what those three words mean. For many, there seems to be this idea that they refer to actions of violence – the woman was chained to the bed, or a gun was held to her head, or she was beaten until she finally submitted. Others consider a definition that affords a little more breadth, so that things like deliberate/blatant psychological coercion or manipulation will qualify as trafficking.

Absent some egregious factor such as specific and/or severe physical, sexual, or psychological abuse (from a pimp or from her past) though, many people assume that a woman who is a sex worker is doing it of her own volition – she wants to be there, it was her choice, etc. I think though, that other circumstances play an important role in the idea of consent and that there is room in the idea of force, fraud, or coercion for a different interpretation of consent – one that considers background circumstances that may ‘force’ a woman into prostitution.

Consent in my mind means active and enthusiastic yes. This can include a woman who chooses, of her own accord, to engage in sexual acts for money.

I do not deny that some women will and do choose, of their own volition, without any sort of past hardship or lack of opportunity, to become a sex worker – BUT I think the number of women who fit into this category is very, very small. I think that a large number of women who become sex workers are pushed to that decision by other factors in their life, and when you start adding those factors in, the line between consent and force, fraud, or coercion becomes blurry. What about the woman who did not have the opportunity for an education that would provide her with job skills? What about the woman who has kids to take care of but can’t find a job that pays enough? What about the woman who grew up in foster care, or in a family environment surrounded by drug abuse, or the one who is just down on her luck? Are these women victims of trafficking, or are they consenting sex workers?

I am not in any way making a moral judgment here. For your purposes and mine, I have no opinion on the morality of sex workers. What I am trying to do is reframe the debate so people stop seeing it as a black and white, good vs. bad issue. I’m asking people to look a little deeper, beyond the question of whether a woman should be allowed to choose to sell her body, beyond the question of whether the government has any right to outlaw a person’s rights over their own body, and look beyond the apparent consenting adult ethos. Ask yourself what consent really means, and again, are these women victims of trafficking, or are they consenting sex workers?

My answer? I don’t know. Maybe this type of circumstance-created sex work doesn’t rise to the level of trafficking, but at the same time I hardly think you can view it as enthusiastic consent. I tend to think that many women who are sex workers would not be in that profession if they were given the opportunity for something else (and the idea of a different set of opportunities can go the whole way back to childhood). I also tend to think that the image we see of sex workers – on TV, on news shows that discuss the topic, etc – is a much more glamorous version of what most sex workers experience. I get a sense that the women who go on to news programs to advocate for sex workers (sometimes actual workers, sometimes not) are the exceptions to the rule – maybe even the ones that did have the opportunities others miss. (NB: that was a huge blanket statement there. Please excuse for the sake of the argument).

Now, for a full disclosure that hopefully won’t distract from my above point – I don’t know what I think about prostitution being legalized either. Some days I favor the idea of legalizing it – because a woman should be able to decide what she does with her body, and even if the only reason she is involved is due to circumstances that forced her there (money issues for example), far be it from me to limit the ways she has to escape those circumstances, or force her into a worse situation because that avenue of income is unavailable. Now, on those days I still favor prosecuting those who create the demand for such services to the maximum possible under the law. I have no time for people who pay for sex – I think it is wrong and pathetic and there is no way you will ever convince me that the payor is not exploiting the payee, even if the payee is a consenting adult.

This is one of the few things I will express a judgment on with no reservations or qualifications whatsoever (although the law student in me still feels the need to reserve the right to change that statement, should anyone make a valid argument that convinces me I am wrong). For more on the idea of legalizing prostitution but outlawing the demand side.

Oh – and also – take a moment to think about the phrase, “Prostitution is the oldest profession in history” before you use it to justify present day prostitution. Whether you are for or against the legalization, basing your argument on the reality of a few thousand years ago is just silly.

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VETERAN UPDATES

NEW CONSULAR FEES

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NEW CONSULAR FEES EFFECTIVE JULY 13, 2010
CURRENT FEE
NEW FEE Non-Immigrant Visa Fees*
Nonimmigrant visa application
$ 131.00
$ 140.00
1. H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories
$ 131.00
$ 150.00
2. E Visas
$ 131.00
$ 390.00
3. K Visa
$ 131.00
$ 350.00
4. BCC Adult
$ 131.00
$ 140.00 Immigrant Visa Fees
IV Application Processing Fee
1. Family-based immigrant visa
$ 355.00
$ 330.00
2. Employment-based immigrant visa
$ 355.00
$ 720.00
3. Other immigrant visas (SIVs, DVs, etc.)
$ 355.00
$ 305.00
IV Security Surcharge
$ 45.00
$ 74.00
Diversity Visa Lottery surcharge
$ 375.00
$ 440.00
Domestic review of Affidavit of Support
$ 70.00
$ 88.00
Determining Returning Resident Status
$ 400.00
$ 380.00 Passport Fees
Passport Book – adult
$ 100.00**
$ 135.00**
Passport Book – minor
$ 85.00**
$ 105.00**
Passport Book Renewal – Adult
$ 75.00
$ 110.00
Additional passport visa pages
–
$ 82.00
Passport Card – Adult
$ 45.00**
$ 55.00**
Passport Card – Child
$ 35.00**
$ 40.00**
Consular Report of Birth Abroad
$ 65.00
$ 100.00
Renunciation of U.S. Citizenship
–
$ 450.00
File Search and Verification of U.S. Citizenship
$ 60.00
$ 150.00 Overseas Citizens Services
Disposition/Shipment of Remains of a non-U.S. Citizen
$265.00 +
$200.00 +
expenses
expenses Documentary Services
Notarials, Certifications of True Copies, Authentications, provision of Department of State records
$ 30.00 (first), 20.00 (addt’l)
$ 50.00 Judicial Services
Processing Letters Rogatory & FSIA
$ 735.00
$ 2,275.00
Taking Depositions or Executing Commissions:
1. Scheduling/Arranging Depositions
$ 475.00
$ 1,283.00
2. Attending or Taking Depositions
$ 265.00/hr + expenses
$ 309.00/hr + expenses
3. Swearing in Witnesses
$ 265.00/hr + expenses
$ 231.00/hr + expenses
4. Supervising Telephone Depositions
$ 265.00/hr + expenses
$ 231.00/hr + expenses
5. Providing Seal and Certification
$ 70.00
$ 415.00 Administrative Services
Consular Time Charges (per hour)
$ 265.00
$ 231.00
*New NIV fees were instituted June 4, 2010. **This includes a $25 Execution fee not retained by Department of State.

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VETERAN UPDATES, WAITING ROOM BLOG

RENEWING A U.S. PASSPORT

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( ) Completed form DS-82
(for applicants renewing a U.S. Passport valid for 10 years, issued within the past 15 years and when the applicant was at least 16 years old at the time of issuance)
( ) Completed form DS 11
(for all other applicants renewing a U.S Passport who are not eligible to use DS-82, see first item)
( ) Applicant’s personal appearance (accompanied by one or both parent(s) if the applicant is under 16)
( ) Applicant’s passport photo (two identical 2 x 2 photos, colored, clear, front view, full face and printed on thin, non-glossy photo paper with white background)
( ) ORIGINAL proof of applicant’s U.S. citizenship. Any of the following:
– Previous U.S. passport – U.S. birth certificate (abstract not acceptable)
– Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship – Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification
of Birth Abroad
( ) ORIGINAL proof of applicant’s identity (e.g. driver license, State ID card, valid passport, or any other government-issued ID)
( ) Applicant’s sequential photos (growing-up pictures) dating from the last passport application to the present (only for applicant whose most recent passport was issued when he/she was under 16 years old)
( ) If only one parent will accompany an applicant below 16 years old to the Embassy, submit a NOTARIZED statement (with attached copy of valid ID) from the non-appearing parent giving consent to ISSUE a passport to the applicant. Please note that the applicant’s complete name and his/her date of birth must be indicated in the consent.
( ) If both parents are abroad, submit a Special Power of Attorney from both parents giving their consent to the issuance of the applicant’s U.S. passport and authorizing the guardian to act in the parents’ capacity. The guardian should bring original photo identification. Please note that the applicant’s complete name and his/her date of birth must be indicated in the SPA.
( ) ORIGINAL proof of identity of both parents of the applicant under 16 (e.g. valid passport, driver’s license, State ID card, or any other government-issued ID)
( ) ORIGINAL proof of parentage for the parent(s) accompanying the applicant under 16 (e.g. document listing the names of both parents, such as one of the following: applicant’s Philippine birth certificate issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on security paper; U.S. birth certificate; Consular Report of Birth Abroad; Adoption Decree, etc.)
( ) To correct biographic information in the passport, submit any of the following: Original U.S. birth certificate; Philippine birth certificate issued by the NSO and printed on security paper, most recent passport, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Certification of Birth Abroad, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Court Order, etc.
( ) Other/s:
( ) Fees: $ 75.00 – For adult passport renewal whose most recent passport was issued less than 15 years ago and while the applicant was at least 16 yrs old at the time of issuance of the said passport (using DS-82 form) (Note: beginning July 13, 2010, the fee will increase to $110.00)
$85.00 – For applicant below 16 years (using DS-11 form)
(Note: beginning July 13, 2010, the fee will increase to $105.00)
$100.00 – For applicant 16 years and above (using DS-11 form)
(Note: beginning July 13, 2010, the fee will increase to $135.00)
Payment can be in cash (dollar or Philippine currency) or credit card only. Fees and acceptable cards are subject to change without prior notice. All fees are non-refundable.
For inquiries: E-mail [email protected] or call (63-2) 301 2555 between 2:00pm and 4:00pm, Mondays thru Fridays except American and Philippine holidays
Rev07/10
Embassy of the United States of America
Manila, Philippines

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VETERAN UPDATES

VETERAN LEGISLATION 12 July 2010

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Of the 5710 House and 3553Senate pieces of legislation introduced in the 111th Congress to date, the following are of interest to the non-active duty veteran community. Bill titles in green (if any) are new additions to this summary, titles in orange have either passed either the House or Senate and been passed to the other for consideration or been incorporated into another bill, and those highlighted in blue have become public law. A good indication on the likelihood a bill of being forwarded to the House or Senate for passage and subsequently being signed into law by the President is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. An alternate way for it to become law is if it is added as an addendum to another bill such as the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and survives the conference committee assigned to iron out the difference between the House and Senate bills. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s text, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, who your representative is and his/her phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To separately determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html. To review a numerical list of all bills introduced refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/111search.html. The key to increasing cosponsorship is letting legislators know of their constituent’s views on issues. Those bills that include a website in red are being pushed by various veterans groups for passage and by clicking on that website you can forward a preformatted message to your legislator requesting he/she support the bill.

=============================================================================

S.46 : Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps.

Sponsor: Sen Ensign, John [NV] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (31) Related Bill: H.R.43

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via

http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=14486941&type=CO

________________________________________

S.66 : Disabled Vet Space A. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit former members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated as total to travel on military aircraft in the same manner and to the same extent as retired members of the Armed Forces are entitled to travel on such aircraft.

Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

________________________________________

S.67 : Disabled POW Commissary/Exchange Use. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize certain disabled former prisoners of war to use Department of Defense commissary and exchange stores.

Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

________________________________________

S.68 : Filipino Service Certification. A bill to require the Secretary of the Army to determine the validity of the claims of certain Filipinos that they performed military service on behalf of the United States during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

________________________________________

S.94 : Long-Term Care Family Accessibility Act. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a nonrefundable tax credit for long-term care insurance premiums.

Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Major Action: 1/13/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

________________________________________

S.239 : Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans Health Administration in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State.

Sponsor: Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (1) Companion Bill H.R.190

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.246 : Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality of care provided to veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, to encourage highly qualified doctors to serve in hard-to-fill positions in such medical facilities, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.252 : Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals, to improve the provision of health care veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’

Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/dav/issues/alert/?alertid=14008476&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.263 : Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enforcement of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1474.

Sponsor: Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.274 : Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an incentive to hire unemployed veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Baucus, Max [MT] (introduced 1/16/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill: H.R.4443

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/16/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.296 : Fair Tax Act of 2009. A bill to promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.

Sponsor: Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/22/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.307 : Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act of 2009. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide flexibility in the manner in which beds are counted for purposes of determining whether a hospital may be designated as a critical access hospital under the Medicare program and to exempt from the critical access hospital inpatient bed limitation the number of beds provided for certain veterans. Companion Bill H.R.668

Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/22/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.315 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.32

Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (2) Related Bill H.R.2257

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.347 : Vet Hand Loss Traumatic Injury Protection. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to distinguish between the severity of a qualifying loss of a dominant hand and a qualifying loss of a non-dominant hand for purposes of traumatic injury protection under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Ensign, John [NV] (introduced 1/29/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.402 : Keeping Our Promise to America’s Military Veterans Act. A bill to improve the lives of our Nation’s veterans and their families and provide them with the opportunity to achieve the American dream.

Sponsor: Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.404 : Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1377.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.407 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009. A bill to increase, effective as of December 1, 2009, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (17) Related bill H.R.1513 Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs Senate Reports: 111-24 Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-37 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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S.423 : Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize advance appropriations for certain medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs by providing two-fiscal year budget authority, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (56)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 8/6/2009 Senate floor actions. Status: Returned to the Calendar. Calendar No. 101.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12703276

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S.491 : Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (48) Companion Bill H.R.1203

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.498 : Vet Dental Insurance. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize dental insurance for veterans and survivors and dependents of veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.514 : Veterans Rehabilitation and Training Improvements Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance vocational rehabilitation benefits for veterans, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.297.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.535 : SBP DIC Offset Elimination. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans’ dependency and indemnity compensation, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.775. Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (57) Committees: Senate Armed Services Latest Major Action: 3/5/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. To support this bill and/or contact your Senator send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=14275496&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.543 : Veteran and Servicemember Family Caregiver Support Act of 2009. A bill to require a pilot program on training, certification, and support for family caregivers of seriously disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces to provide caregiver services to such veterans and members, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 3/6/2009) Cosponsors (14) Companion Bill H.R.785.

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.546 : Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit certain retired members of the uniformed services who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service of Combat-Related Special Compensation. Companion Bill H.R.811.

Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (45)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/9/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12904686&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.572 : Purple Heart Forever Stamp. A bill to provide for the issuance of a “forever stamp” to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the armed forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart. Companion Bill H.R.1305.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 3/11/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2009 Referred to Senate subcommittee. Status: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security.

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S.597 : Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1211

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.606 : Veterans Corps Program. A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a Veterans Corps program.

Sponsor: Sen Warner, Mark R. [VA] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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S.614 : WASP Gold Medal Award. A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (“WASP”). Sponsor: Sen Hutchison, Kay Bailey [TX] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (75) Companion Bill H.R.2014 Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-40 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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S.642 : Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009. A bill to require the Secretary of Defense to establish registries of members and former members of the Armed Forces exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed to such hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bayh, Evan [IN] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.644 : National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to include service after September 11, 2001, as service qualifying for the determination of a reduced eligibility age for receipt of non-regular service retired pay.

Sponsor: Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (13) Companion Bill H.R.208 Related Bill S.831

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/ncoausa/issues/alert/?alertid=12995086&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12960556

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S.658 : Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care for veterans who live in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Tester, Jon [MT] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.663 : Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, 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.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (51)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.669 : Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the conditions under which certain persons may be treated as adjudicated mentally incompetent for certain purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 3/23/2009) Cosponsors (18)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/16/2009 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 78.

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S.691 : Colorado National Cemetery for Veterans. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southern Colorado region, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.699 : South Texas Veterans’ Hospital. A bill to provide for the construction by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of a full service hospital in Far South Texas.

Sponsor: Sen Cornyn, John [TX] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.700 : Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009. A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to phase out the 24-month waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits, to eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1708.

Sponsor: Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.728 : Veterans’ Insurance and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance veterans’ insurance benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/7/2009 Senate floor actions. Status: Returned to the Calendar. Calendar No. 155.

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S.731 : TRICARE Coverage For “Gray Area” Reservists. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for continuity of TRICARE Standard coverage for certain members of the Retired Reserve. Companion Bill H.R.270

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] (introduced 3/26/2009) Cosponsors (23)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/26/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. ‘

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805&False&False

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S.734 : Rural Veterans Health Care Access and Quality Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain physicians in Health Professional Shortage Areas and to improve the provision of health care to veterans in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/30/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/30/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.746 : Nebraska National Cemetery. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County region to serve veterans in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northwest Missouri.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.760 : National World War I Memorial. A bill to designate the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the “National World War I Memorial”.

Sponsor: Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (3) Related Bill H.R.1849

Committees: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 12/3/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.

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S.768 : Bataan Gold Medal Initiative. A bill to grant the Congressional Gold Medal to the soldiers from the United States who were prisoners of war at Bataan during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Udall, Tom [NM] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.772 : Honor Act of 2009. A bill to enhance benefits for survivors of certain former members of the Armed Forces with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, to enhance availability and access to mental health counseling for members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bond, Christopher S. [MO] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.793 : Department of Veterans Affairs Vision Scholars Act of 2009. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of visual impairment and orientation and mobility.

Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.801 : Family Caregiver Program Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to waive charges for humanitarian care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to family members accompanying veterans severely injured after September 11, 2001, as they receive medical care from the Department and to provide assistance to family caregivers, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (27)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/25/2009 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 167.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13104956&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.820 : Veterans Mobility Enhancement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the automobile assistance allowance for veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.821 : VA Copay Collection Prohibition. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read the second time and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.831 : National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to include service after September 11, 2001, as service qualifying for the determination of a reduced eligibility age for receipt of non-regular service retired pay.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/20/2009) Cosponsors (32) Related Bill S.644

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805

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S.832 : MOAA Federal Charter. A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 4/20/2009) Cosponsors (41) Companion Bill H.R.2017 Related Bill S.1449 Committees: Senate Judiciary Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-95 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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S.842 : VA Home Loan Payoff to Mortgagers. A bill to repeal the sunset of certain enhancements of protections of servicemembers relating to mortgages and mortgage foreclosures, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay mortgage holders unpaid balances on housing loans guaranteed by Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/21/2009 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.847 : SBP Education Assistance Limitation Exclusion. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that utilization of survivors’ and dependents’ educational assistance shall not be subject to the 48-month limitation on the aggregate amount of assistance utilizable under multiple veterans and related educational assistance programs.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.883 : Medal of Honor Coin. A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the establishment of the Medal of Honor in 1861, America’s highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States, to honor the American military men and women who have been recipients of the Medal of Honor, and to promote awareness of what the Medal of Honor represents and how ordinary Americans, through courage, sacrifice, selfless service and patriotism, can challenge fate and change the course of history.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/23/2009) Cosponsors (85)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.902 : Veteran’s Treatment Courts. A bill to provide grants to establish veteran’s treatment courts.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/27/2009) Cosponsors (4) Related Bill H.R.2127

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S. 944 – The Wounded Warrior Transition Assistance Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretaries of the military departments to give wounded members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces the option of remaining on active duty during the transition process in order to continue to receive military pay and allowances, to authorize members to reside at their permanent places of residence during the process, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 4/30/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/30/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13266571&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.977 : Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide improved benefits for veterans who are former prisoners of war, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.998 : Arthur Woolweaver, Jr., Social Security Act Improvements for the Terminally Ill Act. A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period in the disability insurance program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 5/7/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 5/7/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1008 : Military Retired Pay Fairness Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to limit requirements of separation pay, special separation benefits, and voluntary separation incentive from members of the Armed Forces subsequently receiving retired or retainer pay.

Sponsor: Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] (introduced 5/7/2009) Cosponsors (7) Companion bill H.R.2302

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/7/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13682656&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13967481&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.1015 : Enhanced Disability Compensation for Certain Disabled Veterans. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance disability compensation for certain disabled veterans with difficulties using prostheses and disabled veterans in need of regular aid and attendance for residuals of traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 5/11/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/11/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1016 : Vet Disability Compensation Award upon Separation. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the commencement of the period of payment of original awards of compensation for veterans who are retired or separated from the Uniformed services for disability.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 5/11/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/11/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1042 : Illegal Garnishment Prevention Act. A bill to prohibit the use of funds to promote the direct deposit of Veterans and Social Security benefits until adequate safeguards are established to prevent the attachment

and garnishment of such benefits.

Sponsor: Sen Kohl, Herb [WI] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1055 : Gold Medal Award for 100th Inf Bn & 442nd RCT. A bill to grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (69) Related bill H.R.347

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.1106 : Selected Reserve Continuum of Care Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to require the provision of medical and dental readiness services to certain members of the Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve based on medical need, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 5/20/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1109 : PRO-VETS Act of 2009. A bill to provide veterans with individualized notice about available benefits, to streamline application processes or the benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 5/20/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1118 : DIC Compensation Rate Increase to 55%. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1128 : Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act. A bill to authorize the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of participation in the testing of nuclear weapons or under other circumstances.

Sponsor: Sen Roberts, Pat [KS] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (3) Related bill H.R.2553

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1160 : Homes for Heroes Act of 2009. A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 6/1/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.1166 : Voluntary Support for Reservists and National Guard Members Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow taxpayers to designate part or all of any income tax refund to support reservists and National Guard members.

Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1168 : Nationally Significant Battlefields Protection. A bill to authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill H.R.1694

Committees: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 7/15/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 111-92.

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S.1169 : Uniformed Services with Autism (USA) Heroes Act . A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of autism under TRICARE.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1204 : Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 6/8/2009) Cosponsors (9) Related bill H.R.1017

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1237 : Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the grant program for homeless veterans with special needs to include male homeless veterans with minor dependents and to establish a grant program for reintegration of homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 6/11/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No.

360.

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S.1337 : Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2009. A bill to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 6/24/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S.1347 : Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009. A bill to amend chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, to allow members of the Armed Forces to sue the United States for damages for certain injuries caused by improper medical care, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 6/24/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13791596&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.1394 : Veterans Entitlement to Service Act of 2009. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to acknowledge the receipt of medical, disability, and pension claims and other communications submitted by claimants, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 7/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1427 : Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a Hospital Quality Report Card Initiative to report on health care quality in Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 7/9/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1429 : Servicemembers Mental Health Care Commission Act. A bill to establish a commission on veterans and members of the Armed Forces with post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or other mental health disorders, to enhance the capacity of mental health care providers to assist such veterans and members, to ensure such veterans are not discriminated against, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 7/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1449 : MOAA Federal Charter. A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to

the Military Officers Association of America, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (None) Related Bill H.R.2017 & S.832

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 7/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S.1450 : Deceased Servicemen Parental Nursing Home Care. A bill to enable State homes to furnish nursing home care to parents any of whose children died while serving in the Armed Forces.

Sponsor: Sen Ensign, John [NV] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1452 : COMBAT PTSD Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the meaning of “combat with the enemy” for purposes of service-connection of disabilities.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1467 : Lance Corporal Josef Lopez Fairness for Servicemembers Harmed by Vaccines Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide coverage under Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance for adverse reactions to vaccinations administered by the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] (introduced 7/16/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1495 : Service Dogs for Veterans Act of 2009. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using service dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of veterans with physical or mental injuries or disabilities, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Franken, Al [MN] (introduced 7/22/2009) Cosponsors (7) Related Bill H.R.3266

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/22/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1518 : Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 7/27/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1520 : NAIV Charter. A bill to grant a Federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated.

Sponsor: Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] (introduced 7/27/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill H.R.3349

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 7/27/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S.1543 : Supporting Military Families Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to provide leave for family members of members of regular components of the Armed Forces, and leave to care for covered veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] (introduced 7/30/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Major Action: 7/30/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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S.1547 : Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, and the United States Housing Act of 1937 to enhance and expand the assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Reed, Jack [RI] (introduced 7/30/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1556 : Veteran Voting Support Act of 2009. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter registration agencies, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] (introduced 8/3/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1558 : Travel Reimbursement for Inactive Duty Training Personnel (TRIP) Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 37, United States Code, to provide travel and transportation allowances for members of the reserve components for long distance and certain other travel to inactive duty training.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 8/3/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 8/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1668 : National Guard Education Equality Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the inclusion of certain active duty service in the reserve components as qualifying service for purposes of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] (introduced 9/14/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/ngaus/mail/compose/?mailid=14779496&azip=92571

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S.1685 : Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act of 2009. A bill to provide an emergency benefit of $250 to seniors, veterans, and persons with disabilities in 2010 to compensate for the lack of a cost-of-living adjustment for such year, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 9/17/2009) Cosponsors (10) Related Bills: H.R.3597

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 9/17/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1695 : Congressional Gold Medal Award. A bill to authorize the award of a Congressional gold medal to the Montford Point Marines of World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Burris, Roland [IL] (introduced 9/23/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/23/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.1717 : VA Facility Leases. A bill to authorize major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 9/25/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill S.1310 Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-82

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S.1752 : Parkinson’s Disease VA Compensation. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide wartime disability compensation for certain veterans with Parkinson’s disease.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 10/5/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1753 : Disabled Veteran Caregiver Housing Assistance Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase assistance for disabled veterans who are temporarily residing in housing owned by a family member, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 10/5/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1779 : Health Care for Veterans Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38,

United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bayh, Evan [IN] (introduced 10/14/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1780 : Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Retirees Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the reserve components as active service for purposes of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 10/14/2009) Cosponsors (9) Related bill: H.R.3787

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1798 : Automatic Reserve Component Enrollment Act of 2009. A bill to provide for the automatic enrollment of demobilizing members of the National Guard and Reserve in health care and dental care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 10/19/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1932 : Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act. A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, to be eligible to participate in the Troops-to-Teachers Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen McCain, John [AZ] (introduced 10/27/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Major Action:

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S.1939 : Vet Presumptive Exposure in Vietnam. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 10/27/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1963 : Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide assistance to caregivers of veterans, to improve the provision of health care to veterans, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 10/28/2009) Cosponsors (7) Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-163 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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S.2096 : Parent VA Burial Eligibility. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the eligibility of parents of certain deceased veterans for interment in national cemeteries.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 10/29/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/29/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.2743 : Cold War Service Medal Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold War, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] (introduced 11/5/2009) Cosponsors (7) Related bill: H.R.4051

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/5/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.2759 : Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements Act of 2009. A bill to amend title II and XVI of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment of disability rated and certified as total by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as disability for purposes of such titles.

Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 11/10/2009) Cosponsors (None) Related Bill: H.R.4054

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 11/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.2760 : VA Homeless Vets Appropriations. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the annual amount authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Udall, Tom [NM] (introduced 11/10/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.2769 : Post-9/11 Veterans’ Job Training Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the use of entitlement under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance for the pursuit of apprenticeships and on-job training, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Klobuchar, Amy [MN] (introduced 11/10/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.2770 : Veterans Business Center Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Small Business Act to establish a Veterans Business Center program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 11/10/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Latest Major Action: 11/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the

Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

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S.3082 : VA Work Study Allowances. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize individuals who are pursuing programs of rehabilitation, education, or training under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to receive work-study allowances for certain outreach services provided through congressional offices, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 3/5/2010) Cosponsors (1) Related bill: H.R.4765

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/5/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3107 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2010. A bill to amend title 38 , United States Code, to provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2010, in the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/11/2010) Cosponsors (12) Related Bill: H.R.4667

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.3118 : Veterans Pensions Protection Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that monetary benefits paid to veterans by States and municipalities shall be excluded from consideration as income for purposes of pension benefits paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 3/16/2010) Cosponsors (None) Related Bill: H.R.3485

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3162 : VA Minimum Essential Coverage. A bill to clarify the health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that constitutes minimum essential coverage.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/24/2010) Cosponsors (59) Related bills: H.R.5014

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/13/2010 Held at the desk.

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S.3171 : Veterans Training Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the approval of certain programs of education for purposes of the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 3/25/2010) Cosponsors (10) Related bills: H.R. 3813

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3192 : Fair Access to Veterans Benefits Act of 2010. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the tolling of the timing of review for appeals of final decisions of the Board of Veterans’

Appeals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] (introduced 4/12/2010) Cosponsors (1) Related bills: H.R.5045, H.R.5064

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/12/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3201 : TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend TRICARE coverage to certain dependents under the age of 26.

Sponsor: Sen Udall, Mark [CO] (introduced 4/14/2010) Cosponsors (31) Related bills: H.R.4923

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/14/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.3234 : Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010. A bill to improve employment, training, and placement services furnished to veterans, especially those serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 4/20/2010) Cosponsors (13) Related bills: H.R.5120

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.3286 : VA Vet Claim Assistance Pilot Program. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on the award of grants to State and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide assistance to veterans with their submittal of claims to the Veterans Benefits Administration, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] (introduced 4/29/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.3356 : CHAMPVA Children Maximum Age increase. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum age for children eligible for medical care under the CHAMPVA program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3359 : Veterans’ Disability Compensation Automatic COLA Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Thune, John [SD] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3367 : VA Pension Increase for Disabled Couples. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the rate of pension for disabled veterans who are married to one another and both of whom require regular aid and attendance, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.3371 : TRICARE Mental Health Care Access Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to improve access to mental health care counselors under the TRICARE program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.3378 : Examination of Exposures to Environmental Hazards During Military Service and Health Care for Camp Lejeune and Atsugi Naval Air Facility Veterans and their Families Act of 2010. An original bill to authorize health care for individuals exposed to environmental hazards at Camp Lejeune and the Atsugi Naval Air Facility, to establish an advisory board to examine exposures to environmental hazards during military service, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 5/17/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Senate Reports: 111-189

Latest Major Action: 5/17/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 377.

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S.3394 : Strengthening Entrepreneurship for America’s Veterans Act of 2010. A bill to establish the veterans’ business center program, to improve the programs for veterans of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] (introduced 5/20/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

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S.3398 : Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2010. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the work opportunity credit to certain recently discharged veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Baucus, Max [MT] (introduced 5/24/2010) Cosponsors (3) Related bills: H.R.5400

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 5/24/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.3406 : Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the per-fiscal year calculation of days of certain active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of a reserve component of the uniformed services may retire for non-regular service.

Sponsor: Sen Hagan, Kay [NC] (introduced 5/24/2010) Cosponsors (None) Related bills: H.R.4947

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/24/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.3447 : Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve educational assistance for veterans who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 5/27/2010) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

——————————————————————————– S.3454 : National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Levin, Carl [MI] (introduced 6/4/2010) Cosponsors (None) Related bills: H.R.5136, S.3455, S.3456, S.3457

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Senate Reports: 111-201

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 414.

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S.3477 : Blue Star/Gold Star Flag Act of 2010. A bill to ensure that the right of an individual to display the Service Flag on residential property not be abridged.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 6/10/2010) Cosponsors (11) Related Bill: H.R.2546

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.3499 : Fiduciary Benefits Oversight Act of 2010. A bill to require fiduciaries of individuals receiving benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to authorize the Secretary to obtain financial records with respect to such individuals for purposes of administering such laws, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 6/16/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/16/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3556 : Hire A Hero Act of 2010. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the work

opportunity credit to small businesses which hire individuals who are members of the Ready Reserve or National Guard

Sponsor: Sen Brownback, Sam [KS] (introduced 6/30/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 6/30/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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[Source: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?n=Browse 12 Jul 09 ++]

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VETERAN UPDATES

Arizona State Veteran’s Benefits

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The state of Arizona provides several veteran benefits. This section offers a brief description of each of the following benefits.

  • Housing Benefits
  • Financial Assistance Benefits
  • Employment Benefits
  • Education Benefits
  • Other State Veteran Benefits

Arizona Veteran Housing Programs
Arizona State Veteran Home The Arizona State Veteran Home is located in Phoenix at 4141 N. 3rd Street. It is a 200 bed, skilled care nursing facility operated and maintained by the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services. The Veteran Home offers different levels of nursing care and encourages residents to function at their highest level. The state – of the – art facility has been designed to be both functional and provide a pleasing environment with a southwest atmosphere. Learn more about the Arizona State Veteran Home
Arizona Financial Assistance Benefits
Tax and License Fee Exemptions 1. To the extent not already excluded from Arizona gross income under set. 112 of the Internal Revenue Code, compensation received for active service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States for any month during any part of which members served in a combat zone is exempt.
2. Federal (Civil Service or Military Retirement) payments up to $2,500.00 per year are exempt. NOTE: Contact the Arizona Department of Revenue (1-800-845-8192) for any veteran tax issues.
Property Tax: Exemption for property of widows, widowers, and disabled persons. A. The property of widows, widowers, and disabled persons who are residents of this state is exempt from taxation to the extent allowed by Article IX § 2, 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, Constitution of Arizona, and subject to the conditions and limitations prescribed by this section. NOTE: The exemption is applied to real estate first, then to a mobile home or an automobile. Contact your County Assessor office for eligibility. Learn more about Tax and License Fee Exemptions Vehicle License Tax and Registration Fees No license tax or registration fee shall be collected from any veteran for a personally owned vehicle if such veteran is certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to be one hundred percent service-connected disabled and drawing compensation on that basis. A veteran residing in Arizona shall be exempt from a vehicle license tax on a vehicle acquired by the veteran through financial aid from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Learn more about Vehicle License Tax and Registration Fees
Arizona Employment Benefits
Employment Preferences Age Limit: An honorably discharged veteran shall be eligible for employment preference, rights, and privileges under any merit system in the state in the state or any political subdivision thereof, regardless of age, if otherwise qualified.
Civil Service: Veterans who pass an examination for employment by the state, county or city will have 5 points added to their certification score. The veteran must have served for more than six (6) months and be separated under honorable conditions. Veterans entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability will have 10 points added to their certification score. Certain spouses or surviving spouses shall be given a 5 point preference if the veteran died of a service-connected disability.
Fire Department: Members of any fire company inducted into the military establishment of the United States for military training are authorized reinstatement to their previous rating after discharge from military service. Police And Fire Department: The period of military service shall be included in computing the length of service of the employee to determine eligibility for retirement.
Reserve Status/War Emergency: Appointive officers or employees of the state or of a political subdivision will be reinstated to their former position upon completion of military service to which (s) he was inducted or ordered during time of war or was called to service because of their status as an active or inactive member of the Reserves. Learn more about Employment Preferences Professional and Occupational Licenses Every funeral director, embalmer, or apprentice embalmer who serves in the armed forces during a time of war is exempt from paying renewal license fees for the duration of the war and six months thereafter or for a period of six months following discharge from the armed forces. Learn more about Professional and Occupational Licenses
Arizona Education Benefits
Tuition and Fees-Deferred Payment A veteran or eligible dependent who has applied for educational benefits under the G.I. Bill state-supported community colleges, colleges and universities may defer payment of tuition, fees and required books for a period of 120 days with no interest charges. If, at the end of such period, the person has not received from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs the initial benefit monies for tuition and fees, an extension may be granted until such time benefits are received. Learn more about the Tuition and Fees-Deferred Payment
Other Arizona State Veteran Benefits
Burial and Headstones When a veteran or a surviving spouse dies without sufficient means for funeral expenses, the County Board of
Supervisors is responsible to ensure that burial will not be in a portion of ground used exclusively for burial of paupers. A suitable plot will be used, and the county may apply to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for expenses not to exceed $150.00.
When the county buries an indigent veteran, the county clerk will make an application to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a suitable headstone and make arrangements for it to be placed at the head of the grave. Learn more about Burial and Headstones Voting in Elections Absentee registration and voting by active duty military personnel and their eligible dependents residing out of state may be accomplished by prior to 7:00 p.m. on an Election Day. The County recorder may accept a federal postcard application in lieu of an affidavit of registration. Learn more about Voting in Elections Recording of Discharges Any county recorder, free of charge shall record military discharge papers. Location of each County Recorder’s Office may be found in the blue pages of your area telephone directory. Learn more about the Recording of Discharges Public Record Certification Public officials shall issue without charge, certified copies of public records for use in making a claim for pension, compensation, allotment allowance, insurance, or other benefits from the United States. Learn more about Public Record Certification Credit for Military Service for State Retirement Benefits A participant of the state system or plan may receive credited past service or future service for active military service if the participant was honorably discharge from service. The period of military service for which the participant receives credited service is not on account with any other retirement system. Contact the nearest state personnel office for additional information and eligibility. Learn more about Credit for Military Service for State Retirement Benefits Hunting and Fishing Licenses Resident hunting and fishing licenses for members of the armed forces on active duty, stationed in state are available upon application. Complimentary licenses may be granted to veteran’s 70 years or older who have been residents of this state for 25 years. Complimentary licenses will be issued to veterans verified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to be one hundred percent service-connected disabled and who have been a resident for one year or more. Note: Contact the nearest Department of Game and Fish office. Learn more about Hunting and Fishing Licenses Arizona State Parks The Arizona State Parks department announced from Fort Verde State Historic Park that the agency will be instituting a new program to provide Arizona’s 100% permanently disabled veterans with a “Disabled Veterans Annual Day Use pass”. The pass will provide qualified veterans with day use access to all twenty-seven State Parks. Learn more about the Arizona State Parks Pass Special License Plates Medal of Honor: Any resident of Arizona who is a recipient of the Medal of Honor may apply for a distinctive number plate at no additional cost.
Prisoner of War: Any resident of Arizona who is a former prisoner of war may apply for a distinctive number plate. An initial fee of $15.00 is charged in addition to the registration fee with an annual renewal fee of $5.00.
Purple Heart: Any resident of Arizona who is a recipient of the Purple Heart may apply for a distinctive number plate. An initial fee of $25.00 is charged in addition to the registration fee with an annual renewal fee of $5.00.
Pearl Harbor Survivors: Any resident of Arizona who was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, received an honorable discharge, and was stationed at Pearl Harbor, the island of Oahu (or offshore not exceeding 3 miles), on December 7, 1941, during the hours of 7:55 A.M. to 9:45 A.M., is eligible for a Pearl Harbor distinctive number plate. An initial fee of $25.00 is charged in addition to the registration fee with an annual renewal fee of $5.00.
National Guard: Any resident of Arizona who is or has been a member of the Arizona Air National Guard or Army National Guard may apply for a distinctive number plate. An initial and renewal fee of $25.00 is charged in addition to the registration fee.
Veteran: Any resident of Arizona who was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and received an honorable discharge may apply for a distinctive number plate. An initial and renewal fee of $25.00 is charged in addition to the registration fee. Learn more about Special License Plates Transportation Common carriers may give free or reduced rates to residents of homes for soldiers, and, with the consent of the Arizona Corporation Commission, to former soldiers and sailors for the purpose of attending any convention. Learn more about Transportation for Veterans
[Source: www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits/arizona-state-veterans-benefits Jul 2010 ++]

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VETERAN UPDATES

RAO BULLETIN 15 July 2010

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THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

==ISP’s Blocking RAO Bulletin [06] — (Change to PDF format)

== VA Hiring [04] —————— (Obama Signs Memorandum)

== VA Prosthetics [05] ——————————- (New Vet Tax)

== U.S. Savings Bonds [07] ———- (DFAS Allotments to Stop)

== VA HIV Testing —————— (New Routine Medical Care)

== Researching Your Doctor —————————- (California)

== Vet Toxic Exposure ~ Malathion —— (Operation Flyswatter)

== VA Pension [02] ————————— (H.R.4541 & S.3352)

== Consular Fees ——————————- (JUL 2010 Changes)

== Nat Comm on Fiscal Responsibility & Reform —— (Jun Mtg)

==DBIDS [01] —————————– (What you need to know)

== Military Discounts [03] ——————- (Blue Star Museums)

==Fit but Unsuitable Discharge ———————- (Oxymoronic)

== HVAC [12] —————————— (DAMA 1 JUL Hearing)

== Mobilized Reserve 06 JUL 2010 ————– (2,393 Decrease)

== Passport Obtainment ~ U.S. [04] ——————- (Philippines)

==VA Women Vet Programs [12] ———– (Forum Registration)

== Vietnam Veterans Memorial [07] —– (Restoration Complete)

== VA Service Dogs ————— (VA Not Exercising Authority)

== VA Lawsuit ~ Disability Claim Rejections ————— (COA)

== Aid & Attendance [04] ——————- (Deceptive Marketing)

== PTSD [50] —————————– (Proof Rule Modification)

== VA Presumptive VN Vet Diseases [08] —————- (Criteria)

== Vet Jobs [20] ————————- (SHRM Study Disclosures)

==Fisher House Expansion [05] ——————————- (2010)

== Louisiana Vet Cemeteries ————— (New State Cemetery)

== Heat Exhaustion/Stroke ———————————- (Seniors)

== VA Prostate Cancer Program [07] ——————– (Lawsuits)

== Money Transfer ————————————— (Xoom.com)

== Flag Presentation [03] ———————————— (History)

== Arlington National Cemetery [12] ————– (Disinterments)

== VA Office of the General Counsel —————— (Challenges)

== VA Treatment Access ———- (Fudging Performance Grades)

== VAMC St. Louis MO [01] ———- (Investigations Scheduled)

== Virginia Vet Legislation ———————- (Newly Approved)

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== VA Women Vet Programs [11] ————— (S.1237 Blocked)

== Tricare Uniform Formulary [33] ————- (New Search Tool)

== National Cemetery Administration [02] — (Biannual Meeting)

== Tricare Supplemental Insurance [04] ———- (Pre-tax Benefit)

== HVAC [11] —————————— (DAMA Reviews 5 Bills)

== COLA 2011 [03] —————————- (May 0.1% Increase)

== TSA Guidance for Passengers — (International Flights to U.S.)

== Debt Collector’s Rules ——————— (Tactics not Allowed)

== Medicare Fraud [43] —————————— (1-14 Jul 2010)

== Medicad Fraud [17] ——————————- (1-14 Jul 2010)

== State Veteran’s Benefits ———————————- (Arizona)

== Military History ————– (The Day Japan Bombed Oregon)

== Military History Anniversaries ———– (Jul 16-31 Summary)

== Military Trivia 08 ————————————— (Number 8)

== Tax Burden for New York Retirees ———————— (2009)

== Congressional Alphalist ———————————- (Index D)

== Veteran Legislation Status 12 JUL 2010 —- (Where we stand)

== Have You Heard? ——————————— (Military Lingo)

Attachment – Arizona State Veteran’s Benefits

Attachment – Veteran Legislation

Attachment – U.S. Passport Renewal Requirements Checklist

Attachment – New Consular Fees 13 JUL 2010

Ant

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ISP’s Blocking RAO Bulletin Update 06: I am changing how I transmit the RAO Bulletin because too many subscribers (over 500) cannot receive it using Word attachments. As a test I sent it to these subscribers who had previously informed me they could not receive or open Word attachments using PDF attachments. Only 12 of those could not open the PDF attachments. I have sent this Bulletin to all 80,000+ subscribers in PDF format to find out how many cannot receive/open it in PDF format. If the number is small I plan to continue to use PDF attachments for future Bulletin transmissions. In the interim I will continue to maintain an ―Old format‖ directory to transmit in straight text format to those who cannot open any type of attachment. Those who cannot receive or open either format have the option of going to the website to read/download the Bulletin. Request you NOT send me any messages that state your preference for the PDF format. However, if you are unable to open the PDF attachments I need to know so I can add you to the Old format directory. Hopefully this change will help reduce the number of subscribers who are currently not being allowed access to the Bulletin by their ISP’s. [Source: RAO Bulletin Editor/Publisher 14 Jul 2010 ++]

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VA Hiring Update 04: On 11 MAY 2010, President Barack Obama signed a memorandum calling on executive departments and agencies to transform federal government recruitment and hiring practices. The required reforms will enable VA to hire the employees needed to deliver on President Obama’s pledge to transform the Department for the 21st century. The memorandum calls for the elimination of lengthy application processes, including essay-style questions for initial applicants; a reduction in the time it takes to hire mission-critical and commonly filled positions; and greater involvement by managers in the hiring process. The VA Hiring Reform Taskforce, led by Annie Spiczak, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Resources Policy and Planning, is leading implementation of this mandate and includes Human Resources (HR) professionals and line managers

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representing all of VA. Teams of HR professionals are working to make job announcements shorter and easier to understand; streamline and automate the hiring process; and train hiring managers in workforce and succession planning. For managers, the reform will put the focus on partnering with HR practitioners to develop staffing plans, with the overall aim of reducing hiring timelines and providing access to the highest-quality candidates. [Source: VA Secy Vet Group Liason Officer Kevin Secor article 13 Jul 2010 ++]

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VA Prosthetics Update 05: The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is pleased that President Barack Obama’s administration has vowed that veterans and servicemembers would continue to receive prosthetic devices from the Department of Veterans Affairs or TRICARE at no cost. The White House announcement last week dispelled unfounded rumors that disabled veterans and servicemembers would face a new tax on prosthetic limbs and other vital medical services under the Affordable Care Act. While the health care law does impose a new tax on big medical device manufactures, the tax will not be passed on to veterans and servicemembers. “The President’s statement should help put to rest unfounded rumors that have been spread among our nation’s disabled veterans and servicemembers,” said DAV National Commander Roberto “Bobby” Barrera. “Our veterans and servicemembers were suddenly struck by these rumors, and many feared that our government was abandoning them to pay for their own disability.” Prices and reimbursements for medical devices will continue to be negotiated between manufacturers and insurance companies, retail establishments and, in the case of the federal government, for veterans and servicemembers. The full cost of prosthetic devices for veterans will continue to be borne by the government. [Source: DAV msg.13 Jul 2010 ++]

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U.S. Savings Bonds Update 07: The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) will stop all current Savings Bonds allotments processed for military personnel and military retirees effective 31 JUL. Allotments for federal civilian employees will end A29 AUG. This comes following the U.S. Treasury’s decision to convert electronic transactions through www.TreasuryDirect.gov . DFAS customers who wish to continue purchasing savings bonds through payroll deduction will need to establish an online account with TreasuryDirect. Once they have an account with TreasuryDirect, they can a new allotment using the TreasuryDirect account number through their normal pay system. Information on purchasing Treasury securities is available on the DFAS website. [Source: Military.com Military report 12 Jul 2010 ++]

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VA HIV Testing: On 12 JUL the Department of Veterans Affairs launched a major effort to both increase HIV testing in Veterans and to make it part of routine medical care. HIV test results will not affect your VA care or your eligibility for VA benefits. You have the right to refuse HIV testing without losing medical benefits or any right to care. The test is designed to determine whether you have been infected. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. When you get infected your body produces cells and particles to fight the virus. These particles are called antibodies. The test can detect antibodies to HIV in your body. (The HIV antibodies are different from antibodies for the flu, a cold, or other infections.) If you have HIV antibodies, then you have been infected. The test does not tell you if you have AIDS, how long you have been infected, or how sick you might be. Veterans who will be taking this test should be aware of the following:

What the test involves. It requires a sample of blood or fluid from inside the mouth. For the blood test, blood is drawn either from the arm or from the finger with a needlestick. Results from oral-fluid or blood tests usually take 1

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to 2 weeks. For the oral-fluid test (called OraSure), a probe sits in your mouth between your cheek and gums for 2-5 minutes. However, there are now rapid tests for both oral fluid and blood that give results in less than 30 minutes. Rapid tests require special handling, and not every VA medical center or clinic offers them. What’s more, positive results from rapid tests must be confirmed by another, more sensitive, test–and getting those results can take 1-2 weeks. A negative result from the rapid test does not need to be confirmed. (For more information, see HIV Rapid Oral Test brochure).

Window period. This is the time it takes for your body to produce HIV antibodies after you have been infected by the virus. In most people, this period is between 2 and 12 weeks. In a very small number of people, the process takes up to 6 months. During the window period, you might be infected with HIV yet still test HIV-negative. Here’s how that can happen. Let’s say you have unprotected sex on Saturday night and become infected with HIV. On Monday, you get an HIV test. The test almost certainly will come back negative, because your body has not yet had a chance to make antibodies, which are what the HIV test is looking for. Even if you go for an HIV test 1 or 2 months later, your results might be negative because your body still has not produced antibodies. It may take 3 months after exposure for the test results to be 97% accurate, and 6 months to be absolutely certain. If you think you have been exposed to HIV, and your test results are negative, be sure to get retested in 3 to 6 months–just to be sure.

Should you get tested? Yes, public health experts now recommend that all adults should be routinely tested for HIV infection. In the past, doctors and other health care providers usually only tested for HIV if patients had symptoms that might indicate an immune deficiency or if there was something in the their medical history that suggested they might be at increased risk for the virus. Since mid-August 2009 the VA changed its policies and is now recommending that voluntary HIV testing be provided to all patients who receive medical care in VA. The reason for this change is to make HIV testing more “routine” so that persons who are infected can be diagnosed early on and receive life-saving care. Like many other diseases, it is better to diagnose and treat HIV early rather than late. Today we are fortunate that there are many effective treatments to offer persons who are found to be infected. Veterans with identified risk factors should get tested for HIV at least once a year. Medical clues to increased risk include a past or current history of a sexually transmitted disease like gonorrhea or syphilis, having unprotected sex (having sex without using a condom), especially with more than one partner, and sharing needles and syringes to inject drugs. Even if you do not think you are “at risk” you should talk to your doctor about taking the HIV test. A recent electronic survey conducted at 129 VA medical facilities showed that in 2009, fewer than one out of every ten Veterans in care had eveer received an HIV test and only one in every forty had been tested for HIV in 2009. Getting diagnosed and treated early can keep you healthier longer. It can even save your life. So, if your doctor doesn’t bring up the subject of HIV testing, you should!

Getting it done? You may or may not need an appointment to get tested at your local VA Medical Center, as different sites may have different practices. In VA, all testing for HIV requires the verbal informed consent of the veteran. Your provider will need to provide educational material to give you basic information about HIV testing and to answer any questions that you may have about HIV or the test itself. The health care provider may want to discuss your sexual or drug use history with you. This can help you better assess your risk for HIV and provide you with some recommendations on how to reduce your risk for HIV or for transmitting HIV to others. If you test positive, your spouse is informed of your HIV status only if it is clear that you have not told your spouse, and your provider has determined that you are unlikely to do so. Then your provider may notify your spouse or may use a partner counseling and notification service through a local health department. As part of the testing process in VA, you will receive written educational materials and a health care provider will answer your questions about HIV. The provider also can answer questions and offer advice about reducing your risk for HIV. At your return appointment, a health care provider will provide you with your test result and answer any questions that you may have. If your test result is positive, the provider will help you with a referral for medical evaluation and treatment in VA. The provider can also provide assistance with getting a referral for mental health or substance abuse care in VA if you want. If your result is negative, you will learn about ways to protect yourself against HIV. The results are entered in your

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medical record. There are strict laws in VA to protect the confidentiality of your results. Anonymous testing is used which means you are referred to by an identification number so that you do not have to give your name. Only you can match your number with your test result. If you want more information about where you can be tested anonymously, call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

Testing negative. This can be a huge relief. Remember, though, it can take up to 6 months to test positive for HIV after being exposed. To be completely sure that you do not have HIV, you should get tested again in 3 to 6 months, and continue to protect yourself in the meantime. Testing negative for HIV does not mean that you are immune to the virus, so it is important to continue protecting yourself. Don’t get discouraged or give up if you slip (by having unsafe sex or sharing needles). There are several things you can do to keep protecting your health, now that you know you are negative: If you do not already see a doctor regularly, start now. It is always a good idea to have regular checkups, and your doctor will have a medical history of your health to refer to if you get sick. Ask for support in staying HIV negative. There are support services that can help you stick to your decision to stay safe. Your health care provider and/or the clinic social worker should have a list of such service providers.

[Source: http://www.hiv.va.gov Jul 2010 ++]

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Researching Your Doctor: Want to know if your doctor has been accused of wrongdoing by state regulators? Has he settled a string of malpractice cases? Been convicted of a recent felony? Been ordered by a court to pay up for malpractice? Ask you state’s Medical board. In California all of that – and more – is available at www.sacbee.com/2010/06/18/2833341/database-search-md-discipline.html , the website of the Medical Board of California, a state agency funded by largely by the fees doctors pay when they renew their licenses to practice. While consumer advocates and others who watch the medical board closely say it should move more quickly and reveal more, they say it’s still a good starting point for patients and their families. “It’s very useful” for people choosing a doctor, said Julie D’Angelo Fellmeth, an attorney with the Center for Public Interest Law in San Diego. “You have to be an assertive patient,” she said. “You are putting the health and lives of your family in their hands. It doesn’t hurt to invest five minutes in checking this person out in all of the places that you can.”

In addition to checking the medical board database, people might also want to ask what hospitals a doctor has privileges at, and decide how they feel about those hospitals, said Betsy Imholz, an attorney for Consumers Union in San Francisco. With the federal health care law’s emphasis on both the quality and affordability of medical treatment, “the era of transparency is here,” she said. There are other ways to check out doctors, although many cost more or are less complete. HealthGrades at www.healthgrades.com makes consumer surveys and doctors’ descriptions of their practice available at no charge, but charges a one-time fee to see if a doctor has had malpractice or disciplinary problems. Angie’s List at www.angieslist.com charges a monthly fee to see consumer ratings. Very few of California’s 100,000 doctors ever run afoul of the state medical board. Over the past two fiscal years, the board has revoked or accepted the surrender of fewer than 200 medical licenses. More commonly, the board issues public reprimands, puts a doctor’s license on probation, or revokes the license but then suspends the revocation while the doctor takes classes or works under restrictions.

Public Citizen (www.citizen.org) says California has one of the worst rates in the country for taking serious disciplinary action against doctors, even though it has one of the best websites for consumers. Of the 6,000-plus complaints the medical board has gotten annually in the past two years, it has opened investigations into about one-sixth of them. It rejected the rest after deciding that they lacked merit or the board lacked jurisdiction. It issues formal accusations against around 240 doctors each year. Fellmeth, who has spent 24 years monitoring regulatory boards in California, including the medical board, recalls that “when I first started looking at it, that board was owned by, dominated by and listened only to the California Medical Association.” Today, she said, it defers less to doctors, moves slightly faster, and has dramatically improved how much information it releases to consumers. What

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is harder to determine, she added, is whether it is policing doctors any more effectively than it did years ago. “You have to be pretty bad” in California to face a formal accusation from the medical board, Fellmeth said. Once accused, she added, “if the doctor shows up at the hearing, unless there is a history of prior violations, it’s very rare to see the medical board revoke a license outright.”

Every case is different, but things that can cost a doctor his or her license to practice include sexual misconduct, mental or physical illness, substance abuse and insurance fraud, said board executive Whitney. Things that more commonly result in lesser penalties include record-keeping problems and some ethical issues, she said. The California Medical Association wishes the medical board would not release its formal accusations, and instead make records public only when it takes final action against a doctor, said Dr. Dev GnanaDev, the association’s immediate past president. Other than that, he said, the association and the board agree on most issues. “The medical board is there for public protection. We all know that,” GnanaDev said. [Source: Sacramento Bee Medical news Carrie Peyton Dahlberg article 12 Jul 2010 ++]

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Vet Toxic Exposure ~ Malathion: The Vietnam Veterans Association Agent Orange/Dioxin Committee released its report on Malathion. This is the name of an organophosphate insecticide used in Vietnam to combat mosquitoes. Organophosphates were first developed in the late 1930s by Nazi Germany as chemical warfare agents (nerve gas). VX nerve gas and Sarin gas are well-known examples. Organophosphates operate on humans and insects in a similar fashion by attacking the nervous systems. During the Vietnam War, large numbers of troops came down with malaria. To kill the mosquitoes that carried the disease, the Department of Defense converted aircraft that were spraying Agent Orange to the spraying of Malathion. This was the start of Operation Flyswatter. Many Vietnam veterans recall the non-camouflaged aircraft flying over their positions—shortly after dawn or just before dusk—covering them with a mist. Three silver ―Bug Birds‖ were used in Operation Flyswatter. Many connected those flights with the spraying of Agent Orange. It is now known that, in those cases, veterans were subjected to Malathion and its more potent form, Malaoxon. These were not just one-time missions. Every nine to eleven days, weather permitting, the planes re-sprayed the areas. The spray operation created recurring chemical exposures for Vietnam veterans.

What are the health risks of these spray operations and what are the combined and synergic effects of Malathion with other exposures such as Agent Orange? These questions have not been addressed. We know that a MAR 08 study shows that organophosphates including Malathion significantly increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Knowing that organophosphates work on the nervous systems, the diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system become prime areas of concern. This is a fresh chemical exposure area for Vietnam veterans to explore as they seek answers to their many health issues. The VVA Agent Orange/Dioxin and Other Toxic Substances Committee also will be researching this area. You can read their full report on this operation at www.scientificjournals.com/sj/espr/Pdf/aId/10482 If you have additional questions about malathion or the health effects from spraying, contact the New York State Department of Health’s Environmental Health Information Line at 1(800) 458-1158, extension 27530.

The Vietnam Veterans Association Agent Orange/Dioxin Committee is tasked with accumulating and disseminating information regarding Agent Orange and Dioxin and actively pursuing the recognition of presumptive disabilities from exposure to Agent Orange and Dioxin by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Committee shall provides assistance to State Councils, Chapters, and service programs in the handling of Agent Orange related problems. The Committee shall encourage and foster the sponsorship of legislation to help the victims of Agent Orange and Dioxin, and encourage scientific and medical research in the field of dioxin-related ailments.” [Source: VVA National Committee Chair Alan Oates article Nov/Dec 09 ++]

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VA Pension Update 02: A Navy veteran whose VA pension was canceled because he received an insurance settlement after he and his service dog were hit by a truck is the poster child for legislation to change eligibility rules regarding pensions for low-income veterans. Kerry Scriber of West Palm Beach, Fla., said in an interview that he and his dog were injured and his VA-provided wheelchair damaged when he was struck while crossing the street in March 2008. Scriber, a former petty officer second class who served from 1974 to 1979, said the dog received minor injuries and quickly recovered, but he suffered broken bones in his face and pelvis. The wheelchair he needed to get around because of his muscular dystrophy was destroyed. Scriber said he received two checks from the driver’s insurance company, one covering the cost of the wheelchair and a second for $10,000 that covered pain and suffering and miscellaneous expenses. He turned over the check for the wheelchair to the Veterans Affairs Department, which provided him with another chair. He also reported receiving the $10,000 settlement, as he was required to do as a recipient of a pension provided to low-income veterans. Although his disability is not connected to his military service, he was receiving the pension because he is totally disabled and his income was less than $11,000 a year. Two days after he notified VA of receiving the insurance payment, Scriber was informed his pension was being terminated because the settlement put his annual income over the eligibility threshold. It took more than a year for Scriber to re-qualify for the pension, a process he said could have taken much longer had he not asked his congressman, Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., for help. ―I know of other people who lost their eligibility and it took four or five years to reapply,‖ Scriber said.

In response Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) introduced the Veterans’ Pensions Protection Act (H.R.4541) to exempt reimbursement of expenses related to accidents, theft, loss or casualty from being counted as income when determining if a veteran qualifies for pensions that are provided to those living below the poverty line who are not eligible for veterans’ disability compensation. The bill would require VA to determine whether insurance payments exceed the cost of medical care and either the fair market value or reasonable replacement value of lost or damaged items, and to come up with a way to decide on a case-by-case basis how much of a settlement or court award for pain and suffering should not count as income. ―There is clearly something wrong with a law that cancels veterans’ pensions for a whole year following the award of an insurance payment, which was only intended to cover exceptional medical expenses,‖ Hastings said1 JUL when his bill was considered by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s disability assistance panel. Similar legislation is pending before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

The Senate bill, S.3352, is sponsored by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT). Tester’s office issued a statement saying the senator’s interest in the bill came after he was contacted by someone facing the loss of a veterans’ pension if they received a settlement from a malpractice claim resulting from treatment provided by a VA doctor. Tester’s aides declined to provide more details on the veteran, citing privacy concerns. A statement from Tester, issued 12 MAY, as he introduced his bill, said, ―It’s a matter of fairness that veterans shouldn’t be forced to choose between their pensions or compensation for wrongful injuries. These folks have earned their health benefits by putting their lives on the line for our country. It’s the right thing to do to make sure their pensions aren’t threatened through no fault of their own.‖

Passage of the Hastings’ and Tester’s legislation is not a sure thing, because while some veterans service organizations support the change, there is opposition. Rick Weidman of Vietnam Veterans of America says the legislation is a good idea. ―The VA practice of including all funds received from any sources, including one-time restitution of property for theft or fire, as income for those on nonservice-connected pension from VA was never a particularly wise one, and was often seen as just plain perverse and mean-spirited,‖ Weidman said. VA doesn’t mind that the legislation would exempt reimbursement of actual expenses from being counted as income but it doesn’t want payments for pain and suffering to be excluded. Thomas Pamperin, VA’s associate deputy undersecretary for policy and program management, said at the 1 JUL hearing on Hastings’ bill that the whole idea of pensions for low-

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income veterans was to provide help to those in need. Payments for pain and suffering are available for veterans to spend, he said.

Veterans of Foreign Wars are concerned about the details. Eric Hilleman, VFW’s national legislative service director, said VA lacks the expertise to determine the proper value of damaged or lost items, which would be part of the required calculations. Trying to figure out the right amount would ―further delay and complicate a relatively simple benefit,‖ Hilleman said. Veterans’ pensions go to those with limited incomes who are either permanently and totally disabled, or are 65 and older. How much they receive is based on how much money they have and their number of dependents. For example, single veterans with no dependents are eligible if they have less than $11,830 in annual income, with several exclusions for what counts as income. If they receive less than $11,830, VA provides a monthly pension that brings their total pay to that level. The income caps rise for those with dependents and for those who need aid and attendance for daily activities, such as dressing, eating and bathing. Exclusions for certain types of income already exist in current law, including veterans education benefits, Social Security disability benefits, and insurance payments that directly reimburse medical expenses. [Source: ArmyTimes Rick Maze article 9 Jul 2010 ++]

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Consular Fees: In order to cover increasing costs of providing highest-quality service for American Citizen’s Services and Immigrant Visa applications, the U.S. Department of State changed certain fees worldwide beginning 13 JUL 2010. The revised fees will cover actual operating expenses for the 301 overseas consular posts, 23 domestic passport agencies and other centers that provide these consular services to U.S. and foreign citizens. The 27 adjusted fees are based on a Cost of Service Study completed by the Bureau of Consular Affairs in June 2009. The study, which was the most detailed and exhaustive ever conducted by the U.S. Department of State, established the true cost of providing these consular services, which the Department recovers through the collection of fees. Six of the fees decreased but the remainder increased from 10% and 593%. Embassies will immediately begin collecting the new fees for appointments made for July 13 or later. The Department of State published its new Schedule of Fees for Consular Services in the Federal Register on 28 JUN 2010. The changes to the schedule, which include fees for the passport, immigrant visa and other consular services, were implemented on 13 JUL 2010. For a complete listing of the new fees refer to the attachment to this Bulletin or at www.travel.state.gov. [Source: Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC 1 Jul 2010 ++]

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National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility & Reform: More than 90 “public comment” witnesses were invited to appear 30 JUN before the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. They came from a variety of interest groups and think tanks, liberal and conservative. Many were economists and policy experts but private citizens also testified. Each got four minutes unless their comments sparked a dialogue with commissioners. Most of the focus was on controlling Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security costs, and whether and how to raise taxes. ―There’s a fundamental difference between social insurance programs open to every American and military benefits earned by decades of service and sacrifice,‖ Steve Strobridge, director of government relations for the Military Officers Association of America, told the commission. Carl Blake, legislative director for Paralyzed Veterans of America, conceded the country ―faces a very harsh reality‖ of rapid federal spending growth that ―appears unsustainable. And yet PVA is here today to emphasize why continued growth in federal spending for (veterans) is imperative.‖ Not every witness was keen on maintaining the status quo for military retirees or veterans.

 Will Marshall, president of the Progressive Policy Institute, in his written statement said ―no program should be exempted from new constraints of fiscal discipline, including defense.‖ He referred to

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Congressional Budget Office options that included higher ―military health care premiums and deductibles‖ that would save $6 billion to $8 billion annually.

 Maya MacGuineas, president of another non-profit, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, endorsed a revised method of calculating cost-of-living adjustments for federal entitlements. The so-called ―superlative‖ Consumer Price Index would end what some economists contend is an upward bias to the current CPI that allows COLAs to exceed annual inflation.

 The most heated exchange occurred between retired Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY) the commission’s co-chair, and Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. This organization, Simpson noted, threatens politicians with brief careers if they don’t sign a pledge not to raise taxes. But Simpson pointed out that Norquist’s ―idol,‖ Ronald Reagan, had signed into law cumulative tax increases of $132.7 billion during his eight years as president. Because Reagan, above all, was a realist, said Simpson.

Erskine Bowles, the Commission’s other Co-Chairman and former Chief of Staff to President Clinton, said the commission sought any ideas that might support the president’s goal of ending deficit spending, except for interest payments on the rising national debt, by the year 2015. Meeting that target will require finding $250 billion in deficit savings for just that budget year alone. ―President Obama made it clear that no one should be surprised next year when he brings forward recommendations that have real budget cuts in them,‖ Bowles said. ―I expect we will make those recommendations to him (to) reduce the cost of entitlements and help restore our nation’s long-term fiscal strength.‖ No recommended spending cuts or tax increases would occur before fiscal 2012, Bowles said. But solutions must be found and adopted to the stem the rising tide of red ink that threatens disaster for future generations. ―If we don’t restore some fiscal sanity around here,‖ Bowles said, ―we are going to go broke. I know that’s not a word people like to use but it happens to be true. We face the most predictable economic crisis in history. And if we stay on automatic pilot, the debt we are accumulating will be like a cancer, and it will definitely destroy this country from within.‖

Simpson had served on a previous commission on entitlement reform, in 1993-94, and he co-sponsored a bill to apply a means test to entitlement COLAs, including for military retirees. Only those retirees drawing the lowest 30% in income would have gotten a full COLA each year under Simpson’s bill, which never passed the Congress. Means testing military retiree COLAs, Strobridge argued before the new commission, ―would be a counter-productive performance penalty‖ because it would hurt those who had won promotion or served long careers. Strobridge acknowledged a period of rapid growth in military personnel costs aimed at addressing a pay gap, repairing a misguided cut in retirement for new entrants after July 1986 and restoring lost health care benefits to older military retirees. That time of rapid growth ―is behind us, and we won’t see major new fixes in the years ahead,‖ Strobridge said. ―MOAA isn’t saying that (military) health fees should never be increased,‖ Strobridge said. ―But comparing only military versus civilian cash fees ignores that military people pay far higher premiums than any civilian — but they pay them up front and in kind through decades of service and sacrifice. MOAA believes that should be acknowledged by limiting the percentage fee increase in any year to the percentage growth in pay.‖

President Obama created the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to address our nation’s fiscal challenges. The Commission is charged with identifying policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run. Specifically, the Commission shall propose recommendations designed to balance the budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, by 2015. In addition, the Commission shall propose recommendations that meaningfully improve the long-run fiscal outlook, including changes to address the growth of entitlement spending and the gap between the projected revenues and expenditures of the Federal Government. The Commission meets as a whole once a month while Congress is in session. They will vote on a final report containing a set of recommendations to achieve its mission no later than 1 DEC 2010. The final report will require the approval of at least 14 of the Commission’s 18 members. [Source: Jacksonville Daily News Tom Philpott article 9 Jul 2010 ++]

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DBIDS Update 01: The Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) is a physical access control system that is used by the Department of Defense (DOD) to manage personnel, property and installation access. The Coast Guard does not use DBIDS to manage access to Coast Guard facilities; however, you may be required to register in DBIDS if you access one of the DOD installations that do use it. The DBIDS program registers and maintains a database of ALL Department of Defense identification card or common access card holders requiring access to an installation and is currently installed at 27 DOD installations in the continental United States. ALL personnel will include active duty, reservists, civilians, contractors, dependents, retirees, and visitors. During registration, DBIDS will capture and store your digital photograph and biometrics. Once you are registered, a hand-held device that scans the bar code on the Department of Defense identification card or common access card will allow the gate guard to view personal identifying information and whether or not you are authorized to enter the base. If you are required to register in the DBIDS program at an installation, you will be told where to go to register

by the gate guard. Additional information:

 The Civilian Retiree ID card cannot currently be used for registration and access because the card does not have the bar code required. A DBIDS card will be issued for eligible Civilian retirees.

 Some installations using DBIDS have experienced difficulties registering some of the older Teslin cards (blue retiree, red reserve, etc) because of the way the data in the barcode was stored. If you are required to register in DBIDS and have one of these older cards, you may need to have a new Teslin ID card issued. The RAPIDS Site Locator can be used to find the RAPIDS ID card issuing facility closest to your location . http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/owa/home

 Children under the age of 10 that have not yet been issued a DOD dependent ID card may be issued a DBIDS card if required by the installation.

 Questions regarding DBIDS requirements should be directed to the local installation (Visitor Center, Pass & ID Office, etc).

[Source: The Coast Guard/NOAA Retirees’ Newsletter Issue 3/2010 Jul 2010 ++]

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Military Discounts Update 03: Blue Star Museums is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 750 museums in all 50 states to offer admission at no charge to military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, 31 MAY thru Labor Day 6 SEP 2010. The admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard), National Guard and Reserve members and up to five immediate family members. For a listing of museums, what they have to exhibit, contact info, hours of operation, and locations refer to www.arts.gov/national/bluestarmuseums/index.php. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 9 Jul 2010 ++]

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Fit but Unsuitable Discharge: One would think that when a physical evaluation board (PEB) examines a servicemember’s medical condition and deems him or her ―fit for duty,‖ the meaning of that term would be self-evident. One also would think that, several years in the wake of media exposure of grievous treatment of wounded warriors and low-balled disability ratings that resulted in separation of severely injured servicemembers with no retirement or medical benefits, that wouldn’t be happening anymore. However, all too often, MOAA learns of cases in which soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines with significant, service-connected medical conditions are

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evaluated by PEBs and found fit for duty — only to be administratively separated or barred from reenlistment as ―unsuitable‖ for continued service based on the same medical condition. According to DoD regulations, there are certain specified medical conditions that warrant separation for unsuitability — enuresis, incapacitating fear of flying, personality or adjustment disorders, substance-abuse disorders, etcetera. But the services have expanded use of this provision far beyond what’s authorized in DoD regulations, separating servicemembers for far more serious medical conditions that are compensable under VA disability ratings, which the services are supposed to be using to assess disability versus fitness for duty.

In many cases, a servicemember’s administrative separation is based on his or her limited deployability as a result of the medical condition. In other cases, the separation documents simply assert the medical condition renders the servicemember ―unsuitable‖ for service — even though the PEB evaluated the same condition (including deployability limitations) and found that servicemember fit for duty. In many instances, a separated servicemember has been awarded a very high disability rating by the VA for the same condition immediately after separation. MOAA strongly believes this process is a gross miscarriage of justice. If a person has a seriously disabling medical condition (warranting a 30% or higher disability rating under VA rules), then the person should be medically retired. If a PEB evaluates a condition (including deployability limits) and finds it doesn’t render the person unfit for duty, then he or she shouldn’t be subject to administrative separation for the same medical condition. This practice was highlighted by MOAA to the House and Senate Armed Services committees who were urged to take action to stop it. Subsequently, the House committee demanded a DoD report on the issue, asserting it is ―fundamentally unfair and inconsistent with the disability evaluation system reforms that have been enacted in recent years.‖ The Senate committee went further, putting a provision in its version of the FY 2011 Defense Authorization Act that would bar the services from administratively separating servicemembers for medical conditions other than those explicitly authorized by DoD regulations. [Source: MOAA Leg Up Steve Strobridge article 9 Jul 2010]

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HVAC Update 12: At a 1 JUL House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee hearing, Chairman John Hall (D-NY) and Ranking Member Doug Lamborn (R-CO) endorsed Rep. Tim Walz’ bill (H.R.3787) to accord veteran status to Guard and Reserve retirees who were never called to active federal service during their military careers. Although entitled to military retired pay, TRICARE (at age 60) and a number of veterans’ benefits, career reservists are not veterans under the law unless they have been activated under federal orders. Rep. Walz is the highest-ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress. He attained the rank of Command Sergeant Major during his National Guard career and was deployed. Members of the Military Coalition TMC) offered testimony at the hearing strongly supporting the bill. A VA government witness testified that an amended version of the bill would not qualify the reserve retiree cohort to any unearned veterans’ benefits. But the witness fretted that the government still objected to the bill because it would change the concept that only federal active duty should count for veteran status. As more and more members of the Guard and Reserve prepare for call-ups and continue to perform homeland defense missions in non-federal status – securing ground zero in Manhattan and at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, conducting counter-drug and border security missions, responding to Katrina and the BP oil spill, and preparing forces for deployment. TMC maintains that all who served a full Guard or Reserve career should be declared veterans of our nation’s Armed Forces. The Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (DAMA) panel also took testimony on other legislation that would:

 Protect veteran pension payments from being offset by private insurance settlements related to accidents, theft, other losses and medical expenses from such causes (H.R.4541)

 Increase aid and attendance rates for severely injured veterans, qualify severely burned veterans for adaptive housing and auto grants, expand aid and attendance for veterans with traumatic brain injury, and increase the Medal of Honor service pension (H.R.3407)

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 Permit a waiver of the 120-day timeline to file with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals in exceptional circumstances (H.R.5064)

 Allow veterans with fully developed claims to waive the lengthy VA “development period” and receive an earlier decision (H.R.5549)

[Source: MOAA Leg Up 9 Jul 2010]

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Mobilized Reserve 06 JUL 2010: The Department of Defense announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 6 JUL 2010. The net collective result is 2,393 fewer reservists mobilized than last reported in the 1 JUL 2010 RAO Bulletin. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 90,999; Navy Reserve, 6,354; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 17,111; Marine Corps Reserve, 5,223; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 790. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 120,477 including both units and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defense.gov/news/d20100706ngr.pdf . [Source: DoD News Release No. 585-10 dtd 7 Jul 2010 ++]

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Passport Obtainment ~ U.S. Update 04: The Citizenship and Passport unit of the Manila Embassy’s Consular Section provides services for first time passport (with proof of U.S. citizenship), renewal, replacement passport, additional pages; and application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad and citizenship. Obtainment options are:

 The U.S. Embassy has partnered with a local courier Air21/FedEx to provide blank forms, to pick up completed forms and documents (and deliver them the Embassy), and to deliver completed passports to most locations in the Philippines for a nominal fee. To receive blank application forms and a list of requirements, you may contact Air21/FedEx Courier Service at Tel: (02) 879-4747 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, except American and Philippine holidays. Forms are also available at the Embassy (American Citizen Services Section) or can be downloaded via the U.S. Embassy website: manila.usembassy.gov.

 Alternatively, completed application forms may be submitted via regular mail to: Citizenship and Passport Unit, American Citizen Services, Consular Section, U.S. Embassy, 1201 Roxas Blvd., Manila . Once the application and supporting documents are received at the Embassy, the Embassy will advise the applicant when to come to the Embassy for a personal interview appointment.

 Application for a renewal of U.S. passport may also be filed personally (as walk-in) at the U.S. Embassy in Manila (between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. ONLY, Monday through Friday – no walk-ins on every last working day of the month) or American Consular Agency in Cebu (basement of Waterfront Hotel – Lahug City – between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays).

All passport applications are reviewed and processed only at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. For applicants seen at the American Consular Agency in Cebu, it may still be possible for them to be invited to the U.S. Embassy in Manila , for further interview, if necessary. Please note that walk-in applicants at the U.S. Embassy in Manila may have to wait longer before they can be seen by the consular officer. Priority is given to those with pre-scheduled appointments.

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The payment for passport should be made after the application is received at the Embassy and/or after notification from the passport processor of the case from the U.S. Embassy. U.S. passport fee payments may be made by the applicant, or his/her representative, at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Window D, American Citizen Services, between 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, except on U.S. and Philippine holidays or at the American Consular Agency in Cebu (basement of Waterfront Hotel – Lahug City – between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays). Cash payments mailed directly to the Citizenship and Passport Unit, American Citizen Services, Consular Section, U.S. Embassy, 1201 Roxas Blvd. 1000 Manila, will be accepted. Unfortunately, the U.S. Embassy cannot assume any responsibility for payments sent to them. Payments may be made in cash (in person at the Embassy or via mail) or via credit card with visa, mastercard and AmEx logos (in person only at the Embassy). U.S. Traveler’s cheque (should be at least 60% of the amount to be paid) is also acceptable. Note that the actual conversion rate of dollar to peso will be determined at the US Embassy in Manila . The attached U.S. Passport Renewal Requirements Checklist is provided for your reference. [Source: Citizenship and Passport Unit, American Citizen Services, U.S. embassy Manila Philippines Jul 2010 ++]

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VA Women Vet Programs Update 12: The Department of Veterans Affairs opened registration on 8 JUL for a women Veterans forum that will address the quality of VA health care, the provision of benefits for women, and ways for VA to continue improving access to the care and benefits for women Veterans. “The VA forum will bring advocates for women Veterans together to learn about VA services and to share valuable information with each other,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The forum will also give Veterans’ advocates the tools they need to help build women Veterans networks and communities throughout VA.” Shinseki and VA department heads will attend the forum on 28 JUL at the Women’s Memorial in Arlington, Va.

Because of anticipated demand, available seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and confirmed registrants will be notified by email once registration is filled. Registration-through the Center for Women Veterans by e-mail at [email protected] — closes when either all seats are filled or no later than 16 JUL.

The Forum will run from 07-1500, with morning presentations and an afternoon information marketplace in which participants are invited to move through the gallery and gather resources and materials provided by VA program offices, Veterans Service Organizations and advocacy organizations. There will also be an afternoon screening of the updated “Lioness” documentary film. VA’s women Veterans health conference held earlier in the month will help inform the Forum with the most up-to-date information available from VA’s health care system. Presentations from the event will be made available online. Feedback about this event and announcements on future events will be available to Forum participants. For more information contact the Center for Women Veterans at (202) 461-6193 or by e-mail at [email protected]. VA has undertaken major initiatives to transform the department to meet the unique health care needs of women Veterans and provide the best quality care at every VA medical center. In addition, the agency is working to shorten the delays for claims processing, improve access to VA health services for minority and rural Veterans, end Veteran homelessness, and ease the transition back to civilian life. There are about 1.8 million women Veterans among the nation’s total of 23 million living Veterans. VA estimates women Veterans will comprise 10.5% of the Veteran population by 2020. [Source: VA News Release 8 Jul 2010 ++]

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Vietnam Veterans Memorial Update 07: The newly refurbished Three Servicemen Statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was unveiled 8 JUL after six weeks of restoration. “This is a very noteworthy event,” said Jan Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. “It’s very noteworthy for the history of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, [and] it’s really a notable event for our nation’s Mall and the maintenance and preservation of our nation’s Mall.” The statue was created by sculptor Frederick Hart. Nearly 26

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years after its original unveiling in 1984, weather damage and age had taken a toll on the statue. Parts of the uniforms, weapons, hands and noses of the statue sustained some corrosion and deterioration. The restoration was done in place, and it repaired oxidation damage and added a new patina coating and wax. During restoration, the statue was protected by a wooden enclosure with three seven-foot-tall windows that allowed tourists to view progress. “Almost 26 years later, we’re here to rededicate the statue and pledge our continued care,” said Scruggs, a Vietnam War veteran.

The statue sits on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site about 200 feet away from and facing the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. It depicts three servicemembers – one Hispanic, one black and one white – and represents the more than 58,000 fallen servicemembers memorialized on the wall, Scruggs said. “There’s a sense of artistic and dynamic tension as the servicemen gaze at the sea of names on the wall,” Scruggs said. “Over the years, people have noted that it seems almost as if the servicemen are looking to see if their own names or the names of their friends are on the wall.” Hart’s widow, Lindy, was recognized at the ceremony for her husband’s work. Hart was the only person “who had the extraordinary talent we were looking for and who would design the statue in such a way as to complement the memorial,” Scruggs said. Hart often is referred to in the artistic community as America’s Michelangelo, Scruggs said, noting his other famous work, the Creation sculptures on the west façade of the Washington National Cathedral. “It is really not an exaggeration to refer to him in that manner,” Scruggs said. “He was really that good, … as good as any of the masters in sculpture throughout the history of the world.”

One of Hart’s models for the Three Servicemen Statue, William Smith, 50, of Virginia, was present and recognized at the ceremony. Smith’s likeness was captured in the Cuban-American servicemember on the right side of the statue, carrying a .60-caliber machine gun over his shoulder. Smith was the only model who didn’t serve in the military. The other two were members of the Marine Corps Honor Guard and, at the time, were stationed at Henderson Hall Marine Barracks in Arlington, Va. Although Smith never served, he said, he’s honored that his likeness helps to represent “some of the greatest Americans to ever serve. Retired Army Brig. Gen. George Price, an advocate for the statue’s creation in the early 1980s, and John Piltzecker, National Mall and Memorial Parks superintendent, also attended the ceremony. “The National Park Service is certainly pleased that the Three Servicemen Statue has been restored to reflect the artist’s intent,” Piltzecker said. “We will continue to work with our partner, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, to maintain the statue for all to enjoy.”

The restoration project cost about $25,000. The funds were raised by a National Park Service share grant and an in-home fundraiser by Lindy Hart. Individual contributions also were made. New Arts Foundry of Baltimore did the restoration work. The project is part of a maintenance and restoration program by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to assist the National Park Service in site upkeep. [Source: AFPS Michael J. Carden article 8 Jul 2010 ++]

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VA Service Dogs: A new report by the Veterans Affairs Department Inspector General says VA should be doing more for veterans whose lives could be improved with help from service dogs. Eight years after receiving approval to help pay for dogs to assist veterans with mobility problems, seizure disorders or other disabilities, a report released 7 JUL says VA has approved only eight requests. VA officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said VA supports providing service dogs for veterans with physical and hearing issues, and does so on a case-by-case basis. Relaxed policies that might make service dogs more widely available are under review, but rule changes take time, officials said. ―It is unacceptable not to exercise the authority given to them to improve the quality of veterans’ lives,‖ said Christina Roof of AmVets, a group that has been pushing the issue for years. When service dog benefits are provided, VA does not pay for the dog nor its training, but veterinary bills, vaccinations and treatments for fleas and ticks are covered by VA. In some cases, a veteran can be reimbursed for food if a dog is on a medically ordered diet.

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The eight service dog requests were approved, all in the last two years, only after VA conducted three research projects. Another project is just getting under way to determine if a veteran with post-traumatic stress or some other mental disorder might benefit from having a canine assistant. The report from the VA inspector general says officials do not expect a decision based on that study before JUL 2011. It is not known how many veterans might have been helped if VA had moved faster, but it is clear that the agency’s policy has — at least until recently — been one of denying requests for benefits unless all other options are first considered. Roof said VA seems to assume that few veterans are interested in the benefit, but the IG report shows at least 72 veterans received service dogs on their own, without VA’s help. Service dogs are different from trained guide dogs. Service dogs are taught to help a disabled owner carry out specific tasks, like pulling a wheelchair, picking up objects or alerting him when a seizure is about to happen.

Since late last year, VA has tried to be more accommodating to requests, the report said, and has been spreading the word among health care workers and veterans service organizations that service dog benefits are available — but this does not seem to be very effective. ―We found that knowledge and use of service dogs at VA medical centers was still incomplete and inconsistent,‖ the report says. ―Interviews with VA medical center staff found that these recent efforts had not completely filtered down to all staff.‖ The IG report notes inconsistencies, saying it dfound that a veteran with epilepsy received benefits in January for a seizure alert dog when officials and the Indianapolis VA Medical Center determined this was a ―reasonable treatment option.‖ But another veteran in Washington, D.C., with the same condition was denied an alert dog during the same month because his request was deemed to ―not meet criteria for VA support,‖ the report says. [Source: ArmyTimes rick Maze article 7 Jul 2010 ++]

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VA Lawsuit ~ Disability Claim Rejections: A Louisiana veterans advocate 6 JUL accused the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims of rejecting many valid disability claims. “Veterans are not being treated fairly,” said Paul Labbe, who heads the Louisiana Veterans Advocacy Group of Lake Charles. He also said he fears that a civil rights lawsuit alleging improper treatment by a doctor at the VA Alexandria Medical Center in Pineville will be thrown out if a federal judge accepts the arguments of Veterans Affairs lawyers. A filing by government lawyers argues that the suit doesn’t meet the criteria for a civil rights case and shouldn’t be allowed to continue to trial. Members of Congress have been looking at the issue of rejected disability claims after Assistant U.S. Solicitor General Anthony Yang admitted during a Supreme Court hearing in FEB 2010 that between 50% and 60% of veterans disability cases are mishandled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Chief Justice John Roberts was surprised by the admission. “Well, that’s really startling, isn’t it?” Roberts said. “In litigating with veterans, the government more often than not takes a position that is substantially unjustified?” Labbe said the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims continues what he called the injustice of rejecting the vast majority of appeals by veterans denied disability benefits by the VA. “Veterans aren’t getting any justice at this court,” Labbe said at a news conference outside the court’s Washington, D.C., headquarters.

In 2007, a Harvard University study said it takes the Department of Veterans Affairs an average of six months to process a disability claim, and the appeals process takes a little less than two years. Because many veterans applying for disability benefits are elderly, many die before a final decision is rendered, the study said. The House Veterans Affairs Committee heard testimony last week about legislation that would give veterans more time to file appeals. Rep. John Adler (D-NJ) discussed the case of Korean War veteran David Henderson, a diagnosed schizophrenic, who was denied a hearing because his appeal was filed 15 days past the 120-day deadline set by the court. His disability, Henderson said, made it impossible for him to get the papers together in time to meet the court’s deadline. “The veterans’ claims process is extremely difficult to navigate, especially when doing so without the aid of an attorney or while suffering from a mental disability,” Adler said. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) said he was distressed to hear about a veteran in his state who was cut off from his veterans’ pension for a year, two days after he

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voluntarily disclosed that insurance was paying some medical costs resulting from an accident in which an automobile struck his wheelchair, knocking him head first against the pavement. Given that it takes many months to qualify for benefits, Hastings said he found it disturbing that someone could be cut off benefits in just two days. “This means that the law effectively punishes veterans when they suffer from such an accident or theft,” Hastings said. [Source: Times-Picayune Bruce Alpert article 6 Jul 2010 ++]

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Aid & Attendance Update 04: A health care company has agreed to pay back nearly $70,000 to local veterans and their families in connection with a civil settlement with the Massachusetts State Attorney General’s office. Complaints about heavy-handed and deceptive marketing tactics by Homewatch Caregivers arose in 2007 initiating an investigation, culminating recently in the restitution agreement. However, a public relations consultant for the local company said the West Springfield entity simply used a marketing plan pitched by their national parent company, which bought into a format by Horizon Care, also a national vendor. The local company feigned being an arm of the U.S. Veterans Administration and offered local veterans a middle man to access ―Aid and Attendance‖ benefits to which they are already qualified. The benefit allows for ailing vets and their spouses to receive home-based care to assist in eating, bathing, dressing and similar needs. In some cases, Homewatch assisted consumers in getting those services but would at times collect too much or represent that veterans needed to go in to their own pockets for Homewatch’s services. The company will not face criminal charges, Attorney General Martha M. Coakley said. ―We believe their marketing was unfair and deceptive but not necessarily criminal,‖ she said, adding that 18 consumers will receive settlements ranging from $500 to $14,000.

Peter and Judy Yaffe, owners of the company, issued a prepared statement in response to a press release by Coakley’s office. ―We regret that some of the information supplied to us by Horizon Care Coordinators, consultants to the parent company Homewatch International, and shared with area veterans by our office staff was inaccurate. P.J. Care of Western Massachusetts (Homewatch Caregivers) has been in business since 2002 providing exceptional home care to hundreds of area residents in the area of senior, post surgical and chronic condition care. We remain committed to high quality home care provided by experienced and trained caregivers in helping people in Western Massachusetts.‖ The statement continued, ―Information about (the Aid and Attendance) program was supplied by our national franchiser, Homewatch International and Horizon Care Coordinators … As a result of this, in 2007, P.J. Care joined with Homewatch International and 14 other national franchisees in successfully suing Horizon Care Coordinators for the misleading and false information they provided and that we, and their national franchisees, unwittingly shared with area veterans.‖ Coakley said her office has focused on Internet insurance card scams and similar fraud since state-mandated health insurance was initiated. Veterans can check their eligibility for the Department of Veterans Affairs Aid & Attendance program at www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/pension/vetpen.htm#3 . [Source: www.Mass.live.com Stephanie Barry article 8 Jul 2010 ++]

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PTSD Update 50: The government is preparing to issue new rules that will make it substantially easier for veterans who have been found to have post-traumatic stress disorder to receive disability benefits, a change that could affect hundreds of thousands of veterans from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. The regulations from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which will take effect as early as 5 JUL and cost as much as $5 billion over several years according to Congressional analysts, will essentially eliminate a requirement that veterans document specific events like bomb blasts, firefights or mortar attacks that might have caused PTSD., an illness characterized by emotional numbness, irritability and flashbacks. For decades, veterans have complained that finding such records was extremely time consuming and sometimes impossible. And in the wars in Afghanistan and

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Iraq, veterans groups assert that the current rules discriminate against tens of thousands of service members — many of them women — who did not serve in combat roles but nevertheless suffered traumatic experiences.

Under the new rule, which applies to veterans of all wars, the department will grant compensation to those with PTSD. if they can simply show that they served in a war zone and in a job consistent with the events that they say caused their conditions. They would not have to prove, for instance, that they came under fire, served in a front-line unit or saw a friend killed. The new rule would also allow compensation for service members who had good reason to fear traumatic events, known as stressors, even if they did not actually experience them. There are concerns that the change will open the door to a flood of fraudulent claims. But supporters of the rule say the veterans department will still review all claims and thus be able to weed out the baseless ones. ―This nation has a solemn obligation to the men and women who have honorably served this country and suffer from the emotional and often devastating hidden wounds of war,‖ the secretary of veterans affairs, Eric K. Shinseki, said in a statement to The New York Times. ―This final regulation goes a long way to ensure that veterans receive the benefits and services they need.‖

Though widely applauded by veterans’ groups, the new rule is generating criticism from some quarters because of its cost. Some mental health experts also believe it will lead to economic dependency among younger veterans whose conditions might be treatable. Disability benefits include no-cost physical and mental health care and monthly checks ranging from a few hundred dollars to more than $2,000, depending on the severity of the condition. ―I can’t imagine anyone more worthy of public largess than a veteran,‖ said Dr. Sally Satel, a psychiatrist and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative policy group, who has written on PTSD. ―But as a clinician, it is destructive to give someone total and permanent disability when they are in fact capable of working, even if it is not at full capacity. A job is the most therapeutic thing there is.‖ But Rick Weidman, executive director for policy and government affairs at Vietnam Veterans of America, said most veterans applied for disability not for the monthly checks but because they wanted access to free health care. ―I know guys who are rated 100 percent disabled who keep coming back for treatment not because they are worried about losing their compensation, but because they want their life back,‖ Mr. Weidman said.

Mr. Weidman and other veterans’ advocates said they were disappointed by one provision of the new rule: It will require a final determination on a veteran’s case to be made by a psychiatrist or psychologist who works for the veterans department. The advocates assert that the rule will allow the department to sharply limit approvals. They argue that private physicians should be allowed to make those determinations as well. But Tom Pamperin, associate deputy under secretary for policy and programs at the veterans department, said the agency wanted to ensure that standards were consistent for the assessments. ―VA and VA contract clinicians go through a certification process,‖ Mr. Pamperin said. ―They are well familiar with military life and can make an assessment of whether the stressor is consistent with the veterans’ duties and place of service.‖

More than two million service members have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001, and by some estimates 20% or more of them will develop PTSD. More than 150,000 cases of PTSD. have been diagnosed by the veterans health system among veterans of the two wars, while thousands more have received diagnoses from private doctors, said Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, an advocacy group. But Mr. Sullivan said records showed that the veterans department had approved PTSD. disability claims for only 78,000 veterans. That suggests, he said, that many veterans with the disorder are having their compensation claims rejected by claims processors. ―Those statistics show a very serious problem in how V.A. handles PTSD claims,‖ Mr. Sullivan said. Representative John Hall (D-NY), and sponsor of legislation similar to the new rule, said his office had handled dozens of cases involving veterans who had trouble receiving disability compensation for PTSD, including a Navy veteran from World War II who twice served on ships that sank in the Pacific. ―It doesn’t matter whether you are an infantryman or a cook or a truck driver,‖ Mr. Hall said. ―Anyone is potentially at risk for post-traumatic stress.‖ [Source: New York Times James Dao article 7 Jul 2010 ++]

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VA Presumptive VN Vet Diseases Update 08: The Secretary of Veterans Affairs said during a brief visit 6 JUL to Salt Lake City said, “The federal government did not address military members’ exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War ―the way that might have been and the way that should have been.‖ Thousands of Vietnam veterans waited for decades before medical conditions they acquired during the war were connected to exposure to the toxic defoliant. And that meant that many went without the medical care and compensation they deserved while suffering from debilitating diseases caused by their service. But as evidence mounts suggesting that many of the nation’s latest generation of veterans have been sickened by service in Iraq and Afghanistan, Secretary Eric Shinseki defended a century-old standard requiring scientific proof before veterans can be compensated for their suffering. Thirty-five years after the end of the Vietnam War, the V.A. is still slowly adding to the list of conditions recognized as related to Agent Orange exposure, including three illnesses — Parkinson’s disease, ischemic heart disease, and B cell leukemias — that have been added to the list under Shinseki’s watch. The former Army general, himself a combat-wounded veteran of the Vietnam War, said ―nothing‖ was done to immediately respond to veterans who grew inexplicably sick after returning home from Vietnam. Shinseki said his department was working tirelessly to help veterans establish proof sooner. ―What we’re trying to change is the opportunity to establish the connection,‖ he said, noting that millions of federal dollars have been poured into research into military members who have been exposed to open-air burn pits — one of the probable culprits in a variety of medical conditions suffered by veterans, including cancer, skin conditions and blood disease. But in the meantime, the secretary said, the standard requiring medical proof of a disease’s cause is ―the law.‖ [Source: Salt Lake Tribune Matthew D. LaPlante article 6 Jul 2010 ++]

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Vet Jobs Update 20: In today’s economic climate, transitioning from the military to the civilian world will mean entering an unyielding job market and period of unemployment for most veterans. In fact, the unemployment rate for former servicemembers from Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts rose from 10% in MAY to 11.5% in JUN 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But, a tight job market is only part of the veteran unemployment problem. A recent study from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) revealed that veterans face two major hurdles when finding civilian employment: translating their military experience into civilian skills; and hiring managers’ lack of knowledge about policies designed to help veterans get employment. The SHRM study titled, “Employment Military Personnel and Recruiting Veterans-Attitudes and Practices,” randomly polled 429 employers. SHRM’s study is part of an initiative to help address the high unemployment rate among veterans, and aims to connect them to gainful employment. It is committed to working with federal agencies, such as the Department of Labor and civilian HR professionals to create initiatives to get veterans hired. The results of their study found that:

 60% of hiring professionals said that many veterans report having difficulty writing resumes, interviewing, and adapting to workplace culture, in addition to not being able to explain their military skills to employers effectively.

 Even though 50% of employers surveyed report making a specific effort to hire veterans, a high amount hiring managers were unaware of the Department of Labor’s veteran employment initiatives- 68% were unaware of the Local Veterans’ Employment Representative; 70% were unfamiliar with the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program.

 46% of hiring managers thought post traumatic stress issues, as well as other combat-sustained brain injuries, would present a problem for veteran employment. However, only 13% of employers reported actually having issues with veterans who suffered from PTSD in the civilian workplace.

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Laurence G. O’Neil, president and CEO of SHRM, in a company-issued statement said, “The high unemployment rate of military veterans is startling.” According to the study, when asked what tools and resources “would help a lot” with the military-to-civilian workforce transition, 39% of employers responded with programs to train veterans with additional skills for the workplace; 36% said programs to help veterans translate military experience into civilian skills sets; and 32% said programs and initiatives to help find and reach out to qualified veterans to fill open positions. Veterans seeking employment are encouraged to check out www.military.com/Careers/Home/0,13373,,00.html where job listings, resume writing assistance, and career fairs locations are provided. [Source: Military.com | Veteran Careers Kelly Johnson article Jul 2010 ++]

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Fisher House Expansion Update 05: There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 10,000 families, and have made available nearly three million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990. By law, there is no charge for any family to stay at a Fisher House operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and Fisher House Foundation uses donations to reimburse the individual Fisher Houses operated by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Fisher Houses ease financial burden and stress. They look like houses and the atmosphere is a more comfortable alternative for veterans’ families. This year seven more houses will open, representing the most new ones opened in a single year in the organization’s 20-year history. The current Fisher Houses are located on 18 military installations and near 15 VA medical centers. Fisher House opened a facility near the Illinois VA hospital in MAR. It was the most recently opened of 45 houses across the country that offer lodging at no cost to veterans and their families who have to travel more than 50 miles to get treatment at government-run Veterans Affairs hospitals.

Fisher House plans to open a facility at the VA hospital in Boston this month and in St. Louis in AUG. In the fall it plans to open a house at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for families traveling to pick up the bodies of servicemembers killed in combat. A Fisher House was built near the VA hospital in Dallas last year. The hospital provides care for veterans from North Texas and parts of Oklahoma and Louisiana. Fundraising efforts are underway to build Fisher Houses in at least 15 other cities. A volunteer group is in the process of raising money for a Fisher House that would be built next to the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro TN giving temporary lodging to patients who have to travel for treatment at VA hospitals there or in Nashville. President Obama donation of $250,000 from his Nobel Peace Prize award to will go in its entirety directly to supporting the Fisher Houses being built at Bethesda Naval Hospital and Dover Air Force Base. Of all other donations ninety-six cents of every dollar goes directly towards program costs. For additional info on the Fisher House foundation refer to www.fisherhouse.org. [Source: USA Today Clay Carey article 5 Jul 2010 ++]

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Louisiana Vet Cemeteries: Central Louisiana finally will get its long-awaited Veterans Cemetery sometime this fall, but a Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs spokeswoman says it could be years before northeastern Louisiana veterans and their families have their own burial ground. The News Star reported on 5 JUL that a bid will be awarded July 15 to build the Veterans Cemetery in Leesville near Fort Polk, with construction to be completed later this year. Though a site in Richland Parish was chosen four years ago for a Veterans Cemetery in northeastern Louisiana, the project is no closer to reality because of diminished funding available from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which pays 100% of the cost. The military service requirement for burial in Louisiana state veterans cemeteries must be in accordance with the eligibility standards set by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration; at a minimum, one must meet one of the following:

 Veteran was discharged from active duty under other than dishonorable conditions,

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 Veteran died while on active duty

 Veteran served at least 20 years in the National Guard or Reserves and qualified for military retirement pay (or would have qualified, except death occurred before age 60)

Spouses and dependent children of veterans who were eligible for burial may also be interred in state veterans cemeteries. Burial benefits may include the following: gravesites for casket or cremation remains, headstones or markers, opening and closing of the graves, and continued perpetual care. Burial of an eligible veteran is at no cost to the veteran. A fee is charged at the time of interment for spouses and dependent children of eligible veterans. At present veterans can obtain burial services at the state’s Northwest LA Veterans Cemetery, 7970 Mike Clark Road, Keithville, LA 71047 Tel: (318) 925-0612/5521F or Email: [email protected]. In addition there are three federal cemeteries located at:

 Alexandria National Cemetery, 209 East Shamrock Ave., Pineville, LA 71360

 Baton Rouge National Cemetery (No new interments), 220 North 19th Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70806

 Port Hudson National Cemetery, 20978 Port Hickey Road, Zachary, LA 70791 Tel: (225) 654-3767

[Source: The News-Star AP article 5 Jul 2010 ++]

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Heat Exhaustion/Stroke: Summer means outdoor fun — from hiking and swimming to music festivals and county fairs to dancing in the street–but summer fun can quickly turn tragic if you or someone you care about ends up with heat exhaustion or heat stroke. As temperatures rise, so does the risk that your body’s natural cooling system will malfunction or shut down if you fail to take proper precautions. Although heat exhaustion and heat stroke (sometimes called sun stroke) can affect anyone, seniors are more prone to heat stress than younger people for a variety of reasons. In general, seniors do not adjust as easily or as well to sudden temperature changes, and they may have chronic medical conditions or take prescription drugs that interfere with their bodies’ ability to regulate heat. As part of your preparation for summer you should know how to recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke plus what to do if you see someone with either of these dangerous conditions. The following will assist you in this:

Who Can be affected. As summer temperatures climb in some parts of the U.S., more people are vulnerable to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that approximately 400 people die each year from excessive natural heat, and that these deaths are preventable. And while seniors are more likely to be affected by high temperatures and heat-related problems than younger people, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can affect anyone if the conditions are right. This includes animals. Be sure to provide shade and plenty of cool, fresh drinking water for your pets, and never leave a pet, child or elderly person in a locked car on hot days.

Heat Exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures, along with dehydration caused by inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids.

Heat Exhaustion symptoms. People respond to heat exhaustion in different ways, but the CDC reports that common symptoms include: Heavy sweating; Paleness; Muscle cramps; Tiredness; Weakness; Dizziness; Headache; Nausea or vomiting; Fainting; Skin: may be cool and moist; Pulse rate: fast and weak Breathing: fast and shallow

Heat Stroke. The CDC reports that heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. Heat stroke occurs when the body is exposed to an excessive amount of heat and becomes unable dissipate the heat through sweating. When heat stroke happens, the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the body loses its ability to sweat, and it is unable to cool down. Body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes, and at 106°F brain death begins. If emergency treatment is not provided, heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability in humans and animals.

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Heat Stroke Symptoms. The CDC advises that warning signs can vary among individuals, but common signs of heat stroke may include: An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F); Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating); Rapid, strong pulse; Throbbing headache; Dizziness; Nausea.

Prevention. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be avoided if you protect yourself from heat-related stress by follow these prevention tips from the CDC:

 Drink cool, non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages. The CDC recommends that if your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or prescribes water pills for you, ask him or her how much you should drink when the weather is hot. It’s best to avoid extremely cold liquids because they can cause stomach cramps.

 Drink water regularly throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Once you recognize the feeling of thirst, dehydration is already taking place.

 Be aware that some medications can make you more vulnerable to heat exhaustion. For example, painkillers can mask some of the symptoms of heat exhaustion, and laxatives can increase the risk of dehydration. If you have any questions about prescription or over-the-counter medications, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

 Rest, often. If you need an excuse to be a couch potato, hot days are just the ticket.

 Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath.

 If possible, seek an air-conditioned environment. If you don’t have air conditioning, consider visiting an air-conditioned shopping mall or public library to cool off.

 Wear lightweight clothing.

 If possible, remain indoors during the hottest parts of the day.

 Do not engage in strenuous activities.

Helping Seniors Cope with Hot Weather. If you have elderly friends, relatives or neighbors, you can help them protect themselves from heat-related stress:

 Visit older adults at risk at least twice a day and watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

 Make sure they are keeping themselves hydrated by drinking plenty of cool water.

 Encourage them to avoid beverages with caffeine or alcohol. Alcohol, in particular, increases dehydration.

 Take them to air-conditioned locations if they have transportation problems.

 Make sure older adults have access to an electric fan whenever possible.

What to Do If You See Someone With Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke. Keep in mind that if you see any signs of severe heat stress, you may be dealing with a life-threatening emergency. Have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the affected person. The CDC recommends get the person to a shady area and cool the person rapidly, using whatever methods you can, for example:

 Immerse the person in a tub of cool water

 Place the person in a cool shower

 Spray the person with cool water from a garden hose

 Sponge the person with cool water

 If the humidity is low, wrap the person in a cool, wet sheet and fan him or her vigorously

 Monitor body temperature and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101°–102°F.

 If emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room for further instructions.

 Do not give the person alcohol to drink.

 Get medical assistance as soon as possible.

[Source: About.com | Senior Living Sharon O’Brien 1 Jul 2010 ++]

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VA Prostate Cancer Program Update 07: Over the past year, the Philadelphia VA Medical Center has taken most of the public heat for a prostate cancer treatment program that went astray for six years, giving incorrect radiation doses to 97 out of 114 veterans. Now the University of Pennsylvania – which designed, staffed, and supervised the radiation program – is feeling the heat. Five veterans who received substandard therapy have filed federal lawsuits against various university entities, including its hospital and health system. That number may well grow because veterans who have sought compensation from the VA can file a federal lawsuit six month later, or anytime after a claim is denied. So far, the VA has rejected 12 of 38 claims seeking $71 million in damages. Donna Lee Jones, a Philadelphia attorney representing three of the veterans suing in federal court, predicted “there’s going to be a battle” with Penn over whether it should be part of the case. Added her partner, attorney Michael Barrett, “We think there will be plenty of finger-pointing between the VA and Penn trustees. But Penn’s fingerprints are all over everything.”

Penn spokeswoman Susan Phillips said 2 JUL the university could not comment on pending litigation. For the past year, she had said Penn could not comment on the various federal and Congressional inquiries that were underway. Penn, which uses the VA Medical Center as a teaching hospital for its medical students, contracted with the VA to run the prostate cancer treatment program, called brachytherapy. It involves implanting dozens of tiny radioactive seeds into the prostate gland to kill cancer cells over several months. Brachytherapy is effective when done properly, but if too many seeds are misplaced, the cancer may be spared, or healthy surrounding tissues may be damaged – or both. Penn assigned radiation oncologist Gary Kao to head the VA brachytherapy program. Kao, who performed most of the improper seed implants, is also named in the federal lawsuits, along with the Department of Veterans Affairs.The five veterans who are suing Penn are Richard Mitchell, James Armstrong, John Berry, Barry Lackro, all of Philadelphia, and Donald Pepper of Smyrna, Del. Lackro’s cancer has recurred and become incurable, while Berry has signs of recurrence, according to their court filings. All five men claim to suffer from radiation damage to their bladder, rectum or other organs, as well as severe emotional distress.

Their lawsuits contend Penn is liable for their injuries based on two established legal precedents: Hospitals are “vicariously” responsible for the medical negligence of doctors they employ. And hospitals that have inadequate policies, procedures, equipment and oversight can be found guilty of “corporate negligence.” Still, there are gray areas. For example, Lackro’s attorney, Mitchell Paul, said he agreed to drop Penn’s Board of Trustees from the lawsuit after Penn attorneys argued that the trustees are overseers who don’t get involved in managing doctors. Attornies Barrett and Jones, in contrast, said they will not drop the trustees from their three clients’ suits. There is similar disagreement over whether Penn’s School of Medicine should be a defendant. Up to now, Penn’s integral role in the VA brachytherapy program has been recognized, but not penalized.

In May, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees medical radiation usage levied a $227,500 fine against the Philadelphia VA – the NRC’s second-largest fine ever – citing a “total breakdown” in the program, safety procedures, and management. In a separate report last month, the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General’s office said the Philadelphia VA’s contract with Penn was non-existent or inadequate during the six years of the program. It also said the VA ended up overpaying for Penn’s services. Public documents and testimony at hearings have shown that it was Penn who hired, appointed – and in some case, trained – the radiation oncologists, urologists, physicists, technicians, and radiation safety committee chair who worked at the VA. “We think it was primarily the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania running the show, and the VA was just the shell,” Jones said. [Source: Philadelphia Inquirer Marie McCullough article 2 Jul 2010 ++]

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Money Transfer: Need to transfer money overseas quickly from the United States? One option is www.zoom.com . This site enables individuals to send money from any Internet-enabled computer. You can send up to $2999 (maximum of only $2000 to 4 of 30 countries listed) and pay with a banking account. You can also pay with a major credit or debit card but the fees are considerably higher. Regardless of payment method the fees in most cases are considerably less than Western Union. On the Zoom website is a conversion table for the currency the money will be transferred in. Fees vary by the country selected. For example:

 To transfer $2999 to the Philippines using your bank account the fee is $4.99 and using Zoom’s 5 JUL dollar to peso rate of $1 = P45.8008 they would be receiving P137,356.58. Your bank account would be charged $3,003.99. Using a major credit or debit card it would be charged $3,058.99.

 To transfer $2999 to Germany using your bank account the fee is $4.99 and using Zoom’s 5 JUL dollar to Euro rate of $1 =EUR 0.7845 they would be receiving EUR 2,352.66 Your bank account would be charged $3,003.99. Using a major credit or debit card it would be charged $3,148.99.

 To transfer $2999 to Costa Rica using your bank account the fee is $24.99 and they would be receiving $2999. Your bank account would be charged $3,023.89. Using a major credit or debit card it would be charged $3,084.99.

Recipients do not need a bank account or Internet connection to receive funds. For the delivery of funds you can select receiving options of cash pickup, bank deposit, or in some geographic areas home delivery. Location options for cash pickup and home delivery vary with the country selected. A 100 character message to the recipient can be included. You will be sent a series of email notifications informing you of the status of your transaction. The first is sent shortly after you submit a Xoom transaction. The second when your payment has cleared and Xoom transfers your transaction to their partner in the recipient’s country. Upon completion of the transaction, Zoom sends another email telling you that your recipient has received the funds. Cancellation of the money transfer is possible (if it has not been delivered) following the online guidelines. The service is not available residents of Wyoming, West Virginia and Vermont. Xoom Corporation was founded in 2001 in San Francisco and is backed by leading venture firms Sequoia Capital, New Enterprise Associates and Fidelity Ventures. [Source: zoom.com Jul 2010 ++]

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Flag Presentation Update 03: Prior to Flag Day, 14 JUN 1923, neither the federal government nor the states had official guidelines governing the display of the United States’ flag. On 14 JUN 1923, the National Flag Code was constructed by representatives of over 68 organizations, under the auspices of the National Americanism Commission of The American Legion. The code drafted by that conference was printed by the national organization of The American Legion and given nationwide distribution. On 22 JUN 1942, the Code became Public Law 77-623; chapter 435. Little had changed in the code since the Flag Day 1924 Conference. The most notable change was the removal of the Bellamy salute due to its similarities to the Hitler salute. Additional modifications were:

 The Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 prohibits real estate management organizations from restricting homeowners from displaying the Flag of the United States on their own property.

 The Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code Amendment Act of 2007 added a provision to fly the flag at half-staff upon the death of a member of the Armed Forces from any State, territory, or possession who died while serving on active duty. It also gave the mayor of the District of Columbia the authority to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff. Federal facilties in the area covered by the governor or mayor of the District of Columbia will also fly the flag at half-staff as directed.[11]

 The Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Sec. 595.) allows the military salute for the flag during the national anthem by members of the Armed Forces not in uniform and by veterans.

[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Flag_Code Jul 2010 ++]

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Arlington National Cemetery Update 12: The secretary of the Army said 30 JUN that officials were prepared to dig up graves, open caskets and take DNA samples from the deceased if it is necessary to sort out the record-keeping chaos at Arlington National Cemetery. “If we are so authorized and if it is necessary, we have not ruled out the possibility of actually opening caskets,” said Army Secretary John McHugh, noting that it would be an extreme measure, “. . . and should it thereafter become necessary for DNA . . . that would be something we would contemplate.” McHugh spoke at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee called to look into recent revelations of mismanagement, mishandling of remains and extensive record foul-ups at the nation’s most hallowed cemetery. A probe by the Army inspector general, unveiled June 10, found a wide array of long-standing problems at the cemetery. Among other problems, the Army found 211 discrepancies between burial maps and grave sites and cases in which funeral urns were inadvertently dug up and dumped in a dirt pile.

McHugh said investigators already are digging into some of the 117 sites without tombstones or burial cards that are marked as occupied on cemetery maps to see whether anyone is buried there. No names were associated with the map sites. Five have been examined so far, an Army spokesman said. In each case “the map was in error,” McHugh said. “There were no remains in those graves, and those graves will be reclaimed and reused for appropriate purposes and a fallen hero sometime in the future.” The Army also found 94 graves that had tombstones and burial cards but were not listed on cemetery maps. Twenty-two of those sites have been probed so far and found to be occupied, a cemetery spokeswoman said. Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) said he thinks a complete survey of graves at the cemetery should be conducted to check for burial mistakes. Skelton said the Army ‘s recent investigation into mistakes at the cemetery was so “limited” that it probably revealed “only a fraction of the problem. We must be prepared that a 100% survey of the cemetery and all its operations, which I believe must now be undertaken, will yield a larger number of problems that must be addressed.” The Army has focused, so far, on only three of the cemetery’s 70 sections.

McHugh said a complete cemetery survey was possible but would be difficult. “To do that for 330,000 [graves] is going to take a better system of record-keeping,” he said. As soon as the cemetery’s antiquated records system is improved, “we will begin checking and cross-checking those records for all of those graves.” In addition to the record-keeping problems, the inspector general found a dysfunctional management system and a poisonous relationship between cemetery Superintendent John C. Metzler Jr. and Deputy Superintendent Thurman Higginbotham. The two men had been at odds as far back as 1992, the year after Metzler took over at the age of 39, said Lt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb, the Army’s inspector general, who also testified at the hearing. “It appears that they struck some kind of accommodation where they kept in separate lanes,” Whitcomb said. “Although what we found and what contributed to the unhealthy work environment was those lanes tended to overlap.” Metzler, who had grown up at the cemetery while his father served as superintendent from 1951 to 1972, was issued a severe reprimand by the Army. He is retiring 2 JUL. Higginbotham has been on paid administrative leave pending a disciplinary review.

“I cannot understand how the Army has allowed the problem to fester for years,” Skelton said. “There is clear evidence that in 1992 the Army was aware of a level of leadership discord at Arlington that would not have been tolerated at any other organization,” he said. “The situation cried out for intervention, but the Army’s response was to further withdraw from Arlington Cemetery operations,” he said. Also at the hearing officials disclosed that the Defense Department’s probe of the 2008 firing of cemetery public affairs officer Gina Gray did not find that firing constituted reprisal because cemetery officials did not know of her whistleblowing when they decided to fire her. But the firing of Gray, whose later revelations helped spark the current cemetery investigation, was an “obvious failure to exercise sound personnel management,” according to a one-page summary of the probe made public after the hearing. The department recommended that the Army take “corrective action” against the responsible cemetery

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officials and find an “appropriate remedy” for Gray. In an e-mail, Gray said cemetery officials “knew very well” of her whistleblowing when they fired her. “It’s hard to imagine how the Defense Department is ignoring those facts now,” she wrote. “But nothing is surprising me about this scandal, since it’s what I’ve been saying for years.” [Source: Washington Post Michael E. Ruane article 1 Jul 2010 ++]

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VA Office of the General Counsel: Will Gunn, the general counsel for the Department of Veterans Affairs told House members on 30 JUN that, despite a backlog of cases, his office’s attorneys are ethical and high performing. The House Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation held a hearing that morning to discuss challenges faced by the VA’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC), such as extensive backlog of cases, incomplete or false contracting information and allegations of legal malpractice by some of its attorneys. Chairman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ) says these issues are especially troubling given VA OCG’s 9.2% budget increase in fiscal 2010 and its requested 9.6% increase for fiscal 2011. “The bottom line here is that we make certain the resources Congress provides the VA are being allocated properly in order to provide the most benefit for Veterans and the American public,” Mitchell says. Some of the issues are recurring. Mitchell says the subcommittee has reviewed many cases in recent years regarding insufficient or inaccurate counsel and support of contract management. Other VA OGC deficiencies, he adds, include poor relations between contract managers and VA attorneys, extensive case backlogs, and delayed health directives. Gunn acknowledged these concerns but says the recent budget increase has allowed VA OGC to increase its staff and start addressing those issues.

The subcommittee also heard testimony from Matthew Tulley, a partner at Tulley, Rinckney PPLC, a firm that represents VA employees in suits against VA. Tulley says VA OGC attorneys, especially those in the office’s employment law division, continually violate the ethical standards laid out by the Supreme Court and state bar associations. He says “a few bad apples” with inappropriately close ties to VA managers are harming Veterans, VA employees, and attorneys who represent them. According to Tulley, violations include witness badgering, delay tactics known as mooting, threats of punitive action in the workplace, and document falsification. These produce a chilling effect directly on VA employees who want to file suit against the department and indirectly on attorneys who might represent them by making legal proceedings too costly and time consuming, he says.

Tulley recommends creating an independent office of professional responsibility with the ethical standards used by the Department of Justice. He says this would both discourage attorneys from acting improperly as well as create a structure for ethical oversight that currently does not exist. Gunn, who has been general counsel for just over a year, says he has never heard allegations of unethical practices before today’s hearing. He does say, however, that he has instructed his office to create an internal process for reviewing complaints of unprofessional conduct by their attorneys. “I am committed to providing service that is based in excellence and integrity. As an Airforce Officer I live by certain core values. Those values are integrity first, service to others before self, and excellence in all that I do. I am committed to instilling those principles throughout the OCG,” he says. [Source: Federal News Radio Meg Beasley article 30 Jun 2010 ++]

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VA Treatment Access: The VA Inspector General and a number of veterans’ advocates have been claiming since the early days of the Iraq War, when soldiers returning from OEF began flooding VA facilities, that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) systematically delays and denies sick veterans medical care and masks it with bogus documentation. Now an internal department memo, posted 30 JUN on VA Watchdog website www.vawatchdog.org , lends credence to these charges. The 26 APR memo from William Schoenhard, Deputy Undersecretary for Health Operations and Management, alerts supervisors overseeing scheduling that he has learned of unacceptable practices. VA facilities have adopted what he calls ―gaming strategies‖ in order to improve scores

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on various access measures by diminishing patient access to treatment. An eight-page attachment identifies 24 practices detected so far, but Schoenhard says there may be more. Some of those identified in the memo include:

 Using fine-print rules to cancel patients’ appointments. Here, a patient arrives on time for an appointment only to be told he has no appointment. When the patient shows the employee his/her appointment form, the employee shows the patient the fine print on the form, which says that patients who do not come 10 (sometimes 15) minutes early to check in risk cancellation.

 Employees enter into the computer a later date (often by months) than the doctor has specified for a return visit.

 Recording a patient’s initial request to be treated in a paper log, not the computer system, then calling them in months or a full year later (law requires they be seen within 30 days) and recording that date as their first request to be seen.

 Booking several patients in the same time slot for the same doctor or provider, leaving patients to wait for hours to be seen, sometimes for something as simple as a monthly prescription renewal, which, due to frustration or obligation, they sometimes leave without.

Schoenhard told CNN he had no personal knowledge of any VA facility using the inappropriate scheduling practices, but issued the memo to avoid future problems. Yet, in his memo outlining medical appointment gaming, Schoenhard says: “It has come to my attention that in order to improve scores on assorted access measures, certain facilities have adopted use of inappropriate scheduling practices sometimes referred to as gaming strategies.” The memo is available for viewing at www.vawatchdog.org/10/nf10/nfjun10/jun10files/gamingthesysystem.pdf . Paul Sullivan, director of the veterans’ advocacy group, Veterans for Common Sense (VCS), told AlterNet he believes Schoenhard’s memo “forces a key leadership test upon VA Secretary Eric Shinseki” to end the shenanigans and solve the underlying problems.” [Source: AlterNet Nora Eisenberg article 30 Jun 2010 ++]

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VAMC St. Louis MO Update 01: The Veterans Administration said 1 JUL that the chief of dental services at the St. Louis VA Medical Center has been placed on administrative leave after the hospital urged nearly 2,000 veterans to return for blood tests because inadequately sterilized equipment may have exposed them to viral infections during dental procedures. An independent board will also investigate how employees failed to properly sterilize the dental equipment that potentially exposed veterans to infections including hepatitis and HIV, the administration said. “The mistakes made at the St. Louis VA Medical Center are unacceptable, and steps have been and continue to be taken to correct this situation and assure the safety of our veterans,” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said. The VA sent letters out Monday to 1,812 veterans who had dental procedures at the St. Louis center from Feb. 1, 2009, through March 11 of this year, saying reviews determined that some sterilization steps in preparing dental instruments were not in compliance with standards.

Officials say the infection risk is extremely low, and no illnesses have been uncovered so far out of some 100 veterans who have come in for blood work that will screen for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. The VA said 184 people had signed up to be tested as of 1 JUL. VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel said Thursday the problem arose because workers prewashing dental equipment failed to use a detergent before the equipment was sterilized. He said that failure allowed for a “phenomenally remote” chance that sterilization might not have been effective. Petzel said he found there was a need for an independent review by the national Administrative Investigation Board “to determine the reasons for failure to follow correct procedures.” He said expects the investigation to begin next week and take 60 days at most. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) said the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee also said they will investigate what happened at the center and planned to hold a hearing in St. Louis. The announced investigations follow demands for action by several lawmakers from Missouri and Illinois — the St. Louis region’s five VA facilities serve veterans in both states. No date has been set for the Veterans’ Affairs

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Committee hearing in St. Louis. Two Missouri congressmen, Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer and Democrat William Lacy Clay, also asked the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to investigate. Both serve on that committee.

Danny L. Turner, chief of dental services at the Cochran VAMC, “says he welcomes investigations into the handling of dental equipment at the hospital and blamed politics for distorting the controversy. ‘I have a lot of information that proves we were doing things correctly,'” Turner “said in an interview after he had been put on administrative leave.” Lawmakers also want to know why it took so long for the VA to inform the veterans about the mistakes. The problem was uncovered in March and letters went out 28 JUN. Marcena Gunter, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis center, said the delay was because officials were evaluating the risk posed to veterans. The VA said patients who have had dental procedures since 11 MAR are not at risk because procedures were corrected. Shinseki said that over the past 18 months, VA has implemented more stringent safety oversight at its medical facilities, and that oversight led to the identification of problems at the St. Louis facility. Barry Searle, director of the Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Division for the American Legion, testified before Congress in May about quality concerns at VA medical facilities.” Searle “said in a phone interview that the VA health care system is strong overall, but that frequent turnover caused problems like the one that happened in St. Louis.”

VA centers around the country have had problems in recent years. In 2007, Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington came under scrutiny over concerns about conditions at the hospital and treatment of veterans. At the time, St. Louis VA officials said they were working to fix similar problems. That same year, a surgeon at the VA hospital in Marion, Ill., resigned after a patient bled to death following gall bladder surgery. All inpatient surgeries were suspended. The VA found at least nine deaths between OCT 06 and MAR 07 resulted from substandard care at the Marion hospital, and another 10 patients died after receiving questionable care that complicated their health. [Source: AP Jim Salter article 1 Jul 2010 ++]

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Virginia Vet Legislation: The following bills have passed both chambers of the Virginia Congress and were approved by the Governor for enactment with an effective date of 1 JUL 2010:

 HB.262 & SB.455: Exempts veterans from paying the Department of Business Assistance’s handling fee when establishing a small business through the one-stop small business permitting program.

 HJ.33 & SJ.13 : Constitutional amendment for property tax exemption for certain veterans. Directs the General Assembly to exempt from taxation real property that is the principal residence of a veteran (or widow or widower of a veteran) if the veteran has been determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its successor agency pursuant to federal law to have a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability.

 HJ.137: Designates the Honor and Remember Flag as the Commonwealth’s emblem of service and sacrifice by the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have given their lives in the line of duty.

[Source: http://leg1.state.va.us Jul 2010 ++]

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VA Women Vet Programs Update 11: On 29 JUN, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) spoke on the Senate floor to request immediate passage of the Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans With Children Act. The bill was introduced in JUN 09 and passed the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on 28 JAN 2010 with strong bi-partisan support. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell objected to the legislation on the Senate floor on behalf of Senator Tom Coburn, preventing it from passing. “I am deeply disappointed that Senate

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Republicans continued to put politics above people and blocked my bill that would provide support for homeless women veterans and their families,” said Sen. Murray. “This is a bipartisan, common-sense bill that would support veterans in my home state of Washington and across the country. I am going to continue fighting for it to pass. And I urge Senate Republicans to end their obstruction and allow homeless women veterans across the country to get the support they have earned.” S.1237 would expand assistance for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children and would increase funding and extend federal grant programs to address the unique challenges faced by these veterans. Female veterans are between two and four times as likely to be homeless than their civilian counterparts—and they have unique needs and often require specialized services. [Source: Vietnam Veterans of America News release 1 Jul 2010 ++]

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Tricare Uniform Formulary Update 33: Beneficiaries and providers can use the new Tricare formulary search tool to find the most up-to-date information about prescription medications. Located at http://pec.ha.osd.mil/formulary_search.php, the new formulary search tool allows beneficiaries to easily find which medicines are in the uniform formulary. These are available at all full-service military treatment facilities and covered by Tricare. Once a user has identified if a drug is available, they can use the search tool to get information on a drug, such as restriction on use. The tool also shows if the medication is Tier One (with a $3 copay,) Tier Two (with a $9 copay) or non-formulary (requiring a $22 copay.) It also shows when a generic equivalent is required. As an added benefit, the new Tricare formulary search tool has integrated the prior authorization and medical necessity forms and criteria into a search engine while still maintaining a page with a complete list of all criteria and forms. Any restrictions such as quantity or age limits are displayed in one location. “This should make it easier to find all relevant information about a specific drug instead of trying to click on different links to other Web pages and sort through vast amounts of information,” said Jeremy Briggs, a pharmacy operations center official and search tool designer. “The idea is to have all that information available with one search, but still link back to pages for in-depth information.” The search tool’s functionalities will increase and become more refined, based on feedback provided by patients and providers. “The new Tricare formulary search tool is adaptable to meet the ever changing needs of our beneficiaries and we are planning to meet those needs,” Mr. Briggs said. [Source: Tricare News Release 30 Jun 2010 ++]

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National Cemetery Administration Update 02: On 29 JUN the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) held their biannual meeting to discuss their budget, construction schedule and new services. Of note were:

 New Medallion Benefit. Upon request, the VA will provide a medallion to be affixed to an existing privately purchased headstone or marker to signify the deceased’s status as a veteran. The medallion is provided in the place of a government headstone or marker for veterans who died on or after November 1, 1990 AND who have a grave in a private cemetery with a privately purchased headstone or marker. It comes in 3 sizes: 5‖, 3‖, 1-1/2‖. It has Veteran across the top and the branch of service at the bottom. Adhesive, instructions and hardware are also provided.

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1-1/2″ Medallion 3″ & 5″ Medallion

 New national grave locator, available both on their website http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1 and on smart phones, that allows you to locate any grave in a VA National Cemetery, state veterans cemeteries, various other military and Department of Interior cemeteries, and for veterans buried in private cemeteries when the grave is marked with a government grave marker. This includes Arlington National Cemetery. The smart phone application will allow you to look up the grave of a loved one while you are in the cemetery, a useful feature.

 New policy to determine when a new cemetery in a given region is needed. The previous policy stated that there needed to be one cemetery for every 170,000 veterans in a given geographical area, now the standard is one cemetery for every 80,000 veterans. While 10% of veterans still do not have access to a veteran’s cemetery, defined as being within 75 miles of their home, this is two percent better than in 2005, and NCA aims for 94% of veterans to have access to national or state veteran cemeteries within four years.

For more information or to request a Burial Flag, Government Headstone or Marker, Private Grave Medallion, or a Presidential Memorial Certificate, go to http://www.cem.va.gov/. [Source: TREA Washington Update 2 Jul 2010 ++]

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Tricare Supplemental Insurance Update 04: In the FY2007 National Defense Authorization Act Congress included a provision that was designed to prevent non-military employers from offering improper incentives to TRICARE beneficiaries not to enroll in the employer provided group health plan. However, in passing the law, their prohibition resulted in penalties being imposed on TRICARE beneficiaries unrelated to the stated intention of the legislation. One of the provisions in the law no longer allowed TRICARE beneficiaries to have their TRICARE supplement, co-pays and deductibles paid for on a pre-tax basis through their companies’ authorized cafeteria plans. As a result, these employees no longer had the tax benefit other employees have and they had to pay TRICARE premiums on an after tax basis. Because of this many employees gave up their TRICARE Standard policies and elected to use TRICARE Prime. This, in turn, increased the costs to DoD since TRICARE Prime costs the government about 19% more than does TRICARE Standard. Secretary of Defense has the authority to make an exception to allow payment through tax advantaged plans, and he finally did so in APR 2010. Under a final rule published by DoD, starting 18 JUN non-military employers can now offer a TRICARE Standard supplement plan with their cafeteria-style health insurance options so TRICARE Standard beneficiaries can buy coverage with pre-tax dollars. [Source: TREA Washington Update 2 Jul 2010 ++]

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HVAC Update 11: On 29 JUN a hearing was held by the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs on five new bills of importance to veterans. The hearing was the first opportunity for a Congressional committee to review each bill and receive testimony about them from veterans groups and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bills were:

 HR3407, the Severely Injured Veterans Benefit Improvement Act of 2009: Would increase aid and attendance for severely injured veterans, qualify severely burned veterans adaptive grants, increase pension for housebound veterans, expand aid and attendance to cover veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and increase the service pension for Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.

 HR3787, the Honor America’s Guard and Reserve Retirees Act: Would grant veterans status to members of the Reserve components who serve for at least twenty years, thus becoming military retirees, but who never served on active duty long enough to qualify for veterans status as currently defined by law. There would be no new federal benefits conferred upon these individuals, but they would have the honor of being officially recognized as veterans.

 HR4541, the Veterans Pensions Protection Act of 2010: Would protect pension payments from including insurance settlements of any kind from the calculation amount in determining pensions. Further, the bill would require the VA to make determinations on the fair market value and replacement value of any assets claimed for exclusion under the insurance settlement.

 HR5064, the Fair Access to Veterans Benefits Act of 2010: Would provide some flexibility in the equitable tolling of timeliness for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and for other purposes. (Equitable tolling is a doctrine or principle of tort law: a statute of limitations will not bar a claim if despite use of due diligence the plaintiff did not or could not discover the injury until after the expiration of the limitations period.)

 HR5549, the Rating and Processing Individuals’ Disability Claims Act or the Rapid Claims Act: Would provide VA a mechanism for identifying and expediting claims that are “ready-to-rate” by granting the Secretary the authority to wave the mandatory 60-day development period with the written permission of the veteran. If a veteran submits a statement which indicates the veteran’s intent to submit a fully developed claim, the veteran would have one year from the date of submission to provide the Secretary with a fully developed claim and access to the expeditious treatment of their claim. If the Secretary determines the claim is not fully developed, the VA will notify the veteran within 30 days of the evidence and information required to rate the case.

[Source: TREA Washington Update 2 Jul 2010 ++]

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COLA 2011 Update 03: The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the May 2010 CPI-W of 214.1 which is an increase of 0.1% from the March CPI-W of 213.9. The May CPI-W of 214.1 is now down .6% from the 2008 COLA base of 215.5. The 2008 COLA base will be used to calculate the 2010 COLA since there was no 2009 COLA as a result of negative inflation from the third quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2009. [Source: MOAA News Exchange 30 Jun 2010 ++]

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TSA Guidance for Passengers: In order to meet new security procedures the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) encourages all international passengers on flights to the U.S. to use the following guidance which will help make their passage through the airport as efficient and comfortable as possible.

Pack Smart

 Pack an organized carry-on bag using layers. A layer of clothes, then electronic, more clothes, and then any heavier items. This will help transportation security officers see what’s in your bag. Innocent items can actually appear to be potential threats in an X-ray image, simply by the way they’re packed.

 Do not pack oversized electronics (laptops, full-size video game consoles, DVD players and video cameras that use cassettes) in your checked baggage when possible. However, be advised that you will be required to remove these items from your carry-on bag and submit them separately for x-ray screening. Small electronics, such as iPods, can remain in your carry-on. For more information on laptop bag procedures, refer to

 http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/simplifying_laptop_bag_procedures.shtm .

 Prepare your 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag of liquids before arriving at the airport. For more information on liquid rules refer to http://www.tsa.gov/311/

 Pack all your coats and jackets in your checked baggage when possible. All coats and jackets must go through the X-ray machine for inspection.

 Do not wrap gifts. If a security officer needs to inspect a package, they may have to unwrap your gift. Wait until you’ve reached your final destination to wrap gifts.

 Film. Undeveloped film should go in your carry-on bag. You will able to declare film that is faster than 800-speed to a transportation security officer for physical inspection to avoid being X-rayed.

 When in doubt, leave it out. If you’re not sure about whether you can bring an item through the checkpoint, put it in your checked bag or leave it at home. For a list of prohibited items refer to http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm.

Dress the Part

 Transportation security officers have to identify any metal that is detected at the checkpoint. If the metal detector alarms when you pass through, you will be required to undergo additional screening. This includes a hand-wand and pat-down inspection. Items that might set off an alarm on the metal detector include:

1.) Keys, loose change, mobile phones, pagers, and personal data assistants (PDAs).

2.) Heavy jewelry (including pins, necklaces, bracelets, rings, watches, earrings, body piercings, cuff links, lanyards or bolo ties).

3.) Clothing with metal buttons, snaps or studs. Also, belt buckles and Under-wire bras

4.) Metal hair barrettes or other hair decoration.

5.) Body Piercings. Certain metal body piercings may cause you to alarm at the metal detector, which will result in you getting additional screening. If additional screening is required, you may ask to remove your body piercing in private as an alternative to the pat-down search.

 Head Coverings. You are permitted to wear head coverings and religious garments during the screening process. You may be directed to additional screening if your headwear or clothing (religious or other-wise) is loose fitting or large enough to hide prohibited items. For more information refer tp http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1037.shtm.

 Shoes. Travelers are required to remove their shoes before entering the walk-through metal detector at all U.S. airports and put them through the x-ray machine for inspection. This allows officers to see if the shoes have been tampered with in any way.

Acceptable Documents – The items you’ll need to present to a Transportation Security Officer at the checkpoint are:

 Boarding pass.

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 Identification (see www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/apis_documents.pdf )

Note: Each adult traveler should keep his/her airline boarding pass and government-issued photo ID available until exiting the security checkpoint (children are not required to show identification). If you do not have identification (i.e.it lost, stolen, etc.), you will be required to provide the document checking officer with some information to help verify your identity. This will slow down your screening process and will result in additional screening.

Hassle-Free Security Tips

 Arrive on time. Arrival time recommendations vary by airline and day of travel, so check with your carrier. Remember to give yourself adequate time to check your baggage and move through security.

 Wear slip-on shoes. This will allow you to take them off and put them back on quickly, without having to sit down.

 Remove all animals from their carrying cases and send the case through the X-ray machine. Hold your pet in your arms and proceed through the metal detector.

 Children. Take your infants and children out of baby carriers and strollers and take them through the metal detector with you. Strollers and baby carriers go through the X-ray machine with your bags. If possible, collapse your stroller before you get to the metal detector. For more information about traveling with children refer to http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/index.shtm

 Think before you speak. Belligerent behavior, inappropriate jokes and threats will not be tolerated. They will result in delays and possibly missing your flight. Local law enforcement may be called as necessary.

 Helpful Videos. Make your screening experience as smooth as possible. Select a video at www.tsa,gov to help you understand the screening process.

[Source: U.S. Embassy Manila ACS Newsletter Jun 2010 ++]

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Debt Collector’s Rules: Debt collectors are infamous for some of their underhanded tactics used to collect debts from consumers. Many collectors get away with these tricks because consumers are not aware of the laws dictating how collectors can – and how they cannot – deal with consumers when collecting a debt. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, better known as the FDCPA, is a federal law that governs the actions of parties acting as debt collectors for personal debts. Auto loans, home loans, medical bills, and credit card accounts are all considered personal debts. Whenever one of your creditors uses a third-party to collect a debt, that third-party is obligated to follow the rules of the FDCPA. If your rights under the FDCPA have been violated, you have one year from the date of the violation to file a lawsuit against the debt collector. You could receive up to $1,000 in addition to actual damages and attorney fees. There are several things that a debt collector cannot do under the FDCPA. They cannot:

 Call you before 8am or after 9pm

 Call you at work, provided the debt collector is aware your employer does doesn’t approve of these phone calls

 Harass, oppress, or abuse you

 Lie to you or falsely imply that you have committed a crime

 Use unfair practices in an attempt to collect a debt

 Conceal his or her identity on the phone

 Disregard a written request from you to cease further contact

The law also dictates how the debt collector must act when communicating with a person other than the debt collector.

 The collector is prohibited from giving out information pertaining to your debt to anyone but you or your spouse (or your parent if you’re a minor).

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 Debt collectors are not allowed to communicate via post card or use any kind of symbol or language on an envelope that indicates they are a debt collector. Once the debt collector learns you are represented by an attorney – and has the contact information for the attorney – the debt collector can only communicate with the attorney.

 Debt collectors are prohibited from using any form of harassment or abuse while attempting to collect. They cannot threaten violence against the debtor, their reputation, or their property. In addition, debt collectors cannot use obscene or profane language when communicating with the debtor via phone or through mail. Collection agencies and their collectors cannot publish any kind of listing of consumers that have not paid debt, except to a consumer bureau.

[Source: About.com Credit/Debt Management LaToya Irby article 22 May 2010 ++]

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Medicare Fraud Update 43:

 Tennessee – Benchmark Physical Therapy has entered into a settlement with the federal government and the state of Tennessee to pay over $1.8 million resolving allegations that it improperly billed the Medicare and TennCare/Medicaid programs for physical therapy services. Benchmark violated the federal False Claims Act and the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act by submitting claims to the TennCare program for physical therapy that were not reimbursable. Specifically, the government’s claim was that between 2001 and 2006, Benchmark submitted claims representing that it had provided therapeutic exercise for TennCare patients when medical records indicated that the patients had instead received aquatic therapy, a service subject to reimbursement restrictions. It was also alleged that Benchmark submitted claims through the Medicare program for physical therapy services which did not qualify for payment or were not medically necessary.

 Chicago IL – A group of doctors at Rush University Medical Center’s prestigious orthopedic department routinely overbooked their schedules and relied heavily on residents to perform surgeries, violating federal Medicare billing rules, according to a newly unsealed whistle-blower lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The suit alleges that in one instance, a surgeon never entered the operating room to supervise a procedure. In others, a surgeon monitored residents performing operations via video feed while simultaneously performing his own operations in nearby rooms.The lawsuit, filed by another Rush surgeon, Dr. Robert Goldberg, along with a former hospital executive, portrays Rush’s orthopedic center as a business focused on quantity over quality, risking patient health in pursuit of “monetary rewards and celebrity status.” To do that, doctors sidestepped specific Medicare billing rules that require teaching physicians to be present during critical portions of procedures, the suit said. Six surgeons are named as defendants; the lawsuit mainly focuses on procedures performed in 2004 and 2005.Whistle-blower lawsuits relate to claims in which the government is victimized, and plaintiffs stand to share in a portion of any monetary awards. In this case, some of the plaintiffs’ accusations, related to the use of office space in return for patient referrals, have been settled by the Justice Department, with the medical center agreeing to pay more than $1.5 million but not admit wrongdoing. After that settlement in March, the other accusations relating to surgical practices were unsealed.

 Orange Cnty CA – A heart monitoring Services Company has agreed to pay $3.6 million to resolve allegations it defrauded government health care programs. The settlement was finalized 8 JUL with National Cardio Labs LLC, the company’s manager Adrienne Stanman and her husband and former manager Robert Parsons. A lawsuit accused the company of submitting false health care claims to Medicare, TRICARE and health insurance carriers contracted through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program between JAN 98 and FEB 04. The defendants paid the United States nearly $2.3 million in late May, forfeited $584,000 in assets and will pay the remaining $720,000 by 21 JUL.

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 Dearborn MI – Ali Makki, M.D pleaded guilty 8 JUL to health care fraud, falsifying an immigration form for a patient, and underreporting income taxes. From JUL 04 through SEP 09, he admitted to knowingly submitting false claims to Medicare about X-rays provided to his Medicare patients. He obtained $113,777 in false claims, he said. Makki, 50, also said he falsified an immigration form for a patient applying for naturalization in an effort to exempt his patient from certain requirements necessary for naturalization and failed to report cash receipts on his 2003 federal income tax return. Under his plea agreement, he faces up to 30 months in federal prison. Under the False Claims Act, Makki also forfeited commercial real property with an appraised value of more than $4.7 million in Canton and Dearborn, and some $76,000 in cash.

[Source: Fraud News Daily reports 1-14 Jul 2010 ++]

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Medicad Fraud Update 17:

 Medi-Cal – California Medi-Cal officials paid $273,000 from JAN 07 thru JUN 08 to health providers who claimed to have rendered care to 35 patients who were already dead at the purported time of the service, raising questions about the agency’s accounting and potential health provider fraud. In a response to auditors, California officials said they would send money back to federal funders to cover their half of the claims paid for dead people, since half of the Medi-Cal program’s funding comes from federal dollars and half from state funds. Medi-Cal leaders said they had systems in place to stop payment for care rendered to dead people and had sent letters demanding health providers to send back $7,300. But the Department of Health Care Services, which operates Medi-Cal, noted there were potential delays in updating their data files that enabled the payments in question. Doctors and other health providers tend to render services to patients, such as a prostate exam or psychotherapy, and bill Medi-Cal later. In the future the state plans to cut off Medi-Cal payment to caregivers who bill more than $50,000 for services to the dead.

 Woburn MA – A Woburn-based clinical testing laboratory has been indicted for allegedly orchestrating an extensive Medicaid Fraud and kickback scheme using ―straw companies‖ and overcharging the state’s Medicaid program. A Middlesex Grand Jury returned 42 indictments yesterday against Callow Laboratories, Inc. (―Calloway‖), two of its principals, and two employees of a sober house. The indictments allege that Calloway, Chief Executive Officer Arthur Levitan, and Chief Operating Officer Patrick Cavanaugh, engaged in a pervasive kickback scheme involving two straw companies which funneled kickbacks to sober houses, as well as paid middlemen and a medical office to illegally obtain urine drug screening business paid by MassHealth, the Commonwealth’s Medicaid program. The Commonwealth alleges that MassHealth paid in excess of $10.6 million for urine drug screen business obtained by Calloway as a result of these illegal kickbacks. Other indictments returned 6 JUN allege submission of false claims to MassHealth, Larceny Over $250, and Corruption of a Witness.

 Las Vegas NV – Nelida Calina, 55, pleaded guilty to a felony offense after submitting false claims regarding care for Medicaid patients through her company, ABC Home Care Services, officials said. Information suggesting that personal care aid services were not being provided to Medicaid recipients prompted the investigation in 2007, officials said. The investigation revealed Calina was submitting false claims to Medicaid about providing home health services to Medicaid recipients. Calina was not at patients’ homes during the times she claimed to be providing services, according to the attorney general. District Court Judge Valerie Adair on 9 JUL suspended a jail sentence for Calina but ordered her to perform 16 hours of community service each month she is unemployed and pay $44,000 in restitution, penalties and costs, in addition to 5 years probation.

[Source: Fraud News Daily reports 1-14 Jul 2010 ++]

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State Veteran’s Benefits: The state of Arizona provides several benefits to veterans. To obtain information on these refer to this Bulletin’s Attachment for an overview of those listed below. Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation of each click on ―Learn more about …‖ wording highlighted in blue on the attachment.

 Housing Benefits

 Financial Assistance Benefits

 Employment Benefits

 Education Benefits

 Other State Veteran Benefits

[Source: www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits/arizona-state-veterans-benefits Jul 2010 ++]

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Military History: The only plane ever to drop a bomb on the United States during WWII was a submarine based Glen float plane on September 9, 1942. On that day its carrier, an I-25 class Japanese submarine, was cruising in an easterly direction raising its periscope occasionally as it neared the United States Coastline. Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor less than a year ago and the Captain of the attack submarine knew that Americans were watching their coast line for ships and aircraft that might attack our country. Dawn was approaching; the first rays of the sun were flickering off the periscopes lens. Pilot Chief Warrant Officer Nobuo Fujita and his crewman Petty Officer Shoji Okuda were making last minute checks of their charts making sure they matched those of the submarine’s navigator. Their mission; attack the west coast with incendiary bombs in hopes of starting a devastating forest fire. If this test run were successful, Japan had hopes of using their huge submarine fleet to attack the eastern end of the Panama Canal to slow down shipping from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The Japanese Navy had a large number of I-400 submarines under construction, each capable of carrying three aircraft.

Aboard the submarine the Captain’s voice boomed over the PA system, ―Prepare to surface, aircrew report to your stations, wait for the open hatch signal‖ During training runs several subs were lost when hangar door were opened too soon and sea water rushed into the hangars and sank the boat with all hands lost. You could hear the change of sound as the bow of the I-25 broke from the depths, nosed over for its run on the surface. A loud bell signaled the ―All Clear.‖ The assigned crew for the single engine Yokosuki E14Ys floats equipped observation and light attack aircraft sprang into action. They rolled the plane out its hangar built next to the conning tower. The wings and tail were unfolded, and several 176 pound incendiary bombs were attached to the hard points under the wings. This was a small two passenger float plane with a nine cylinder 340 hp radial engine. It was full daylight when the Captain ordered the aircraft to be placed on the catapult. Warrant Officer Fujita started the engine, let it warm up, checked the magnetos and oil pressure. There was a slight breeze blowing and the seas were calm. A perfect day to attack the United States of America. When the gauges were in the green the pilot signaled and the catapult launched the aircraft. After a short climb to altitude the pilot turned on a heading for the Oregon coast.

The small Japanese float plane had climbed to several thousand feet of altitude for better visibility and to get above the coastal fog. The pilot had calculated land fall in a few minutes and right on schedule he could see the breakers flashing white as they hit the Oregon shores. The pilot of the aircraft checked his course and alerted his observer to be on the lookout for a fire tower which was on the edge of the wooded area where they were supposed to drop their bombs. These airplanes carried very little fuel and all flights were in and out without any loitering. The plane reached the shore line and the pilot made a course correction 20 degrees to the north. The huge trees were easy to spot and certainly easy to hit with the bombs. The fog was very wispy by this time. The pilot activated the release locks so that when he could see a drop site the bombs would release. His instructions were simple, fly at 500 feet, drop the bombs into the trees and circle once to see if they had started any fires and then head back to the submarine.

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The bombs tumbled from the small seaplane and impacted the forests, the pilot circled once and spotted fire around the impact point. He executed an 180 degree turn and headed back to the submarine. There was no air activity, the skies were clear. The small float plane lined up with the surfaced submarine and landed gently on the ocean, then taxied to the sub. A long boom swung out from the stern. His crewman caught the cable and hooked it into the pickup attached to the roll over cage between the cockpits. The plane was swung onto the deck, The plane’s crew folded the wings and tail, pushed it into its hangar and secured the water tight doors. The I-25 submerged and headed back to Japan.

This event, which caused no damage, marked the only time during World War II that an enemy plane had dropped bombs on the United States mainland. What the Japanese didn’t count on was coastal fog, mist and heavy doses of rain made the forests so wet they simply would not catch fire. Fifty years later the Japanese pilot, who survived the war, would return to Oregon to help dedicate a historical plaque at the exact spot where his two bombs had impacted. The elderly pilot then donated his ceremonial sword as a gesture of peace and closure of the bombing of Oregon in 1942.

 Refer to www.historynet.com/japan-bombs-the-west-coast-november-98-aviation-history-feature.htm for a more detailed account if this event.

 For pictures of the plane, Warrant Officer Fujita, and the Oregon memorial plaque refer to www.eugeneleeslover.com/Japanese_bomb_Oregon.html .

 For photos of the I-14 class Japanese submarine capable of carrying two aircraft refer to www.eugeneleeslover.com/AMMUNITION/SUB-RAIDERS-OF-TOMORROW.html.

 For an audio narrative and videos on Japanese Balloon bombs refer to www.eugeneleeslover.com/VIDEOS/Japanese_Balloon_Bomb.html.

[Source: www.eugeneleeslover.com/Japanese_bomb_Oregon.html Gene Slovers U.S. Navy Pages Norm Goyer article Jun 2010 ++]

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Military History Anniversaries:

 Jul 16 1779 – Revolutionary War: American troops capture Stony Point, N.Y.

 Jul 16 1945 – WWII: The United States detonates the first atomic bomb in a test at Alamogordo, N. M.

 Jul 17 1898 – Spanish-American War: U.S. troops take Santiago de Cuba.

 Jul 17 1966 – Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh orders a partial mobilization of to defend against American airstrikes.

 Jul 18 1915 – WWI: 2nd Battle of Isonzo begins & ends with loss of 280,000 men

 Jul 18 1942 – WWII: German Me-262, the first jet-propelled aircraft to fly in combat, makes its first flight.

 Jul 18 1971 – Vietnam: New Zealand and Australia announce they will pull their troops out of Vietnam.

 Jul 19 1942 – WWII: German U-boats are withdrawn from positions off the U.S. Atlantic coast due to American anti-submarine countermeasures.

 Jul 20 1917 – WWI: Draft lottery held; #258 is 1st drawn

 Jul 20 1944 – WWII: Adolf Hitler is wounded in an assassination attempt by German Army officers.

 Jul 20 1950 – Korean War: The U.S. Army’s Task Force Smith is pushed back by superior forces.

 Jul 21 1861 – Civil War: In the first major battle of the War, Confederate forces defeat the Union Army along Bull Run near Manassas Junction, Virginia. The battle becomes known as Manassas by the Confederates, while the Union calls it Bull Run

 Jul 21 1944 – WWII: U.S. Army and Marine forces land on Guam in the Marianas.

 Jul 21 1954 – Vietnam: The French sign an armistice with the Viet Minh that ends the war but divides Vietnam into two countries.

 Jul 22 1775 – Revolutionary War: George Washington took command of the Continental Army.

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 Jul 22 1814 – Five Indian tribes in Ohio make peace with the United States and declare war on Britain.

 Jul 22 1966 – Vietnam: B-52 bombers hit the DMZ between North and South Vietnam for the first time.

 Jul 22 1987 – Gulf War: US began escorting re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers in Persian Gulf

 Jul 23 1944 – WWII: US forces invade Japanese-held Tinian.

 Jul 23 1962 – The Geneva Conference on Laos forbids the United States to invade eastern Laos.

 Jul 24 1990 – Gulf War: U.S. warships in Persian Gulf placed on alert after Iraq masses nearly 30,000 troops near its border with Kuwait

 Jul 25 1944 – WWII: Allied forces begin the breakthrough of German lines in Normandy.

 Jul 25 1990 – Gulf War: U.S. Ambassador tells Iraq, US won’t take sides in Iraq-Kuwait dispute.

 Jul 27 1861 – Civil War: Confederate troops occupy Fort Fillmore, New Mexico

 Jul 27 1944 – WWII: U.S. troops complete the liberation of Guam.

 Jul 27 1953 – Korea: Representatives of the United Nations, Korea and China sign an armistice at Panmunjon ending the war.

 Jul 27 1964 – Vietnam: President Lyndon Johnson sends an additional 5,000 advisers to South Vietnam.

 Jul 28 1914 – WWI: War begins when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia followed by Germany declaring war on France (3 AUG). On 4 AUG Germany invaded Belgium, Britain declared war on Germany, and President Woodrow Wilson declared policy of U.S. neutrality.

 Jul 28 1945 – A B-25 bomber crashes into the Empire State Building in New York City, killing 13 people.

 Jul 28 1965 – Vietnam: LBJ sends 50,000 more soldiers to Vietnam (total of 125,000)

 Jul 29 1915 – U.S. Marines land at Port-au-Prince to protect American interests in Haiti.

 Jul 29 1967 – Fire aboard carrier USS Forrestal in Gulf of Tonkin kills 134. $100 million damage

 Jul 30 1942 – FDR signs bill creating women’s Navy auxiliary agency (WAVES)

 Jul 30 1944 – US 30th division reaches suburbs of St-Lo Normandy

 Jul 30 1945 – WWII: After delivering parts of the first atomic bomb the U.S. cruiser Indianapolis is torpedoed/sinks, 880 die.

 Jul 31 1813 – Revolutionary War: British invade Plattsburgh NY

 Jul 31 1991 – Senate votes to allow women to fly combat aircraft

[Source: Various Jul 2010 ++]

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Military Trivia 08:

 What auto maker built the first armored tanks used by U.S. troops in battle? A: Renault. The French-made tanks first saw service in the Battle of St. Mibiel on September 12, 1918. No American-made tanks were used in World War I.

 What baseball Hall of Famer was court-martialed for refusing to take a seat in the back of a U.S. Army bus? A: Jackie Robinson, in 1944, while a second lieutenant. He was acquitted.

 Which controversial hero graduated at the bottom of his West Point class in 1861? A: Gen. George Armstrong Custer.

 What twentieth-century American general had a grandfather who was a confederate brigadier general in the Civil War, and a great -great-great-grandfather who was a general in the Revolutionary War? A: George S. Patton.

 What was the name of Adolph Hitler’s favorite dog–the Alsatian he used to make sure his cyanide capsules were lethal? A: Blondi. Hitler used the cyanide to commit suicide after seeing that it worked on Blondi.

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 What childhood name was shared by Gen. George A. Custer and Chief Crazy Horse, the Oglala Sioux leader he faced at the Battle of the Little Bighorn? A: Curly.

 How long did it take Napoleon to send a message from Rome to Paris–almost 700 miles–using a semaphore system to signal from mountaintop to mountaintop? A: Four hours.

 The walls of what structure–made entirely of natural material–stand up better to modern artillery than a concrete barricade, according to tests conducted by the Swedish army? A: The igloo. Not only do its walls absorb an artillery blast, but they are almost invisible from the air and can’t be spotted by the infrared sensors that guide today’s missiles.

 What film was based on the Civil War exploits of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment? A: Glory. The 54th was one of two black regiments formed by Massachusetts in 1862. Massachusetts was the first state to have blacks in its organized militia.

 Where did Napoleon Bonaparte bid farewell to his imperial guard in 1814? A: In the courtyard at Fontainebleau Palace which is now known as the Adieux Courtyard. In French, adieux means “farewell.”

 In World War II Navy slang, what was an airdale? A: A naval aviation recruit.

 What was the daily ration of hard liquor for soldiers in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War? A: Four ounces–when available.

 During World War II, what wearing apparel were American women encouraged to turn in for use in making parachutes? A: Their nylon stockings–which were melted down and turned into parachute fabric.

 What army did the Greeks defeat at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C.? A: The Persian army. The marathon race commemorates the run a Greek courier made from the battlefield to Athens to deliver news of the victory before collapsing and dying of exhaustion.

 How many members of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s family were killed at the Battle of Little Big Horn? A: Five, counting Custer. Those who died with him were his half-brothers, Tom and Boston; nephew, Harry Armstrong Reed; and a brother-in-law; James Calhoun.

 A pin-up photo of what actress adorned the first test bomb dropped on Bikini atoll in the Marshall Islands in July 1946? A: Rita Hayworth.

[Source: www.triviafool.com/page93.htm Jul 2010 ++]

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Tax Burden for New York Retirees: Many people planning to retire use the presence or absence of a state income tax as a litmus test for a retirement destination. This is a serious miscalculation since higher sales and property taxes can more than offset the lack of a state income tax. The lack of a state income tax doesn’t necessarily ensure a low total tax burden. Following are the taxes you can expect to pay if you retire in New York:

State Sales Tax: 4.0% (food, prescription and non-prescription drugs exempt); Other taxing entities may add up to 5.00% in additional sales tax. Gasoline Tax: 44.6 cents/gallon Diesel Fuel Tax: 43.8 cents/gallon Cigarette Tax $2.75 per pack of 20; New York City adds an additional $1.50.

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Personal Income Taxes

Tax Rate Range: Low – 4.0%; High – 8.97%. The state has enacted two new temporary income tax rates in its 2010 budget levied on the highest-income filers. For households with taxable income above $500,000, regardless of filing status, the tax rate rises to 8.97% from 6.85%; for those with taxable income below $500,000 but above $200,000 for single individuals, $250,000 for heads of households, and $300,000 for married couples filing joint returns, the rate increases to 7.85% from 6.85%.

Income Brackets: 5: Lowest – $8,000; Highest – $500,000 (For joint returns, the taxes are twice the tax imposed on half the income.) Personal Exemptions: Single – $0; Married – $0; Dependents – $1,000 Standard Deduction: Single – $7,500; Married filing jointly – $15,000 Medical/Dental Deduction: Federal amount Federal Income Tax Deduction: None

Retirement Income:

Retirement Income Taxes: Social Security, military, civil service, New York state/local government pensions are exempt. Also, up to $20,000 of qualified private pensions for those 59½ and older. Out-of-state government pensions can be deducted as part of the $20,000 exemption. For more information on senior citizen and retiree benefits refer to www.tax.state.ny.us/pdf/publications/income/pub36.pdf . Retired Military Pay: Exempt from taxes. Military Disability Retired Pay: Disability Portion — Length of Service Pay: Member on September 24, 1975 — No tax; Not Member on September 24, 1975 — Taxed, unless combat incurred. Retired Pay — Based solely on disability. member on September 24, 1975 — No tax. Not Member on September 24, 1975 — Taxed, unless all pay based on disability, and disability resulted from armed conflict, extra-hazardous service, simulated war, or an instrumentality of war. For information on taxes for military personnel in New York State refer to www.tax.state.ny.us/pit/military_page.htm. VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: VA benefits are not taxable because they generally are for disabilities and are not subject to federal or state taxes. Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally subject to state taxes for those states with income tax. Check with state department of revenue office.

Property Taxes Property taxation is limited to real property. New York State law gives local governments and public school districts the option of granting a reduction on the amount of property taxes paid by qualifying senior citizens. This is accomplished by reducing the assessed value of residential property owned by seniors by 50%. To qualify, seniors must be 65 years of age or older and meet certain income limitations and other requirements. For the 59% exemption, the law allows each county, city, town, village or school district to set the maximum income limit at any figure between $3,000 and $24,000. Localities have the further option of granting an exemption of less than 50% to senior citizens whose incomes exceed the local income limit by less than $1,000 in three income ranges or $900 in six other income ranges. For example, in a community that has taken this “sliding-scale” option and has adopted the $21,500 income maximum, an eligible resident whose income is more than $21,500 but less than $22,500, is entitled to a 45% exemption. If a person’s income is more than $29,000 but less than $32,400, the exemption is 5%. There is no general, statewide homestead property tax exemption. However, a taxpayer’s primary residence may be partially exempted from school taxes under the state’s School Tax Relief Program (STAR) program. Seniors can take advantage of this program that provides a partial exemption from school property taxes. All New Yorkers who own and live in their one-, two-, or three-family home, condominium, cooperative apartment, manufactured home, or farm dwelling are eligible for a STAR exemption on their primary residence.

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There are three parts to the STAR program:

The Basic STAR exemption is available for owner-occupied, primary residences regardless of the owners’ ages or incomes. Basic STAR works by exempting the first $30,000 of the full value of a home from school taxes.

The Middle Class STAR Rebate program has been repealed for 2009. No rebates will be issued.

The Enhanced STAR exemption is available for the primary residences of senior citizens (age 65 and older) with yearly household incomes not exceeding the statewide standard. For qualifying senior citizens, the Enhanced STAR program works by exempting the first $60,100 of the full value of their home from school property taxes. For property owned by a husband and wife, or by siblings, only one of them must be at least 65 years of age as of December 31 of the year in which the exemption will begin to qualify for the Enhanced exemption. Their combined annual income, however, must not exceed the STAR income standard. Call 877-678-2769 for details.

For general information on senior citizen and retiree benefits in New York refer to www.tax.state.ny.us/pdf/publications/income/pub36.pdf.

Inheritance and Estate Taxes – There is no inheritance tax. Regarding the estate tax, if the date of death is on or after January 1, 2004, the estate must file a New York State estate tax return if any one of the following conditions are met: (1) The decedent was domiciled in New York State at the time of death and the total of the federal gross estate, federal taxable gifts and specific exemption exceeds $1 million; (2) The decedent was not domiciled in New York State at the time of death and the estate includes real or tangible personal property with a situs in New York State, and the total of the federal gross estate, federal taxable gifts and specific exemption exceeds $1million; or (3) The decedent was neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States, the estate includes real or tangible personal property with a situs in New York State, and the estate is required to file a federal estate tax return. For further information, visit the New York Department of Taxation and Finance site www.tax.state.ny.us . [Source: www.retirementliving.com Jul 2010 ++]

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Congressional Alphalist: To better understand what is happening to veteran legislation as it proceeds through Congress it is useful to know the language used by our representatives as they conduct business. Following are some of the words or expressions you will see while reading about or listening to House and Senate sessions:

 DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER. Refers to a mass-produced letter sent by one member to all fellow members. They usually describe a new bill and ask for cosponsors or ask for a member’s vote on an issue.

 DELEGATE. A member of the House from Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, or Washington, D.C. The Constitution prohibits delegates from voting on the House floor, but permits them to vote in Committee.

 DEMONSTRATION PROJECT. A project funded by the federal government in order to test new technology or policies. It is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of technology which might not find private funding.

 THE DESK. Refers to the rostrum where the presiding officer and the various clerks of the chamber sit.

 DILATORY ACTION. A parliamentary motion used not for its intended purpose, but to delay proceedings by using up floor time. Motions often used for dilatory purposes include those to adjourn, to reconsider, to table, and to call for unnecessary votes. The minority party most often uses dilatory strategies as leverage for negotiations with the majority party.

 DISAPPEARING QUORUM. This is when senators leave the floor and refuse to answer a quorum call. Disappearing quorums are planned to force the Senate to adjourn. In the absence of a quorum, the Senate

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may not conduct legislative business. Instead, the Senate must either adjourn or leaders may continue to make motions to obtain a quorum.

 DISCHARGE PETITION. Starts a process to force a bill out of committee. A successful petition requires the signatures of 218 members, which is a majority of the House.

 DISCRETIONARY SPENDING. Refers to spending set by annual appropriation levels made by decision of Congress. This spending is optional, and in contrast to entitlement programs for which funding is mandatory.

 DISTRICT. The geographical area in a state represented by a House member, with about 600,000 citizens. Members have one or more district offices depending on the size of the area they represent.

 DISTRICT WORK PERIOD. The time set for House members to work in their district away from Washington. During these periods, the House is not in session. Some members use part of the time to travel.

 DIVISION VOTE – HOUSE. Requires members to stand and be counted. The chair first counts the ayes, then the nays. The numbers are announced, but names are not recorded. It is used mostly when the results of a voice vote is in doubt.

 DIVISION VOTE – SENATE. Requires Senators to either stand or raise their hands to be counted. The chair first counts the ayes, then the nays. The numbers are not announced nor are the names recorded. A division vote is used when the results of a voice vote are in doubt.

[Source: C-SPAN Congressional Glossary Jul 2010 ++]

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Veteran Legislation Status 12 JUL 2010: Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), the Senate’s longest serving member, died early morning of 28 JUN, at the age of 92. Senate rules state that no business may be conducted whenever a member is lying in state on the Senate floor. Therefore, the Senate adjourned late on 28 JUN and reconvened at 2 p.m. on 12 JUL 2010. The House adjourned the evening of 1 JUL and reconvened on 13 July 2010. Thus, little legislation was acted on until they were in adjournment. For or a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community that have been introduced in the 111th Congress refer to the Bulletin’s Veteran Legislation attachment. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s content, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html.

Grassroots lobbying is perhaps the most effective way to let your Representative and Senators know your opinion. Whether you are calling into a local or Washington, D.C. office; sending a letter or e-mail; signing a petition; or making a personal visit, Members of Congress are the most receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing cosponsorship on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is letting legislators know of veteran’s feelings on issues. You can reach their Washington office via the Capital Operator direct at (866) 272-6622, (800) 828-0498, or (866) 340-9281 to express your views. Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov your legislator’s phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making. Refer to http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access your legislators on their home turf. [Source: RAO Bulletin Attachment 28 Jun 2010 ++]

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Have You Heard? Military Lingo

In today’s joint environment, it’s important to speak the ―language‖ of the other armed services. Here’s a list of common expressions for each service:

NAVY/USMC ~ ARMY ~ AIR FORCE

Head ~ Latrine ~ Powder Room

Rack ~ Bunk ~ Single with ruffle and duvet

Mess Deck ~ Chow Hall ~ Dining Facility/Cafe’

“Cookie” ~ Mess Cook ~ Contract Chef

Coffee/Mud ~ Cup of Joe ~ Vanilla Latte’

Bug Juice ~ Kool-Aid ~ Shirley Temple

Utilities ~ BDU’s ~ Casual Wear

Seaman/Private ~ Private ~ Bobby or Jimmy

Chief/Gunny ~ Sergeant ~ Bob or Jim

Captain/Skipper ~ Colonel ~ Robert or James

Captain’s Mast ~ Article 15 ~ Time Out

Berthing/Barracks ~ Barracks ~ Apartment

Skivvies / U-Trau ~ Underwear ~ Tee Shirt & Panties

Thrown in the Brig ~ Put in confinement ~ Grounded

Zoom ~ Bag ~ Flight Suit ~ Business Casual

Cover ~ Beret ~ Optional

NEX or MCXPX ~ PX ~ Shopping Mall

TAD ~ TDY ~ Working vacation

Cruise / Afloat ~ Deploy ~ Huh?

Ground Grabbers ~ Athletic Shoes ~ Flip-Flops

Boondockers ~ Jump Boots ~ Berkenstocks

Low Quarters ~ Low Quarters ~ Patent Leather Pumps

SEAL ~ Special Forces ~ High Altitude Recon

Hoo-Rah ! ~ Hoo-Ah ! ~ Uh-Oh !

MRE ~ MRE ~ Happy Meal

Grinder ~ Drill Field ~ What?

===============================

“It does not take a majority to prevail … but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”

— Samuel Adams (1722 – 1803)

===============================

Lt. James ―EMO‖ Tichacek, USN (Ret)

Associate Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio City RP

PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517

Tel: (951) 238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philippines.

Email: [email protected] Web: http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html

AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/DD890/AD37 member

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VETERAN UPDATES

VETERAN LEGISLATION 12 July 2010

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Of the 5710 House and 3553Senate pieces of legislation introduced in the 111th Congress to date, the following are of interest to the non-active duty veteran community. Bill titles in green (if any) are new additions to this summary, titles in orange have either passed either the House or Senate and been passed to the other for consideration or been incorporated into another bill, and those highlighted in blue have become public law. A good indication on the likelihood a bill of being forwarded to the House or Senate for passage and subsequently being signed into law by the President is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. An alternate way for it to become law is if it is added as an addendum to another bill such as the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and survives the conference committee assigned to iron out the difference between the House and Senate bills. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s text, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, who your representative is and his/her phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To separately determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html. To review a numerical list of all bills introduced refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/111search.html. The key to increasing cosponsorship is letting legislators know of their constituent’s views on issues. Those bills that include a website in red are being pushed by various veterans groups for passage and by clicking on that website you can forward a preformatted message to your legislator requesting he/she support the bill.

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H.R.23 : Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, 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.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (168)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=12497121

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H.R.32 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.315

Sponsor: Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (41)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Provisions of measure

incorporated into H.R. 3949 .

________________________________________

H.R.33 : Disability Benefit Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 5-month waiting period for entitlement to disability benefits and to eliminate reconsideration as an intervening step between initial benefit entitlement decisions and subsequent hearings on the record on such decisions.

Sponsor: Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.43 : Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps.

Sponsor: Rep Becerra, Xavier [CA-31] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (186) Related bill S.46

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=14486941&type=CO

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H.R.82 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to expand retroactive eligibility of the Army Combat Action Badge to include members of the Army who participated in combat during which they personally engaged, or were personally engaged by, the enemy at any time on or after December 7, 1941.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.84 : Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.108 : Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability and to their dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.114 : Veterans Entrepreneurial Transition Business Benefit Act to allow veterans to elect to use, with the approval of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, certain financial educational assistance to establish and operate certain business, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

________________________________________

H.R.147 : Designate a Portion of Tax Payment for Homeless Vets. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow taxpayers to designate a portion of their income tax payment to provide assistance to homeless veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (90)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12922516&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.161 : Social Security Beneficiary Tax Reduction Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 increase in taxes on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.162 : Senior Citizens’ Tax Elimination Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the inclusion in gross income of Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.174 : Colorado Vet Cemetery. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado region.

Sponsor: Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 11/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.177 : Depleted Uranium Screening and Testing Act to provide for identification of members of the Armed Forces exposed during military service to depleted uranium, to provide for health testing of such members, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.190 : Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans Health Administration in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State. Companion Bill S.239.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.198 : Health Care Tax Deduction Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for amounts paid for health insurance and prescription drug costs of individuals.

Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.208 : National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who have served on active duty or performed active service since September 11, 2001, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations receive credit for such service in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.644.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (147)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials and /or http://capwiz.com/ngaus/mail/compose/?mailid=13672261&azip=92571&bzip=7311

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H.R.210 : Vet Cemetery South Carolina Land Acquisition Study. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the acquisition of a parcel of land adjacent to Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, South Carolina.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.217 : Vet Cemetery South Carolina Land Acquisition Purchase. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to acquire a parcel of land adjacent to Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, South Carolina.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.228 : Visual Impairment VA Scholarship Program to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of visual impairment and orientation and mobility.

Sponsor: Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Provisions of measure incorporated into H.R. 3949 .

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H.R.236 : Social Security Protection Act to amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to protect Social Security beneficiaries against any reduction in benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Rules; House Budget

Latest Major Action: 1/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.237 : Military Retiree Health Care Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a refundable credit to military retirees for premiums paid for coverage under Medicare Part B.

Sponsor: Rep Emerson, Jo Ann [MO-8] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12921516&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.247 : Protect Our Veterans Memorials Act of 2009 to amend section 1369 of title 18, United States Code, to extend Federal jurisdiction over destruction of veterans’ memorials on State or local government property.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

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H.R.270 : TRICARE Continuity of Coverage for National Guard and Reserve Families Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for continuity of TRICARE Standard coverage for certain members of the Retired Reserve. Companion Bill S.731.

Sponsor: Rep Latta, Robert E. [OH-5] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (72)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12923561&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805&False&False

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H.R.293 : Homeless Women Veteran and Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Grant Program Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a grant program to provide reintegration services through programs and facilities that emphasize services for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.294 : Veteran Owned Small Business Promotion Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the reauthorization of the Department of Veterans Affairs small business loan program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

________________________________________

H.R.295 : More Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 to authorize appropriations for the veterans’ workforce investment programs.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

________________________________________

H.R.296 : Armed Forces Disability Retirement Enhancement Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to revise the process by which a member of the Armed Forces is retired for disability and becomes eligible for retirement pay, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

________________________________________

H.R.297 : Veteran Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Subsistence Allowance Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of subsistence allowance payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans participating in vocational rehabilitation programs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.514

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

________________________________________

H.R.303 : Retired Pay Restoration Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit additional retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or Combat-Related Special Compensation and to eliminate the phase-in period under current law with respect to such concurrent receipt.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (133)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

________________________________________

H.R.309 : American Heroes’ Homeownership Assistance Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow certain current and former service members to receive a refundable credit for the purchase of a principal residence.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

________________________________________

H.R.333 : Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act to amend title 10, United States Code, 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 eliminate the phase-in period for concurrent receipt, to extend eligibility for concurrent receipt to chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Marshall, Jim [GA-8] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (156)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12406456&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] and http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12888756

_______________________________________

H.R.341 : Suspend Limitations Period for Tax Refund on VA Retroactive Payments. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to suspend the running of periods of limitation for credit or refund of overpayment of Federal income tax by veterans while their service-connected compensation determinations are pending with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

________________________________________

H.R.347 : Congressional Gold Medal Award. To grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

Sponsor: Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (297) – Related bill S.1055

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 5/18/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

________________________________________

H.R.379 : State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Expansion Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that all taxpayers have the ability to deduct State and local general sales taxes. Companion Bill S.35.

Sponsor: Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (26)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

________________________________________

H.R.394 : Medal of Honor Pension. To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that title by up to $1,000.

Sponsor: Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. [SC-1] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

________________________________________

H.R.403 : Homes for Heroes Act of 2009 to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Al [TX-9] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (41)

Committees: House Financial Services; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 6/17/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

________________________________________

H.R.423 : Samuel B. Moody Bataan Death March Compensation Act to provide compensation for certain World War II veterans who survived the Bataan Death March and were held as prisoners of war by the Japanese.

Sponsor: Rep Mica, John L. [FL-7] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

________________________________________

H.R.433 : Ready Employers Willing to Assist Reservists’ Deployment (REWARD) Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax equal to 50 percent of the compensation paid to employees while they are performing active duty service as members of the Ready Reserve or the National Guard and of the compensation paid to temporary replacement employees.

Sponsor: Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (40)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

________________________________________

H.R.442 : Veterans’ Heritage Firearms Act of 2009 to provide an amnesty period during which veterans and their family members can register certain firearms in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (191)

Committees: House Judiciary; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

________________________________________

H.R.449 : Health Care for America’s Heroes Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the availability of health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by adjusting the income level for certain priority veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

________________________________________

H.R.456 : Disabled Veteran Small Business Eligibility Expansion Act of 2009 to amend the Small Business Act to make service-disabled veterans eligible under the 8(a) business development program.

Sponsor: Rep Wittman, Robert J. [VA-1] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Small Business

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

________________________________________

H.R.466 : Wounded Veteran Job Security Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit discrimination and acts of reprisal against persons who receive treatment for illnesses, injuries, and disabilities incurred in or aggravated by service in the uniformed services.

Sponsor: Rep Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/9/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

________________________________________

H.R.482 : Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act to authorize the rededication of the District of Columbia War Memorial as a National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial to honor the sacrifices made by American veterans of World War I.

Sponsor: Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (51)

Committees: House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.

________________________________________

H.R.484 : Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act to require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to provide chiropractic health care services and benefits for certain new beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE program.

Sponsor: Rep Rogers, Mike D. [AL-3] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (45)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

________________________________________

H.R.531 : Social Security Number Fraudulent Use Notification Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to require that the Commissioner of Social Security notify individuals of improper use of their Social Security account numbers.

Sponsor: Rep Myrick, Sue Wilkins [NC-9] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

________________________________________

H.R.568 : Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality of care provided to veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, to encourage highly qualified doctors to serve in hard-to-fill positions in such medical facilities, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 1/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

________________________________________

H.R.593 : CRSC for DoD Disability Severances Pay. To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the authorized concurrent receipt of disability severance pay from the Department of Defense and compensation for the same disability under any law administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover all veterans who have a combat-related disability, as defined under section 1413a of such title.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (44)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12918951&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

________________________________________

H.R.612 : Disabled Veterans Insurance Act of 2009 to amend section 1922A of title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of supplemental insurance available for totally disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 1/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

________________________________________

H.R.613 : Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for forgiveness of certain overpayments of retired pay paid to deceased retired members of the Armed Forces following their death.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 1/21/2009) Cosponsors (62)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12489731&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

________________________________________

H.R.620 : Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an increased work opportunity credit with respect to recent veterans.

Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 1/21/2009) Cosponsors (14) Related Bill: H.R.4443

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.627 : Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 to amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish fair and transparent practices relating to the extension of credit under an open end consumer credit plan, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (128) Related Bill S.235 Companion Bill S.414 Committees: House Financial Services House Reports: 111-88 Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-24

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H.R.656 : Unemployed Early Retirement Plan Withdrawal without Penalty. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow certain individuals who have attained age 50 and who are unemployed to receive distributions from qualified retirement plans without incurring a 10 percent additional tax.

Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/22/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.667 : Heroes at Home Act of 2009 to improve the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury in members and former members of the Armed Forces, to review and expand telehealth and telemental health programs of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] (introduced 1/23/2009) Cosponsors (46)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.668 : Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide flexibility in the manner in which beds are counted for purposes of determining whether a hospital may be designated as a critical access hospital under the Medicare Program and to exempt from the critical access hospital inpatient bed limitation the number of beds provided for certain veterans. Companion Bill S.307

Sponsor: Rep Walden, Greg [OR-2] (introduced 1/23/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/23/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.671 : In Memory Medal for Forgotten Veterans Act to direct the Secretary of Defense to issue a medal

to certain veterans who died after their service in the Vietnam War as a direct result of that service.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.731 : Jenny’s Law to amend title 38, United States Code, to exclude individuals who have been convicted of committing certain sex offenses from receiving certain burial-related benefits and funeral honors which are otherwise available to certain veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and related individuals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Shadegg, John B. [AZ-3] (introduced 1/27/2009) Cosponsors (26)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/27/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.746 : Safeguarding America’s Seniors and Veterans Act of 2009 to provide for economic recovery payments to recipients of Social Security, railroad retirement, and veterans disability benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Adler, John H. [NJ-3] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/28/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.761 : Parental Burial in National Cemeteries (Corey Shea Act). To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the eligibility of parents of certain deceased veterans for interment in national cemeteries.

Sponsor: Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (3) Related Bill H.R.3949

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Provisions of measure incorporated into H.R.3949 .

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H.R.775 : Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to offset the receipt of veterans dependency and indemnity compensation. Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (345) Companion Bill S.535 Committees: House Armed Services Latest Major Action: 3/15/2010 Motion to Discharge Committee filed by Mr. Jones. Petition No: 111-10. To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12541746 To support the Discharge Petition send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=14825891&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.784 : VA Reports to Congress. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress quarterly reports on vacancies in mental health professional positions in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.785 : VA Outreach Training. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide outreach and training to certain college and university mental health centers relating to the mental health of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.543

Sponsor: Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.806 : TRICARE Mail-Order Pharmacy Pilot Program Act to establish a mail-order pharmacy pilot program for TRICARE beneficiaries.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.809 : Widow Remarriage Age Decrease for DIC. To amend title 38, United States Code, to reduce from age 57 to age 55 the age after which the remarriage of the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran shall not result in termination of dependency and indemnity compensation otherwise payable to that surviving spouse.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12993371

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H.R.811 : Retired Pay Restoration Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit certain retired members of the uniformed services who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or Combat-Related Special Compensation. Companion Bill S.546

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.816 : Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to prohibit certain increases in fees for military health care.

Sponsor: Rep Edwards, Chet [TX-17] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (199)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12591151&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12603596 or http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=12607551 or http://capwiz.com/trea/issues/alert/?alertid=12710751

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H.R.819 : POW DIC Eligibility Date. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who died on or before September 30, 1999, under the same eligibility conditions as apply to payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who die after that date.

Sponsor: Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.870 : Medicare Medically Necessary Dental Care Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage under part B for medically necessary dental procedures.

Sponsor: Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.879 : Affordable Health Care Expansion Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a refundable credit against income tax for the purchase of private health insurance.

Sponsor: Rep Granger, Kay [TX-12] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.883 : Social Security 1993 Tax Increase Repeal. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 increase in income taxes on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.917 : Combat-Related Injury Death Dependent Health Benefits. To increase the health benefits of dependents of members of the Armed Forces who die because of a combat-related injury.

Sponsor: Rep Guthrie, Brett [KY-2] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.919 : Veterans’ Medical Personnel Recruitment and Retention Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.929 : VA Vet Training Program. To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program of training to provide eligible veterans with skills relevant to the job market, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Welch, Peter [VT] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.931 : Veterans Employment Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the work opportunity credit with respect to certain unemployed veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (None) Related bill: H.R.4443

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.942 : Veterans Self-Employment Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot project on the use of educational assistance under programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs to defray training costs associated with the purchase of certain franchise enterprises.

Sponsor: Rep Alexander, Rodney [LA-5] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .

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H.R.944 : Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide improved benefits for veterans who are former prisoners of war.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.950 : Vet Distance Learning Assistance. To amend chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, to increase educational assistance for certain veterans pursuing a program of education offered through distance learning.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (28)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.952 : Compensation Owed for Mental Health Based on Activities in Theater Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the meaning of “combat with the enemy” for purposes of service-connection of disabilities.

Sponsor: Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (95)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.953 : Veterans Travel Tax Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a deduction for travel expenses to medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with examinations or treatments relating to service-connected disabilities.

Sponsor: Rep Heller, Dean [NV-2] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (68)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.954 : Social Security Benefits Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to

provide that a monthly insurance benefit thereunder shall be paid for the month in which the recipient dies, subject to a reduction of 50 percent if the recipient dies during the first 15 days of such month, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.972 : Retired Reserve Age for Health Benefits. To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement that certain former members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces be at least 60 years of age in order to be eligible to receive health care benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12992881

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H.R.1004 : Veterans Health Care Full Funding Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide an enhanced funding process to ensure an adequate level of funding for veterans health care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] (introduced 2/11/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/11/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1016 : Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide advance appropriations authority for certain medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (125) Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs House Reports: 111-171 Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-81 To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12704096

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H.R.1017 : Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 and title 38, United States Code, to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and to expand access to such care and services.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (37) Related bill S.1204

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/25/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1034 : Honor and Remember Flag. To amend title 36, United States Code, to designate the Honor and Remember Flag created by Honor and Remember, Inc., as an official symbol to recognize and honor members of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Forbes, J. Randy [VA-4] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

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H.R.1036 : Veterans Physical Therapy Services Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the position of Director of Physical Therapy Service within the Veterans Health Administration and to establish a fellowship program for physical therapists in the areas of geriatrics, amputee rehabilitation, polytrauma care, and rehabilitation research.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (27)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1037 : Pilot College Work Study Programs for Veterans Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a five-year pilot project to test the feasibility and advisability of expanding the scope of certain qualifying work-study activities under title 38, United States Code.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

House Reports: 111-162 Latest Major 10/7/2009 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

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H.R.1038 : Shingles Prevention Act to amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for the shingles vaccine under the Medicare Program.

Sponsor: Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.1042 : Enemy POW Hospitalization Policy. To prohibit the provision of medical treatment to enemy combatants detained by the United States at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the same facility as a member of the Armed Forces or Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility.

Sponsor: Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1075 : Restoring Essential Care for Our Veterans for Effective Recovery (RECOVER) Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access to hospital care for veterans in major disaster areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Scalise, Steve [LA-1] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1088 : Mandatory Veteran Specialist Training Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to

provide for a one-year period for the training of new disabled veterans’ outreach program specialists and local veterans’ employment representatives by National Veterans’ Employment and Training Services Institute.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1089 : Veterans Employment Rights to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the enforcement through the Office of Special Counsel of the employment and unemployment rights of veterans and members of the Armed Forces employed by Federal executive agencies, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1098 : Veterans’ Worker Retraining Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of educational assistance payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certain individuals pursuing internships or on-job training.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1114 : National Cemetery Availability. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a process for determining whether a geographic area is sufficiently served by the national cemeteries located in that geographic area.

Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 2/23/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/23/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1163 : Establish Nebraska National Cemetery. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County region to serve veterans in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northwest Missouri.

Sponsor: Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] (introduced 2/24/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.1168 : Veterans Retraining Act of 2009 to amend chapter 42 of title 38, United States Code, to provide certain veterans with employment training assistance.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1169 : VA Adapted Housing/Automobile Assistance. To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase

the amount of assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disabled veterans for specially adapted housing and automobiles and adapted equipment.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1170 : Adapted Housing Technology Grants. To amend chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, to establish a grant program to encourage the development of new assistive technologies for specially adapted housing.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1171 : Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to reauthorize the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program for fiscal years 2010 through 2014.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/31/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1172 : VA Website Scholarship Info Addition. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include on the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a list of organizations that provide scholarships to veterans and their survivors.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

House Reports: 111-164 Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1182 : Military Spouses Residency Relief Act to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to guarantee the equity of spouses of military personnel with regard to matters of residency, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Carter, John R. [TX-31] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (208)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/8/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.1197 : Medal of Honor Health Care Equity Act of 2009 to assign a higher priority status for hospital care and medical services provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs to certain veterans who are recipients of the medal of honor.

Sponsor: Rep Mitchell, Harry E. [AZ-5] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1203 : Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of

1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums. Companion Bill S.491

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (214)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12787701&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1211: Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.597

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (51)

House Reports: 111-165 Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12833716&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1232 : Far South Texas Veterans Medical Center Act of 2009 to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct a full service hospital in Far South Texas.

Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1263 : Federal Retirement Reform Act of 2009 to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the automatic enrollment of new participants in the Thrift Savings Plan, and to clarify the method for computing certain annuities based on part-time service; to allow certain employees of the District of Columbia to have certain periods of service credited for purposes relating to retirement eligibility; and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.1289 : Social Security Fairness for the Terminally Ill Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period in the disability insurance program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Charles A. [OH-6] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1293 : Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 3/4/2009) Cosponsors (16)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/29/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1305 : Perpetual Purple Heart Stamp Act to provide for the issuance of a forever stamp to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the armed forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart. Companion Bill S.572

Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 3/4/2009) Cosponsors (82)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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H.R.1317 : Mortgage Payment Tax Credit. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to individuals who pay their mortgages on time.

Sponsor: Rep Shuster, Bill [PA-9] (introduced 3/4/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1335 : VA Catastrophically Disabled Copay. To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (40)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1336 : Veterans Education Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the basic educational assistance program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1377 : VA Emergency Treatment Reimbursement to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/6/2009) Cosponsors (2) Companion Bill S.404. Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-137

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H.R.1388 : Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws. Passed 321-105 and placed on the Senate calendar. Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (37) Related Bills: H.RES.250, H.RES.296, S.277 Committees: House Education and Labor, House Reports: 111-37

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-13

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H.R.1401 : VET Corps Act of 2009 to create a service corps of veterans called Veterans Engaged for Tomorrow (VET) Corps focused on promoting and improving the service opportunities for veterans and retired members of the military by engaging such veterans and retired members in projects designed to meet identifiable public needs with a specific emphasis on projects to support veterans, including disabled and older veterans and retired members of the military.

Sponsor: Rep Sarbanes, John P. [MD-3] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

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H.R.1416 : Southern New Jersey Veterans Comprehensive Health Care Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the capability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for the medical-care needs of veterans in southern New Jersey.

Sponsor: Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] (introduced 3/10/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1428 : VA Parkinson’s Disease Compensation. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide wartime disability compensation for certain veterans with Parkinson’s disease.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/11/2009) Cosponsors (84)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12986021&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1474 : Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enforcement of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.263.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Artur [AL-7] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (28)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1478 : Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009 to amend chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, to allow members of the Armed Forces to sue the United States for damages for certain injuries caused by improper medical care, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 4/26/2010 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 267.

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H.R.1496 : Child Health Care Affordability Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a credit against income tax for medical expenses for dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1513 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009 to increase, effective as of December 1, 2009, the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (10) Related bill S.407

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/31/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13048376&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1519 : Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 income tax increase on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Sam [TX-3] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1522 : United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act to provide that service of the members of the organization known as the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II constituted active military service for purposes of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (25)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1532 : CMOH Statute of Limitations Elimination. To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the statute of limitations on the award of the congressional medal of honor.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1544 : Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited eligibility for health care for mental illnesses for veterans of combat service during certain periods of hostilities and war.

Sponsor: Rep Driehaus, Steve [OH-1] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1546 : Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Sponsor: Rep McNerney, Jerry [CA-11] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.1592 : Pay Increase Guarantee. To amend title 37, United States Code, to guarantee a pay increase for members of the uniformed services for fiscal years 2011 through 2014 of one-half of one percentage point higher than the Employment Cost Index.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 3/18/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=13002241

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H.R.1600 : TRICARE Autism Care. To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of autism under TRICARE.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 3/18/2009) Cosponsors (23)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1647 : Veterans’ Employment Transition Support Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax for hiring veterans.

Sponsor: Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1657 : Notification of Exposure to Harmful Material/Contaminants. To direct the Secretary of Defense to notify members of the Armed Forces and State military departments of exposure to potentially harmful materials and contaminants.

Sponsor: Rep Schrader, Kurt [OR-5] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1658 : Veterans Healthcare Commitment Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the recovery by the United States of charges from a third party for hospital care or medical services furnished to a veteran for a service-connected disability.

Sponsor: Rep Tiahrt, Todd [KS-4] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1681 : Veterans Transitional Assistance Act of 2009 to improve the coordination between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to better provide care to members and the Armed Forces and veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] (introduced 3/24/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on

Military Personnel.

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H.R.1694 : Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act to authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program.

Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] (introduced 3/24/2009) Cosponsors (12) Related Bill S.1168

Committees: House Natural Resources; Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 3/2/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 302.

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H.R.1695 : Reserve Retired Pay Age Reduction. To amend title 10, United States Code, to reduce the minimum age for receipt of military retired pay for non-regular service from 60 to 55.

Sponsor: Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] (introduced 3/24/2009) Cosponsors (49)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1701 : PTSD/TBI Guaranteed Review For Heroes Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a special review board for certain former members of the Armed Forces with post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1708 : Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to phase out the 24-month waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits, to eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.700.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (111)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Transportation and Infrastructure

Latest Major Action: 3/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

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H.R.1712 : Savings for Seniors Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to establish a Social Security Surplus Protection Account in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund to hold the Social Security surplus, to provide for suspension of investment of amounts held in the Account until enactment of legislation providing for investment of the Trust Fund in investment vehicles other than obligations of the United States, and to establish a Social Security Investment Commission to make recommendations for alternative forms of investment of the Social Security surplus in the Trust Fund.

Sponsor: Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1716 : Property Tax Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the deduction for real property taxes on the principal residences to all individuals whether or not they itemize other deductions.

Sponsor: Rep Hill, Baron P. [IN-9] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1767 : Fair Housing Tax Credit Extension Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the first-time homebuyer credit retroactive to the beginning of 2008 and to permanently extend the credit.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 3/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/26/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1804 : Federal Retirement Reform Act of 2009 to amend title 5, United States Code, to make certain modifications in the Thrift Savings Plan, the Civil Service Retirement System, and the Federal Employees’ Retirement System, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (4) Related Bill H.R.108

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 307 , H.R. 1804 is laid on the table.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13048556&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1809 : TRICARE Prime Geographic Expansion. To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the geographical coverage of TRICARE Prime to include Puerto Rico and Guam.

Sponsor: Rep Pierluisi, Pedro R. [PR] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1818 : Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability and to their dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (18)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1849 : World War I Memorial and Centennial Act of 2009 to designate the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the National World War I Memorial, to establish the World War I centennial commission to ensure a suitable observance of the centennial of World War I, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (101) Related Bill S.760

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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H.R.1851 : DOL Transitional Services. To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that certain members of the Armed Forces receive employment assistance, job training assistance, and other transitional

services provided by the Secretary of Labor before separating from active duty service.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1872 : Secure Electronic Military Separation Act to require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to develop and implement a secure electronic method of forwarding the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) to the appropriate office of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the State or other locality in which a member of the Armed Forces will first reside after the discharge or release of the member from active duty.

Sponsor: Rep Space, Zachary T. [OH-18] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1879 : National Guard Employment Protection Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for employment and reemployment rights for certain individuals ordered to full-time National Guard duty.

Sponsor: Rep Coffman, Mike [CO-6] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805

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H.R.1902 : Providing Real Outreach for Veterans Act of 2009 to provide veterans with individualized notice about available benefits, to streamline application processes for the benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1919 : Federal Withholding Tax Repeal Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the withholding of income and social security taxes.

Sponsor: Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1963 : Military Separation Transitional Services. To amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that members of the Armed Forces who are being separated from active duty receive comprehensive employment assistance, job training assistance, and other transitional services, to require that such members receive a psychological evaluation in addition to the physical examination they receive as part of their separation from active duty, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1982 : Veterans Entitlement to Service (VETS) Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to acknowledge the receipt of medical, disability, and pension claims and other communications submitted by veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1994 : Citizen Soldier Equality Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide equity between active and reserve component members of the Armed Forces in the computation of disability retired pay for members wounded in action.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Geoff [KY-4] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.2014 : WASP Gold Medal Award. To award a congressional gold medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (“WASP”).

Sponsor: Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (337) Companion Bill S.614

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 4/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2017 : MOAA Federal Charter. To amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (140) Companion Bill S.832 Related Bill S.1449

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

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H.R.2059 : SBP Disabled Child Trust. To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the payment of monthly annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to a supplemental or special needs trust established for the sole benefit of a disabled dependent child of a participant in the Survivor Benefit Plan.

Sponsor: Rep Foster, Bill [IL-14] (introduced 4/23/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2127 : Veterans Travel Equity Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the income eligibility and service-connected disability rating requirements for the veterans beneficiary travel program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] (introduced 4/27/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/1/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2138 : Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act to provide grants to establish veteran’s treatment courts.

Sponsor: Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] (introduced 4/28/2009) Cosponsors (34) Related Bill S.902

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.

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H.R.2180 : Disabled Vet Housing Loan Fee Waiver. To amend title 38, United States Code, to waive housing loan fees for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities called to active service.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 4/29/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

House Reports: 111-163 Latest Major Action: 6/18/2009 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 81.

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H.R.2243 : Surviving Spouses Benefit Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (77)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/8/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13303636&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.2244 : Single Parent Protection Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an individual who is entitled to receive child support a refundable credit equal to the amount of unpaid child support and to increase the tax liability of the individual required to pay such support by the amount of the unpaid child support.

Sponsor: Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2254 : The Agent Orange Equity Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam. Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (257) Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs Latest Major Action: 5/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13301656&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.2257 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie B [TX-30] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (None) – Related Bill S.315

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2263 : Disability Equity Act to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the waiting periods for people with disabilities for entitlement to disability benefits and Medicare, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2270 : Benefits for Qualified World War II Veterans Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the establishment of a compensation fund to make payments to qualified World War II veterans on the basis of certain qualifying service.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/6/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2302 : Military Retired Pay Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to limit recoupments of separation pay, special separation benefits, and voluntary separation incentive from members of the Armed Forces subsequently receiving retired or retainer pay.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 5/7/2009) Cosponsors (5) Companion bill S.1008

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13682556&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13967481&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.2342 : Wounded Warrior Project Family Caregiver Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a family caregiver program to furnish support services to family members certified as family caregivers who provide personal care services for certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] (introduced 5/11/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2365 : Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 2009 to require the establishment of a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security and Medicare benefits under titles II and XVIII of the Social Security Act.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 5/12/2009) Cosponsors (60)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 5/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall

within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2379 : Veterans’ Group Life Insurance Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide certain veterans an opportunity to increase the amount of Veterans’ Group Life Insurance.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

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H.R.2389 : Veterans’ Group Life Insurance Improvement Act of 2009 to require the Secretary of Defense to establish registries of members and former members of the Armed Forces exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed to such hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Hill, Baron P. [IN-9] (introduced 5/13/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/12/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.2405 : Richard Helm Veterans’ Access to Local Health Care Options and Resources Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide veterans enrolled in the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs the option of receiving covered health services through facilities other than those of the Department.

Sponsor: Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2412 : Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas.

Sponsor: Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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H.R.2419 : Military Personnel War Zone Toxic Exposure Prevention Act to require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical surveillance system to identify members of the Armed Forces exposed to chemical hazards resulting from the disposal of waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, to prohibit the disposal of waste by the Armed Forces in a manner that would produce dangerous levels of toxins, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (23)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.2429 : Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 2009 to require the establishment of a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security benefits under title II of the Social Security Act.

Sponsor: Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2456 : Veterans Education Tuition Support Act of 2009 to amend section 484B of Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to students who withdraw from an institution of higher education to serve in the uniformed services, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] (introduced 5/18/2009) Cosponsors (34) Related Bills: H.R.2561, S.1603

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.2474 : Veterans Educational Equity Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that in the case of an individual entitled to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance program who is enrolled at an institution of higher education in a State in which the public institutions charge only fees in lieu of tuition, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall allow the individual to use all or any portion of the amounts payable for the established charges for the program of education to pay any amount of the individual’s tuition or fees for that program of education.

Sponsor: Rep McKeon, Howard P. “Buck” [CA-25] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (48)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2486 : Vet Organization Funeral Detail Support. To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for support of funeral ceremonies for veterans provided by details that consist solely of members of veterans organizations and other organizations, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Gohmert, Louie [TX-1] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2504 : Homeless Vet VA Appropriation Increase. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the annual amount authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2505 : Reaching Rural Veterans through Telehealth Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to utilize tele-health platforms to assist in the treatment of veterans living in rural areas who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2506 : Veterans Hearing and Assessment Act to direct the Secretary of Defense to ensure the members of the Armed Forces receive mandatory hearing screenings before and after deployments and to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to mandate that tinnitus be listed as a mandatory condition for treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs Auditory Centers of Excellence and that research on the preventing, treating, and curing of tinnitus be conducted.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2546 : Right to Display Service Flag. To ensure that the right of an individual to display the Service flag on residential property not be abridged.

Sponsor: Rep Boccieri, John A. [OH-16] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (56) Related bill: S.3477

Committees: House Financial Services

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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H.R.2553 : Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act to authorize the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of participation in the testing of nuclear weapons or under other circumstances.

Sponsor: Rep Tiahrt, Todd [KS-4] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (16) Related bill S.1128

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2559 : Help Our Homeless Veterans Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a national media campaign directed at homeless veterans and veterans at risk for becoming homeless.

Sponsor: Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (13)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2561 : Help Student Soldiers Act to amend section 484B of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to forgive certain loans for servicemembers who withdraw from an institution of higher education as a result of service in the uniformed services, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (21) Related Bills: H.R.2456, S.1603

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.2573 : Atomic Veterans Relief Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the eligibility criteria for presumption of service-connection of certain diseases and disabilities for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation during military service, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (23)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2583 : Women Veterans Access to Care Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve health care for women veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2585 : Protecting the Retirement of Our Troops by Ensuring Compensation is Timely Act to delay any presumption of death in connection with the kidnapping in Iraq or Afghanistan of a retired member of the Armed Forces to ensure the continued payment of the member’s retired pay.

Sponsor: Rep Broun, Paul C. [GA-10] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2586 : Honor Guard 13-fold Flag Recitation Option. To prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from authorizing honor guards to participate in funerals of veterans interred in national cemeteries unless the honor guards may offer veterans’ families the option of having the honor guard perform a 13-fold flag recitation, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Broun, Paul C. [GA-10] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (46)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2594 : Dependent State Plot VA Allowance. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide a plot allowance for spouses and children of certain veterans who are buried in State cemeteries.

Sponsor: Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (48)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2598 : Bataan/Corregidor/Luzon Gold Medal. To grant a congressional gold medal to American military personnel who fought in defense of Bataan/Corregidor/Luzon between December 7, 1941 and May 6, 1942.

Sponsor: Rep Heinrich, Martin [NM-1] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (50)

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2621 : Travel Expense Reimbursement Time Requirement. To amend title 10, United States Code, to use a time requirement for determining eligibility for the reimbursement of certain travel expenses.

Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Kevin [CA-22] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2638 : Veterans Stamp to Honor American Veterans Act to provide for the issuance of a veterans health care stamp.

Sponsor: Rep Shuler, Heath [NC-11] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2642 : Veterans Missing in America Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assist in the identification of unclaimed and abandoned human remains to determine if any such remains are eligible for burial in a national cemetery, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2647 : National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] (by request) (introduced 6/2/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill H.R.2990 Committees: House Armed Services House Reports: 111-166, 111-166 Part 2 Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-84

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H.R.2672 : Help Veterans Own Franchises Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow credits for the establishment of franchises with veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Schock, Aaron [IL-18] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (35)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2673 : Surviving Spouse Pension Upgrade. To amend title 38, United States Code, to match the pension amount paid to surviving spouses of veterans who served during a period of war to the pension amount paid to such veterans.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/5/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.2683 : To establish the American Veterans Congressional Internship Program.

Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Administration

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

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H.R.2689 : D-Day Memorial. To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, as a unit of the National Park System.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (7) Related bill S.1207

Committees: House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2696 : Servicemembers’ Rights Protection Act to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide for the enforcement of rights afforded under that Act.

Sponsor: Rep Miller, Brad [NC-13] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Provisions of measure incorporated into H.R. 3949 .

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H.R.2698 : Veterans’ and Survivors’ Behavioral Health Awareness Act to improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to veterans, to enhance counseling and other benefits available to survivors of veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (48)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2699 : Armed Forces Behavioral Health Awareness Act to improve the mental health care benefits available to members of the Armed Forces, to enhance counseling available to family members of members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (37)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2713 : Disabled Veterans Life Insurance Enhancement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the service disabled veterans’ insurance program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Donnelly, Joe [IN-2] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (13)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2734 : Health Care for Family Caregivers Act of 2009 to amend section 1781 of title 38, United States Code, to provide medical care to family members of disabled veterans who serve as caregivers to such veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/18/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2735 : Homeless Vet Service Program Improvements. To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2738 : Family Caregiver Travel Expense Compensation. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide travel expenses for family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/18/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2756 : Veterans Home Loan Refinance Opportunity Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow eligible veterans to use qualified veterans mortgage bonds to refinance home loans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] (introduced 6/8/2009) Cosponsors (16)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2771 : Military Overpayment Fairness Act of 2009 to amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to provide a more equitable process by which the military departments may recover overpayments of military pay and allowances erroneously paid to a member of the Armed Forces when the overpayment is due to no fault of the member, to expand Department discretion regarding remission or cancellation of indebtedness, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 6/9/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2774 : Families of Veterans Financial Security Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the extension of the duration of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance coverage for totally disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 6/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

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H.R.2788 : Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act to designate a Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California.

Sponsor: Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44] (introduced 6/10/2009) Cosponsors (48)

Committees: House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 3/22/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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H.R.2830 : Providing Access to Healthcare (PATH) for Veterans Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to give priority to unemployed veterans in furnishing hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to certain veterans assigned to priority level 8.

Sponsor: Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] (introduced 6/11/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/12/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2836 : National Guard and Reservist Suicide Prevention and Community Response Act to amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to improve and expand suicide prevention and community healing and response training under the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.

Sponsor: Rep Hodes, Paul W. [NH-2] (introduced 6/11/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2879 : Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care for veterans who live in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 6/15/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Latest Major Action: 6/19/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2898 : Wounded Warrior Caregiver Assistance Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide support services for family caregivers of disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 6/16/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Latest Major Action: 6/19/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on

Health.

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H.R.2926 : VA Special Care for Vietnam-era & Persian Gulf War Vets Exposed to Herbicides. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide, without expiration, hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicide and veterans of the Persian Gulf War.

Sponsor: Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] (introduced 6/17/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.2928: Post-9/11 GI Bill Apprenticeship/OJT Program. To amend title 38, United State Code, to provide for an apprenticeship and on-job training program under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 6/17/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Latest Major Action: 9/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2965 : Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act of 2009 to amend the Small Business Act with respect to the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, and for other purposes.: Amended with H.AMDT.291 by Rep. David Reichert, D-WA to give preference to organizations that are located in under represented states and regions, or are women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, or minority-owned when awarding grants for Small Business Administration (SBA) outreach efforts authorized under Title III (rural development and outreach).

Sponsor: Rep Altmire, Jason [PA-4] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Small Business; House Science and Technology

House Reports: 111-190 Part 1, 111-190 Part 2

Latest Major Action: 7/13/2009 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Passed Senate in lieu of S. 1233 with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

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H.R.2968 : SGLI/VGLI Accelerated Death Benefit. To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the required reduction in the amount of the accelerated death benefit payable to certain terminally-ill persons insured under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance or Veterans’ Group Life Insurance.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2970 : Federal Law Enforcement Officer Vet Age Limit. To amend title 5, United States Code, to increase the maximum age limit for an original appointment to a position as a Federal law enforcement officer in the case of any individual who has been discharged or released from active duty in the Armed Forces under honorable conditions, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Rob [UT-1] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Latest Major Action: 6/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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H.R.2974 : Disabled Vet Health Savings Account Eligibility. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986

to allow individuals eligible for veterans health benefits to contribute to health savings accounts.

Sponsor: Rep Campbell, John [CA-48] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Latest Major Action: 6/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2980 : Survivor Benefit Time Limit for 100% Disabled Vets. To amend title 38, United States Code, to reduce the period of time for which a veteran must be totally disabled before the veteran’s survivors are eligible for the benefits provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for survivors of certain veterans rated totally disabled at time of death.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Latest Major Action: 6/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.2990 : Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act of 2009 to provide special pays and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces, expand concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] (introduced 6/23/2009) Cosponsors (25) Related Bill H.R.2647

Committees: House Armed Services; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Natural Resources; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/25/2009 Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 572 , H.R. 2990 is laid on the table.

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H.R.3067 : Health Security for All Americans Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reform Medicare payments to physicians and certain other providers and improve Medicare benefits, to encourage the offering of health coverage by small businesses, to provide tax incentives for the purchase of health insurance by individuals, to increase access to health care for veterans, to address the nursing shortage, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] (introduced 6/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Education and Labor; House Ways and Means; House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 8/3/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.3073 : Pending Vet Homeless Grant Program. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs establish a grant program to provide assistance to veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Sponsor: Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] (introduced 6/26/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3087 : Establish VA Claim Decision Deadlines. To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a deadline for decisions with respect to claims for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Butterfield, G. K. [NC-1] (introduced 6/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/10/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3155 : Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide certain caregivers of veterans with training, support, and medical care, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] (introduced 7/9/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/28/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.3199 : Emergency Medic Transition (EMT) Act of 2009 to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to State emergency medical service departments to provide for the expedited training and licensing of veterans with prior medical training, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce

Latest Major Action: 7/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

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H.R.3200 : America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (9) Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means; House Education and Labor; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Budget Latest Major Action: 10/14/2009 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 168.

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H.R.3223 : Vet Owned Businesses VA Contracts. To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs contracting goals and preferences for small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 7/15/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3266 : Veteran Assistance Dog Grant Program. To establish a grant program to encourage the use of assistance dogs by certain members of the Armed Forces and veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Klein, Ron [FL-22] (introduced 7/20/2009) Cosponsors (22) Related Bill S.1485

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3280 : Rural Vet Transportation Grant Program. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a grant program to assist veterans in highly rural areas by providing transportation to medical centers.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 7/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3281 : Vet Care Rural Area Demonstration Project. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out demonstration projects related to providing care for veterans in rural areas.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 7/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3282 : Vet Readjustment and Mental Health Care Services. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide certain veterans with readjustment and mental health care services, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 7/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3283 : VA Travel Reimbursement for Veterans Annual Review. To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for reimbursement of certain travel at a set rate, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 7/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3324 : Stable Future for Veterans’ Children Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the payment of monthly annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to a supplemental or special needs trust established for the sole benefit of a disabled dependent child of a participant in the Survivor Benefit Plan.

Sponsor: Rep Cantor, Eric [VA-7] (introduced 7/24/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.3337 : Post-9/11 Veterans’ Job Training Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the use of entitlement under Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program for the pursuit of apprenticeships and on-job training.

Sponsor: Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] (introduced 7/24/2009) Cosponsors (16)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/31/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3349 : NAIV Charter. To grant a Federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 7/27/2009) Cosponsors (8) Related Bill S.1520

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 8/19/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on

Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

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H.R.3365 : Medicare VA Reimbursement Act of 2009 to provide Medicare payments to Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities for items and services provided to Medicare-eligible veterans for non-service-connected conditions.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 7/28/2009) Cosponsors (31)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/31/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3366 : Illegal Garnishment Prevention Act to prohibit the use of funds to promote the direct deposit of Veterans and Social Security benefits until adequate safeguards are established to prevent the attachment and garnishment of such benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Gordon, Bart [TN-6] (introduced 7/28/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/31/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3368 : Honor Act of 2009 to enhance benefits for survivors of certain former members of the Armed Forces with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, to enhance availability and access to mental health counseling for members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Markey, Betsy [CO-4] (introduced 7/28/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.3403 : Supporting Military Families Act of 2009 to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to provide leave for family members of members of regular components of the Armed Forces, and leave to care for covered veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] (introduced 7/30/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Education and Labor; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections

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H.R.3407 : Severely Injured Veterans Benefit Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to benefits for severely injured veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 7/30/2009) Cosponsors (27)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/31/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3441 : Combat Vet VA Enrollment. To provide for automatic enrollment of veterans returning from

combat zones into the VA medical system, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Arcuri, Michael A. [NY-24] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3467 : Veterans Education Enhancement and Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs for individuals pursuing programs of education offered through distance learning, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Carney, Christopher P. [PA-10] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (13)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/11/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3484 : VA Work Study Authority. To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the authority for certain qualifying work-study activities for purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.3485 : Veterans Pensions Protection Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that monetary benefits paid to veterans by States and municipalities shall be excluded from consideration as income for purposes of pension benefits paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Higgins, Brian [NY-27] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (14) Related Bill: S.3118

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.3491 : Thomas G. Schubert Agent Orange Fairness Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption of service connection for certain cancers occurring in veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam and were exposed to certain herbicide agents, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kagen, Steve [WI-8] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/11/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3507 : VA Survivor Education Rate Increase. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the rates of survivors’ and dependents’ educational assistance payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Paulsen, Erik [MN-3] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/11/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3522 : Veterans Hardship Outreach for Priority Eights (HOPE) Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide grants and assistance to States to conduct outreach to veterans regarding hardship and priority under the Department of Veterans Affairs patient enrollment system.

Sponsor: Rep Space, Zachary T. [OH-18] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/11/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3544 : National Cemeteries Expansion Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide guidelines for the establishment of new national cemeteries by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 9/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/8/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via

http://capwiz.com/ngaus/mail/compose/?mailid=14779496&azip=92571

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H.R.3554 : National Guard Education Equality Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the inclusion of certain active duty service in the reserve components as qualifying service for purposes of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] (introduced 9/10/2009) Cosponsors (101)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3573 : Call to Service Homebuyer Credit Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prevent a change in residency as a result of extended official duty in the uniformed services, Foreign Service, or intelligence community from triggering the repayment provisions of the first time homebuyer credit, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] (introduced 9/15/2009) Cosponsors (None) Related bills: H.R.2562

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 9/15/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.3575 : Vet Mortgage Life Insurance Increase. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the maximum amount of veterans’ mortgage life insurance available under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 9/15/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/15/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.3577 : Education Assistance to Realign New Eligibilities for Dependents (EARNED) Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United State Code, to provide authority for certain members of the Armed Forces who have served 20 years on active duty to transfer entitlement to Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to their dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 9/15/2009) Cosponsors (24)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

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H.R.3620 : Hiring Heroes Tax Incentive Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax for employing members of the Ready Reserve and National Guard and veterans recently separated from the Armed Forces.

Sponsor: Rep Alexander, Rodney [LA-5] (introduced 9/22/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 9/22/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.3657 : USPHS & NOAA GI Bill Benefit Transfer. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for members of the United States Public Health Service and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Corps to transfer unused benefits under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program to family members, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 9/25/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/2/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3661 : GI Bill Housing Stipend. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for individuals pursuing programs of education offered through distance learning, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 9/29/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/2/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3672 : Social Security COLA Fix for 2010 Act to provide for an increase of $150 in Social Security benefits for one month in 2010 to compensate for the lack of a cost-of-living adjustment for that year, and to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the requirement that there be a Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for an adjustment in the contribution and benefit base to occur.

Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] (introduced 9/29/2009) Cosponsors (16)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 9/29/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.3677: Save Our Seniors’ Social Security Act of 2009 to provide $280 relief payments to recipients of Social Security and railroad retirement benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Granger, Kay [TX-12] (introduced 9/30/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Transportation and Infrastructure; House Appropriations

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on

Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

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H.R.3685 : Inclusion of VetSuccess on VA Website. To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include on the main page of the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a hyperlink to the VetSuccess Internet website and to publicize such Internet website.

Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 9/30/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3719 : Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 10/6/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3787 : Treat Certain Reserve Time as Active Duty Time. To amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the reserve components as active service for purposes of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] (introduced 10/8/2009) Cosponsors (39) Related bill: S.1780

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3796 : Homeless Vet Assistor’s Per Diem Grants. To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve per diem grant payments for organizations assisting homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 10/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/16/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3813 : Veterans Training Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the approval of certain programs of education for purposes of the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 10/14/2009) Cosponsors (17) Related bills: S.3171

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3843 : Transparency for America’s Heroes Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to publish redacted medical quality-assurance records of the Department of Veterans Affairs on the Internet website of the Department.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 10/15/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/16/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3885 : Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on dog training therapy.

Sponsor: Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. [SC-1] (introduced 10/21/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.3886 : Providing Military Honors for our Nation’s Heroes Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse certain volunteers who provide funeral honors details at the funerals of veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 10/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/23/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3906 : Low Income Vet Family Permanent Housing. To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs program to provide financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 10/22/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/23/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3908 : Families of Disabled Veterans Work Opportunity Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide the work opportunity tax credit with respect to a designated family member of a veteran with a service-connected disability if the veteran is unable to work.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 10/22/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.3926 : Armed Forces Breast Cancer Research Act to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly conduct a study on the incidence of breast cancer among members of the Armed Forces and veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] (introduced 10/26/2009) Cosponsors (45)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3943 : Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act to amend the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act of 1965 to allow members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, to be eligible to participate in the Troops-to-Teachers Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] (introduced 10/27/2009) Cosponsors (170) Related Bill S.

Committees: House Education and Labor; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 12/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

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H.R.3948 : Test Prep for Heroes Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for entitlement under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program to payment for test preparatory courses, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Putnam, Adam H. [FL-12] (introduced 10/28/2009) Cosponsors (30)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.3949 : Veterans’ Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, and the Servicemember Civil Relief Act, to make certain improvements in the laws relating to benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 10/28/2009) Cosponsors (22) Related Bill: H.R.761

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/4/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.3998 : Compensation for Combat Veterans Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the service treatable as service engaged in combat with the enemy for utilization of non-official evidence for proof of service-connection in a combat-related disease or injury.

Sponsor: Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] (introduced 11/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.4006 : Rural, American Indian Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for Indian veterans health care coordinators, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 11/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4028 : Rural Veterans Services Outreach and Training Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve services for veterans residing in rural areas.

Sponsor: Rep Wu, David [OR-1] (introduced 11/5/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

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H.R.4043 : Military Spouse Pin Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to recognize the spouses of members of the Armed Forces who are serving in combat or have served in combat through the presentation of an official lapel button.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/18/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4044 : Vet Plot & Headstone/Marker Allowance. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to restore plot allowance eligibility for veterans of any war and to restore the headstone or marker allowance for eligible persons.

Sponsor: Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (37)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4045 : Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase burial benefits for veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (42)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4048 : Rural Area TBI Pilot Program. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on the provision of traumatic brain injury care in rural areas.

Sponsor: Rep Capito, Shelley Moore [WV-2] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4051 : Cold War Service Medal Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold War, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (44) Related bill: S.2743

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/18/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4054 : Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements Act of 2009. To amend titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment of disability rated and certified as total by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as disability for purposes of such titles.

Sponsor: Rep Sarbanes, John P. [MD-3] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (72) Related Bill: S.2759

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.4058 : Veterans to Work Pilot Program Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to establish the Veterans to Work Program providing for the employment of individuals, especially veterans, who participate in apprenticeship programs on designated military construction projects, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/18/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.4063 : WWII Messman/Steward Congressional Gold Medal. To grant the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the messman and steward branches of United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard that served during World War II.

Sponsor: Rep Edwards, Donna F. [MD-4] (introduced 11/7/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 11/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.4064 : Post-9/11 EAP Improvements. To make certain improvements in the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8] (introduced 11/7/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4073 : Rural Veterans Reimbursement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the payments to certain veterans for certain travel expenses.

Sponsor: Rep Minnick, Walter [ID-1] (introduced 11/16/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/16/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4121 : Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the appeals process of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish a commission to study judicial review of the determination of veterans’ benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] (introduced 11/19/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4156 : Increasing Housing Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2009 to provide for certain improvements in the laws relating to housing for veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-13] (introduced 11/19/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Financial Services

Latest Major Action: 11/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

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H.R.4203 : Direct Deposit of Vet Education Payments. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans certain educational assistance payments through direct deposit.

Sponsor: Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] (introduced 12/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4220 : Promoting Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to small business concerns and employment assistance, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 12/8/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Education and Labor; House Small Business

Latest Major Action: 1/4/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.4221 : Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for improved acquisition practices by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 12/8/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 12/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.4241 : State Veteran Home Payments. To amend chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, to allow for increased flexibility in payments for State veterans homes.

Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] (introduced 12/8/2009) Cosponsors (45)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4279 : Vet Accelerated Educational Assistance Payments. To amend titles 38 and 10, United States Code, to authorize accelerated payments of educational assistance to certain veterans and members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces.

Sponsor: Rep Quigley, Mike [IL-5] (introduced 12/10/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/12/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on

Military Personnel.

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H.R.4319 : Specially Adapted Housing Assistance Enhancement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain improvements in the laws relating to specially adapted housing assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Sponsor: Rep Moran, Jerry [KS-1] (introduced 12/15/2009) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4320 : Post-9/11 GI Education Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the types of approved programs of education for purposes of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Murphy, Scott [NY-20] (introduced 12/15/2009) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 12/15/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4350 : Fallen Heroes Family Act of 2009 to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for nonimmigrant status for an alien who is the parent or legal guardian of a United States citizen child if the child was born abroad and is the child of a deceased member of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Sponsor: Rep Issa, Darrell E. [CA-49] (introduced 12/16/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 3/1/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

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H.R.4359 : WARMER Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to guarantee housing loans for the construction energy efficient dwellings, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 12/16/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4403 : SPACE-A Travel Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize space-available travel on military aircraft for unremarried surviving spouses of retired members of the uniformed services and the unremarried surviving spouses of veterans who died from a service-connected or compensable disability, and for the dependents of such spouses.

Sponsor: Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] (introduced 12/16/2009) Cosponsors (25)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/21/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.4429 : Restoring the Social Security COLA Act to provide for an increase of $250 in benefits under certain Federal cash benefit programs for one month in 2010 to compensate for the lack of a cost-of-living adjustment for that year.

Sponsor: Rep Adler, John H. [NJ-3] (introduced 1/13/2010) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Appropriations; House Veterans’ Affairs; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Transportation and Infrastructure

Latest Major Action: 1/13/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Appropriations, Veterans’ Affairs, Oversight and Government Reform, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.4443 : Veterans Employment Today Act of 2010 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the work opportunity tax credit for hiring veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 1/13/2010) Cosponsors (13) Related Bills: H.R.620, H.R.931, S.274

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/13/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.4465 : Vet Financial Status for Hospital Care. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take into account each child a veteran has when determining the veteran’s financial status when receiving hospital care or medical services.

Sponsor: Rep Kissell, Larry [NC-8] (introduced 1/19/2010) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4525 : Chapter 61 Concurrent Receipt Entitlement. To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the eligibility for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation to include all members of the uniformed services who are retired under chapter 61 of such title for disability, regardless of the members’ disability rating percentage.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/26/2010) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Budget; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/18/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=15039641&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.4551 : Keep Our Promise to America’s Military Retirees Act to restore health care coverage to retired members of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 1/27/2010) Cosponsors (32)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4555 : Janey Ensminger Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Miller, Brad [NC-13] (introduced 2/2/2010) Cosponsors (35)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/2/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4559 : State Disabled Vet Benefits Review. To establish a commission to review benefits provided by each State to disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Kissell, Larry [NC-8] (introduced 2/2/2010) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/2/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4568 : TBI Treatment Act to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program under which the Secretaries make payments for certain treatments of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sponsor: Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] (introduced 2/2/2010) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4569 : Expanded Housing for America’s Veterans Act to amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 relating to the amount of rental assistance available under the veterans affairs supported housing program.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 2/2/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Financial Services

Latest Major Action: 2/2/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

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H.R.4592 : Vet Energy Related Jobs Pilot Program. To provide for the establishment of a pilot program to encourage the employment of veterans in energy-related positions.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 2/3/2010) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/24/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4593 : Keeping Faith With the Greatest Generation Military Retirees Act of 2010 to amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to waive Medicare part B premiums for certain military retirees (i.e. those who entered the service prior to December 7, 1956).

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 2/3/2010) Cosponsors (18)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/3/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.4632 : Renovate and Enhance Veterans’ Meeting Halls and Posts Act of 2010 to amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to set-aside community development block grant amounts in each fiscal year for grants to local chapters of veterans service organizations for rehabilitation of their facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (introduced 2/22/2010) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Financial Services

Latest Major Action: 2/22/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

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H.R.4639 : Corporal Dustin Lee Memorial Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the adoption of a military working dog by the family of a deceased or seriously wounded member of the Armed Forces who was the handler of the dog.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 2/22/2010) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/5/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.4656 : VA Child Care Center. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program establishing a child-care center for children of veterans receiving treatment and other individuals.

Sponsor: Rep Buchanan, Vern [FL-13] (introduced 2/23/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/23/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4664 : OIF/OEF Survivor Mortgage Foreclosure Moratorium. To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide for a one-year moratorium on the sale or foreclosure of property owned by surviving spouses of servicemembers killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sponsor: Rep Kratovil, Frank, Jr. [MD-1] (introduced 2/23/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4667 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2010 to increase, effective as of December 1, 2010, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 2/23/2010) Cosponsors (8) Related bills: H.R.1513 & S.407 & S.3107

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/23/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4765 : VA Work Study Allowances. To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize individuals who are pursuing programs of rehabilitation, education, or training under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to receive work-study allowances for certain outreach services provided through congressional offices, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 3/4/2010) Cosponsors (12) Related bill: S.3082

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4810 : End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2010. To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the services provided for homeless veterans under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/10/2010) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/23/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4845 : VA Children Housing Loan Benefits. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide housing loan benefits for children of members of the Armed Forces and veterans who die from service-connected disabilities.

Sponsor: Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] (introduced 3/15/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/15/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4887 : Tricare Affirmation Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that health coverage provided by the Department of Defense is treated as minimal essential coverage. Sponsor: Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] (introduced 3/19/2010) Cosponsors (20) Committees: House Ways and Means; Senate Finance Latest Major Action: 4/26/2010 Signed by President.

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H.R.4912 : CRSC Payments to Chap 61 Vets. To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the required reduction in the amount of combat-related special compensation paid to disabled combat-related uniformed services retirees retired under chapter 61 of such title whose disability is attributable to an injury for which the members were awarded the Purple Heart.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 3/22/2010) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/8/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4923 : TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend TRICARE coverage to certain dependents under the age of 26.

Sponsor: Rep Heinrich, Martin [NM-1] (introduced 3/24/2010) Cosponsors (93) Related bills: S.3201

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4947 : Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to

eliminate the per-fiscal year calculation of days of certain active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of a reserve component of the uniformed services may retire for non-regular service.

Sponsor: Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] (introduced 3/25/2010) Cosponsors (37) Related bills: S.3406

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=14876641

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H.R.5014 : VA Minimal Essential Coverage. To clarify the health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that constitutes minimum essential coverage. Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 4/14/2010) Cosponsors (1) Committees: House Ways and Means Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-173 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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H.R.5045 : Fair Access to Veterans Benefits Act of 2010 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the tolling of the timing of review for appeals of final decisions of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Adler, John H. [NJ-3] (introduced 4/15/2010) Cosponsors (None) Related bills: S.3192, H.R.5064

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/15/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5120 : Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010 to improve employment, training, and placement services furnished to veterans, especially those serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] (introduced 4/22/2010) Cosponsors (19) Related bills: S.3234

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Education and Labor; House Small Business; House Energy and Commerce; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.5136 : National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 Sponsor: Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] (by request) (introduced 4/26/2010) Cosponsors (1) Related bills: H.RES.1404, H.RES.1467, H.R.1467, H.R.5013, S.3454

Latest Major Action: 6/28/2010 Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 447. House Reports: 111-491, 111-491 Part 2

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H.R.5185 : Fair Health Care for Military Families Act to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum age for children eligible for medical care under the TRICARE program and the CHAMPVA program.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 4/29/2010) Cosponsors (2) Related Bill H.R.5206

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/6/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.5225 : Improving Veterans’ Electronic Transition Services Act to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly develop and implement an electronic personnel file system, and to jointly conduct a study on improving the access of veterans to files related to military service and veterans benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] (introduced 5/5/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.5226 : Appalachian Veterans Outreach Improvement Act to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Appalachian Regional Commission to carry out a program of outreach for veterans who reside in Appalachia, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Charles A. [OH-6] (introduced 5/5/2010) Cosponsors (22) Related bill: S.3314

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Transportation and Infrastructure

Latest Major Action: 5/6/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.

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H.R.5259 : Equal Access to Preseparation Counseling Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to require preseparation counseling for members of the reserve components upon their retirement or separation from service.

Sponsor: Rep Pingree, Chellie [ME-1] (introduced 5/11/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/11/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5303 : VA Post-9/11 EAP Housing Stipends. To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve housing stipends for veterans receiving educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5360 : Blinded Veterans Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2010 to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the standard of visual acuity required for eligibility for specially adapted housing assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 5/20/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.5371 : William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act to direct the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy to conduct a review of military service records of Jewish American veterans of World War I, including those previously awarded a military decoration, to determine whether any of the veterans should be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Luetkemeyer, Blaine [MO-9] (introduced 5/24/2010) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/24/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5403 : Alaska Tricare Reimbursement Rates. To direct the Secretary of Defense to temporarily adjust the reimbursement rates for TRICARE claims in Alaska.

Sponsor: Rep Young, Don [AK] (introduced 5/26/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5404 : Reserve Space A Travel. To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize space-available travel on military aircraft for a member or former member of a reserve component who is eligible for retired pay but for age and for dependents of the member who accompany the retiree.

Sponsor: Rep Young, Don [AK] (introduced 5/26/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5428 : Disseminate Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights Info. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to educate certain staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to inform veterans about the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 5/27/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5449 : Retroactive Stop-Loss Special Pay Extension. To amend section 310 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 to extend the period of time during which claims for retroactive stop-loss special pay may be submitted.

Sponsor: Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] (introduced 5/27/2010) Cosponsors (18)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5484 : VetStar Veteran-Friendly Business Act of 2010 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an annual award program to recognize businesses for their contributions to veterans’ employment, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 6/8/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5516 : Access to Appropriate Immunizations for Veterans Act of 2010 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain requirements relating to the immunization of veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 6/10/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5517 : Every Veteran Counts Act to amend title 13, United States Code, to require that the questionnaire used in a decennial census of population shall include an inquiry regarding an individual’s status as a veteran, a spouse of a veteran, or a dependent of a veteran, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 6/10/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.5550 : Loss of Use Definition. To amend title 38, United States Code, to include a definition of “loss of use” for purposes of evaluating disabilities and providing adapted housing and automobiles under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 6/17/2010) Cosponsors (none)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/17/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5555 : Disabled Veterans’ Surviving Spouses Home Loans Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for eligibility for housing loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the surviving spouses of certain totally-disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] (introduced 6/17/2010) Cosponsors (30)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/17/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5641 : Heroes at Home Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts for the transfer of veterans to non-Department adult foster homes for veterans who are unable to live independently.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 6/30/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/30/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5642 : Pension Increase Codification. To codify increases in the rates of pension for disabled veterans and surviving spouses and children that were effective as of December 1, 2009.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 6/30/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/30/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5648 : Vet Unauthorized Fees Criminal Penalties. To amend title 38, United States Code, to reinstate criminal penalties for persons charging veterans unauthorized fees.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 6/30/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 6/30/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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[Source: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?n=Browse 12 Jul 09 ++]

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VETERAN UPDATES

The Philippine Army World War II

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The commonwealth of the Philippines was governed on the structure of outmoded strategies of former colonial governments. New goals included the development of an independent military force, was widely scattered and inadequate. The United States government in principal provided token support until the threat of war surfaced. The recruiting and funding of the Philippine Scouts was under the jurisdiction of the United States, resulted in the establishment and foundation of The Philippine Army.

President Delano Roosevelt of the United States commissioned General Douglas MacArthur, to become the mentor of the infant military force. The appointment was withdrawn, caused by internal colonial American petty political dissention and jealousies. MacArthur retired from American military service in 1937 to accept the Baton of Field Marshall, of the Philippines, by an Act of the commonwealth government to retain the General’s services.

General MacArthur had envisioned the growing threat of war in the far-east. He addressed his underlying concept which called for the full support of Commonwealth government and instilled upon President Manuel Quezon to guard against the probable menace. The young nation was practically defenseless in 1947 to cope with threat that within five years became a reality. Under MacArthur’s expertise and direction were implemented the insurmountable plans for the defense of hundreds of islands in the archipelago.

On July 27, 1941, war clouds were brewing, and the retired General was recalled to active American military service this time to energize and muster the infant Philippine Army. By this act, the United States was concerned in the continued sovereignty of the Philippines. Characterized by his ability, he persuaded the Filipino people to support military conscription, a decisive development of the defense force.

The Orange Defense Plan designated Bataan, as the last stand of defense, and the island fortress of Corregidor was the command center of the Philippine Military forces. The widely scattered islands presented a problem. A system consisting of military districts was established to eliminate confusion and jurisdictional commands. This structure became the base of the resistance forces, while under enemy occupation.

Without warning the Japanese invasion caught what was supposed to be the largest American military force in the Far East in the midst of preparation. Partially prepared to defend against the invaders, MacArthur mustered his forces with all available resources. The Air Corps was paractically demolished and supplies and ammunition was suddenly in demand as a result of Japan’s initial attack. The losses sustained were irreplaceable. Outside support by submarine and blockade running ships were unable to supply the dwindling reserves that were so desperately needed.

In the turbulent period of the invasion threatening signs of the deterioration so plagued the Philippine defenders that President Roosevelt directed MacArthur to leave the Philippines and relinquish his command in the hands of Major General Johnathan Wainwright. General MacArthur indoctrinated in the customs and traditions of the Filipino people desperately wanted to remain with his troops. He was aware of the true patriotism of the Filipino people as American and Filipinos fought side by side against a formidable enemy. With the consent of his staff, resolved to abide with the directive of his Commander In Chief, who vowed at his departure to Australia to return with forces to drive out the invaders.

Upon reaching his destination he was appointed Allied Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific Command. He was amazed to learn of the totally inadequate resources for his return crusade. Australia forces were scattered in Europe as well as throughout the Southwest Pacific. Under the conditions of “Europe first” campaign operations programmed by the War Department, he sought to resolve his dilemma. He required all and every talent he could muster. Skilled officers under his command had to become proficient. Enlisted men who displayed talents of leadership were promoted with field commissions, and likewise those in command with less aptitude were eliminated. Supplies and equipment that was limited in availability were gathered, cannibalized, stored and repaired under adverse conditions.

In the days, and months and years that followed, MacArthur, became a hero to the Filipino people. His operational conduct of his “Leap Frog” campaign in the Southwest Pacific Area Operations bolstered the spirits of the Filipino people with “I Shall Return” campaign messages, to propagate his unwavering crusade to return. In the years that followed, political leaders affirmed the high esteem of his following. It became apparent he was a guiding spirit among them.

The Defenders

On December 7, 1941 the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands, and the Philippines Islands by the Imperial Japanese Forces plunged the United States into the greatest conflict in American military history. A Day of Infamy as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt described in his address to Congress, to declare a state of war against the Empire of Japan. The price of America’s entry into the conflict was the surprise attack that destroyed what was once a proud and mighty naval force. This resulted in the cutting off of supply lines to the beleaguered forces in the Far East.

The War Department, charted the course of the war. The priorities of war operations were fixed based on the European theatre over the Pacific. This blundering secret was kept from the defenders of the Philippines. American and Filipinos forces fought valiantly, unaware that help from America was not coming. Each agonizing day slowly turned into months. Exhausted defenders fought to hold on at Bataan as they starved with little medical supplies and ammunition. Promises of help could not be kept only to await the pain of the prelude to defeat. In the spring, on April 8, 1942, the gallant defenders fighting a delaying battle on Bataan finally surrendered to the over-powering onslaught of the Imperial Japanese forces.

Thousands of Americans and Filipino surrendered defenders, hungry, diseased and wounded were herded and forced into a “Death March”. From Bataan to several hundred miles to Camp O’Donnell, a former military training camp that was converted by the invaders into a prisoner of war camp. The weak and wounded that were unable to endure the march fell by the wayside and faced certain death by the captors. More formidable prisoner of war camps were also created to house more than 76,000 prisoners, included the ill famed Cabanatuan Prison Camp located in Pangasinan, Luzon. The forces on the island of Corregidor were yet to suffer defeat and face similar conditions.

While under occupation, Philippine Commonwealth President Quezon wrote to President Roosevelt with an offer of capitulation. Realizing the futility of the war for his nation and its people, he asked that the Philippines be granted a status of neutrality. It was to allow the Philippines to accept a condition of independence proposed by the enemy. The idea was un-acceptable. The proud leader succumbed to tuberculosis before he could witness freedom for his oppressed people.

The humiliation of defeat was not for everyone. Those who refused to surrender, evaded capture and fled to the protection of the mountains and jungles. Regrouped and form guerrilla bands, throughout the archipelago commanded by escaped American and Filipino officers. Among the escaping troops included the wounded, fleeing under darkness aboard a weather beaten ship. Sneaking past enemy blockades, they reached Australia to join General MacArthur in his crusade. The voyage was a heroic effort. Inspired by the reunion in Australia, the troops vowed to return to continue the fight and recapture the Philippines Islands. The survivors eventually reached California, to become the motivating factor for the return crusade to the Philippines. Galvanized by the invasion, Filipinos aliens in America, enraged by the rape of their motherland, tried to organize a belligerent volunteer unit. Initially enlistments into the US Armed Services were prohibited. An attempt of this magnitude required huge financing and resources that would involve months to organize and train. This was not to be, as funding and supplying such a venture was prohibitive.

In the effort to keep the campaign alive, Philippine High Commissioner, J. M. Elizalde, wrote letters to President Roosevelt informing him of the growing movement for a volunteer unit. In his reply, Roosevelt had signed Public Law 360 of the 77th Congress on December 20th, 1941, to circumvent the prohibition of Filipino alien status. The Selective Service Act was amended in January 3, 1942 permitting Filipino enlistments. National Headquarters of the Selective Service System issued the following instruction to all local draft boards: “All registrants who are citizens of the Philippine Commonwealth are deemed nationals of the United States and shall be reclassified in the same manner as citizens of the United States. Any citizens of the Philippine Commonwealth in the age group 18-35, both inclusive, who is not registered and desires to volunteer for induction, shall be processed as provided in Paragraphs 334 and 335 of the Regulations”. From this circular, it will be noted that, for purposes of national defense, Filipinos were now treated as citizens of the United States. As such, they will be permitted to volunteer for induction in the armed forces of the United States. Any Filipino between the ages of 18-35, both ages inclusive, may now volunteer for induction.” After the proclamation period, Filipino enlistees will be subject to draft, and therefore will not enjoy the status of a volunteer.

Under those circumstances, Philippine High Commissioner J. M. Elizalde urged every able-bodied Filipino of military age to volunteer for induction. The call to arms was answered as thousands of displaced Filipinos in America, rallied to the call. Recruits migrated from many parts of the United States. Then, on March 4, 1942, the 1st Filipino Infantry Battalion was constituted at San Luis, Obispo, California. On April 1, 1942, in a manner of months, the rolls of the battalion increased, to become officially a Regiment. Lt. Colonel Robert H. Offley, formerly of the Philippine Army, was commissioned to be the Commanding Officer. A mass ceremony was conducted, swearing thousands of volunteer recruits in the oath of allegiance, affirming officially their citizenship status in the United States, and combatant.

Volunteers were known as ‘Manong’, a title of respect, meaning older brother. Much older than the typical teens and twenties of draft age men. Regardless of age or status, they were also known as “Pinoy’s”, a misnomer ethnic designation of ethnic Filipino. The news of the formation of the Regiment, drew hundreds to California. They came from all parts of the United States, including Hawaii and Canada. They represent the migration of Philippine nationals during the period of 1906 through 1941.

The Manongs were wiry and hardy men who worked the fields and farms, or were laborers and cargo handlers, or from canneries and factories, or hotels and restaurant workers. U. S. citizens of Filipino ancestry that volunteered or enlisted following December 7, 1941, were transferred to the newly organized Filipino Infantry. Among them were those who earned degrees of higher learning, to receive commissions along with white officers. Not to be left out were the survivors of Bataan and Corregidor to who earned the prestige of survivor to become a volunteer. Within three months, the overflow of troops warranted the activation of the 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiment, at Fort Ord, California. Colonel Charles L. Clifford became Commanding Officer.

The Training and Tribulations.

The 77th Infantry of the Sixth Army, based in California, assigned a training cadre at San Louis Obispo. California. Training began in earnest, and the volunteers were enthusiastic in learning the necessary skills the army had to offer. The training was severe and comprehensive, covering a wide range of warfare. The cadre were astonished, and amazed as the volunteers quickly adapted to the rigors of training. In addition to basic military training, the volunteers learned other skills, such as, technical use and repair of radio equipment, the Morse codes, hand to hand combat, special weapons training from small arms to heavy weapons. Skills also in administrative, medical, supply and specializing in intelligence gathering, to support skills as cooks, truck drivers and mechanics, electricians and plumbers. All of this was new to the former field hands and laborers. The unit was to become a self supporting unit in the roll to return to their homeland. This all became meaningfully important, as the skills would apply to a wide range of assignments and situations, in the liberation and re-occupation of the homeland to eventually to their private lives.

The units earned the title of “The Bolo Regiments”. The story was how Californians formed a scrap iron drive to produce Bolo knives. Fashioned from automobile springs the weapon was presented to the men of the regiment to use as the traditional hand to hand combat weapon.

Lt. Colonel Robert H. Offley, a regular army officer, was justly proud of his command. His father like himself served in the Philippines. He saw service in the Philippines under General MacArthur training members of the Philippine Scouts and the Philippine Army. He was adept and familiar with the customs of the Manongs who affection ally called him “Tatay”, a tagalog nickname meaning father. Raised as a child in the Philippines, he spoke and understood the various dialects of the Filipino people.

Incidents occurred in towns adjacent their training encampment. They related to off duty excursions of the troops in contact with the township. The towns people took exception to the liberties of the troops. The troops complained of the treatment as second class citizens, limiting the use of public facilities, and especially the dating of local women. The troops endured the prejudicial hostility, until the matter came up with the commanding officer. Colonel Offley, offended by the treatment, met with the city officials. He explained the law, clarifying the citizenship status of the troops. He also warned the city fathers of the consequences of placing the town “Off Limits”. This resulted in changesthat developed, to the appreciation of the freedom loving troops.

The Special Forces

While training progressed, General MacArthur, aware of the activation of the two units, dispatched Lt. Colonel Courtney Whitney, a former Manila attorney, to hand pick volunteers for his ALAMO FORCES. MacArthur selected the colonel because of his credentials. The Colonel also had prior experiences with Filipinos, who eventually, became the Commander of the Philippine Regional Section (PRS) within the Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB), under the ALAMO FORCES.

A volunteer’s criteria for selection mandated he have the ability to endure intensive combat training, with skills to speak and understand the Filipino dialects, as well being able to survive within topographical areas. Survival and endurance was the key to this type of operation. In fact to live off the land was of the primary requirements and to develop skills in intelligence gathering. Several hundred volunteers were selected which decreased the rolls of both Regiments. Already formed in Australia, the selected volunteers were assigned to the 5217th Reconnaissance Bn (Separate) and 5218th Reconnaissance Company (Separate) consisting of Bataan-Corregidor escaped veterans, or to the 978th Signal Service Company, a regular Army unit which was assigned to the PRS AIB. Trained together with “Manongs”, the men gained technical skills in the use and repair of radio sets and portable generators. The unit supplied Gen. MacArthur’s AIB with expert telegraphic reports, while participating in field assignments that accompanied clandestine team missions or landings. After training at Camp Tagrabalga, Beaudesert, the PRS was deployed to New Guinea. The “separate” units later were reorganized to form the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion (Special) in Hollandia.

Camp Tagrabalga, Beaudesert, 50 miles away from Brisbane, was the site of MacArthur’s Headquarters. At this advance headquarters, Gen. MacArthur focused and intensified the third phase of his “Leap Frog” campaign. It consisted of operations and activities to develop and coordinate with the Guerrilla Forces in early1943. This was in part, the ALAMO FORCES.

The Mission Operations 1st Regt. & 2nd Battalion (Separate)

While the AIB conducted clandestine missions, the troops of the 1st Regiment in California were preparing for shipment overseas. Assaults around the area of Buna, New Guinea, were settling down. The USS General Pope, from San Francisco, transported the 1st Regiment, to Oro Bay, New Guinea, and deployed to Dobodura on April 28, 1944. The unit was assigned to the 31st Division of the 8th Army, in reserve with the Eighth Army. The mission was to provide security in the area, and continue intensified combat training.

The 2nd Regiment was renamed the 2nd Filipino Infantry Battalion (Separate) commanded by Lt. Col. Edwin L. Sallman. On May 30, 1944 they departed Camp Cooke, California to arrive on July 4, 1944 to encamp 10 miles from the 1st Regiment. Army Regulation 615-363 resulted in it being reduced from regiment size. This called for the removal men over the age of 38 with dependents by discharge or placement in the reserves. As a result there was a loss of unit effectiveness and it became a “pool” of Filipino specialists, with the assignment of troop to detached service with units of the Sixth and Eight Armies. However, detached personnel did participate with Counter Intelligence Corps units in the Sixth Army landings on Leyte in 1944, and Luzon in 1945. They also provided support in the formation of 30 or more teams to the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU).

The 1st Regiment saw its initial combat action in Leyte and Samar, in early 1945. Units of the 3rd Battalion were attached to the 182nd Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division. It was 8th Army reserves in the mopping up operations following the Sixth Army spearheads. The Sixth Army regrouped in preparation to attack Luzon in January 1945. Reinforced by Company “L” of the 3rd Battalion, the 1st Regiment, landed at Allen on the north western tip of Samar, and then continued with a landing attack on Capul Island. The entire operation took 5 days, with 35 KIA 179 wounded, and 5 MIA. The enemy suffered 1,572 KIA and 57 captured. Later, the combat units included assignments in “mopping up” operations on Leyte and Samar. The 2nd Battalion (Separate), provided Philippine Civil Affairs Units(PCAU) after mopping up operations. Selected individuals were on detached service with the “Alamo Scouts”

The Sixth Army was advancing rapidly against the enemy on Luzon in early January 1945. They feared the Japanese would execute the Prisoners of War at Cabantuan. Hurriedly, the ALAMO FORCES prepared plans to rescue the hundreds of POW’s at Cabanatuan. The Alamo Scouts and the 6th Ranger Battalion, under the Command of Colonel Henry Mucci were credited in freeing allied Prisoners of War at Cabanatuan with the help of detached troops of the 2nd Regiment, and Philippine guerrilla Forces.

The Manongs were assigned to coordinate the rescue operations with Filipino guerrillas. From the town of Guimba, the Alamo Scouts and rangers traveled under darkness to storm the main gate of the prison compound, freed the prisoners, and then lured the enemy away from the prison compound. The heroic guerillas led by Philippine Army Captain Juan Pajota, fought valiantly in a furious delaying action against enemy tanks at Cabu Bridge. The main force of rescuers and prisoners escaped on the return route back to the town of Guimba 30 miles away. The operation was a complete success, since no prisoners were lost. Over five hundred allied prisoners were freed, with a minimum loss of life among the rescuers. Ranger physician Captain James Fisher was killed, and Alfred Alfonso of Waipahu, Hawaii escaped with injuries. He was awarded the Silver Star, and The Purple Heart in this action. Macarthur was highly pleased with the operation. He personally visited the rescued prisoners, and the heroic rescuers. The news of the daring operation boosted the morale of the nation.

THE “WILD BUNCH”

The Manongs branded these Pinoys as free-wheeling; unbridled super active, impulsive, devil may care rascals. Their maverick antics were either hilarious or troublesome. This annoyed the “Manong” who expected them to toe the line.

Generally, the Wild Bunch relates to about 350 draftees from Hawaii. They were very responsive to intimidation, and much younger than the older Manongs. The youngsters in their late teens and early twenties joined by those draftees from the mainland composed the “Wild Bunch.” Dubbed as “Hawa-yanos,” they spoke with broken English, called “pigeon” whereas the mainlanders spoke with refined English. This distinguished them from mainland Pinoy draftees. Otherwise, it was difficult to tell the difference as they were alike and got along well and respected each other for what they were.

The Wild Bunch were the sons of pioneer Filipino contract labor who emigrated to Hawaii or to the mainland during the years of 1906 to 1941. They developed an independent and self sufficient attitude in multi-racial communities. Some came from inter-racial families and integrated with other racial groups within sugar and pineapple plantations. They had been assigned to a minority class by temperament and sub-standard education. In many cases they found themselves part of the labor force relegated to low paying plantation labors in efforts to help support their families. A few had completed formal education to enter the community and compete for better paying jobs. Both groups got along fine, just that the mavericks or rowdy ones tagged them as the “Wild Bunch” as a whole. To add to their colorful personality, some were sons of former World War 1 veterans. The emigrant fathers had served with the United States Army’s 1st Hawaiian Infantry Regiments. In some isolated cases, some fathers served with the Armed Forces later to become a part of the Filipino community.

Ninety-five percent of the Hawaiian Infantry were drafted Filipinos. The regiments eventually became the genesis for the foundation of the Hawaii National Guard. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, some pioneer sons voluntarily enlisted in the National Guard before activation. Consequently, the Hawaii National Guardsmen became the cadre of the “Wild Bunch”. The former guardsmen, combat veterans of Guadalcanal in the south-pacific, trained and guided the second generation in basic military training at Schofield Barracks. Their combat experience proved to be valuable lessons for the young soldiers. The correlation may just be a coincidence in military heritage. The men underwent the rigors of combat operations, rather than technological training skills.

From the beginning of the War, those who enlisted were sent to the mainland for training. In many cases, after training with regular army units, they were transferred to the Filipino Infantry. It was not until late 1943 when these young men were retained for training in Hawaii. The reason apparently was obvious, as the war in Europe was reaching its climax, and that the replacements were needed for the Far East. Never in the minds of these young Filipinos was the belief they would they be assigned to the Filipino Infantry until they arrived in the Philippines.

The 1st and 2nd Regiments were sent to New Guinea in April of 1944. Many were assigned to detached service with the Sixth Army Spearhead and Eight Army reserves which seen combat in 1944 to 1945. Towards the end of the war, part of the 1st Filipino Infantry was assigned to detached service with the experienced Americal Division following Sixth Army Spearheads. The mission consisted of combat engagements that consisted of mopping up Japanese stragglers on Leyte, Samar and smaller islands in the Visayan Islands group. Troops of the 2nd Filipino Battalion were employed as support with the Counter Intelligence Corps or to the Philippine Civil Affairs Units (PCAU) throughout the archipelago.

As the war in the Pacific was ending, young pinoys on off duty liberties took a liking to the “dalagas” or young local ladies. Apparently the girls seemed to take a liking to them. Attracted by their manners, the girls went out of their way to attract them. In some instances to launder their uniforms or on special occasion invite them over to meet the family for dinner. The relationships caused antagonistic encounters with local Filipino men. Company First Sergeants, who were usually “Hawa-yanos,” administered company punishments by restricting off duty liberties thus suppressing minor confrontations from company commander’s involvement. Some of the young men registered for marriage. War brides returned to the United States with their husbands.

The men of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion after being deactivated in August of 1945 were returned to the 1st Regiment stationed at San Antonio, Samar. They were joined by troops of the 2nd Battalion that was disbanded in Luzon, in December of 1945. Recalled troops from detached service with the Sixth and Eighth Armies gathered in Samar, in late March 1946. The troops who earned sufficient service points were returned to California. At Camp Beale, California, the Filipino Infantry was disbanded and its colors were encased on April 9, 1946.

Meanwhile the “Wild Bunch”, who did not qualify to return home, was transferred to the 86th Infantry Division at Marakina, Luzon. Some re-enlisted to take advantage of bringing their war brides home. The rest were formed into a special unit called the Filipino-American Detachment of the “Black Hawks Division”. The mission was to patrol and guard the fuel lines from Bataan through “Huk” infested communist Pampanga territory to Clark Field. The assignment of the detachment did not incur any major military incidents. Following the tour of duty, the detachment in late 1946, were returned to California and the men discharged from service to return home.

[Source Mil.com Jun 2010 ++]

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VETERAN UPDATES

VETERAN LEGISLATION June 27, 2010

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Of the 5608 House and 2539 Senate pieces of legislation introduced in the 111th Congress to date, the following are of interest to the non-active duty veteran community. Bill titles in green (if any) are new additions to this summary, titles in orange have either passed either the House or Senate and been passed to the other for consideration or been incorporated into another bill, and those highlighted in blue have become public law. A good indication on the likelihood a bill of being forwarded to the House or Senate for passage and subsequently being signed into law by the President is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. An alternate way for it to become law is if it is added as an addendum to another bill such as the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and survives the conference committee assigned to iron out the difference between the House and Senate bills. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s text, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, who your representative is and his/her phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To separately determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html. To review a numerical list of all bills introduced refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/111search.html. The key to increasing cosponsorship is letting legislators know of their constituent’s views on issues. Those bills that include a website in red are being pushed by various veterans groups for passage and by clicking on that website you can forward a preformatted message to your legislator requesting he/she support the bill.

House

H.R.23 : Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, 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.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (168)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=12497121

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H.R.32 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.315

Sponsor: Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (41)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Provisions of measure incorporated into H.R. 3949 .

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H.R.33 : Disability Benefit Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 5-month waiting period for entitlement to disability benefits and to eliminate reconsideration as an intervening step between initial benefit entitlement decisions and subsequent hearings on the record on such decisions.

Sponsor: Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.43 : Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps.

Sponsor: Rep Becerra, Xavier [CA-31] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (186) Related bill S.46

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=14486941&type=CO

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H.R.82 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to expand retroactive eligibility of the Army Combat Action Badge to include members of the Army who participated in combat during which they personally engaged, or were personally engaged by, the enemy at any time on or after December 7, 1941.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.84 : Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.108 : Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability and to their dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.114 : Veterans Entrepreneurial Transition Business Benefit Act to allow veterans to elect to use, with the approval of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, certain financial educational assistance to establish and operate certain business, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.147 : Designate a Portion of Tax Payment for Homeless Vets. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow taxpayers to designate a portion of their income tax payment to provide assistance to homeless veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (90)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12922516&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.161 : Social Security Beneficiary Tax Reduction Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 increase in taxes on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.162 : Senior Citizens’ Tax Elimination Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the inclusion in gross income of Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.174 : Colorado Vet Cemetery. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado region.

Sponsor: Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 11/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.177 : Depleted Uranium Screening and Testing Act to provide for identification of members of the Armed Forces exposed during military service to depleted uranium, to provide for health testing of such members, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.190 : Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans Health Administration in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State. Companion Bill S.239.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.198 : Health Care Tax Deduction Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for amounts paid for health insurance and prescription drug costs of individuals.

Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.208 : National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who have served on active duty or performed active service since September 11, 2001, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations receive credit for such service in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.644.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (147)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials and /or http://capwiz.com/ngaus/mail/compose/?mailid=13672261&azip=92571&bzip=7311

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H.R.210 : Vet Cemetery South Carolina Land Acquisition Study. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the acquisition of a parcel of land adjacent to Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, South Carolina.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.217 : Vet Cemetery South Carolina Land Acquisition Purchase. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to acquire a parcel of land adjacent to Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, South Carolina.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.228 : Visual Impairment VA Scholarship Program to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of visual impairment and orientation and mobility.

Sponsor: Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Provisions of measure incorporated into H.R. 3949 .

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H.R.236 : Social Security Protection Act to amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to protect Social Security beneficiaries against any reduction in benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Rules; House Budget

Latest Major Action: 1/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.237 : Military Retiree Health Care Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a refundable credit to military retirees for premiums paid for coverage under Medicare Part B.

Sponsor: Rep Emerson, Jo Ann [MO-8] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12921516&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.247 : Protect Our Veterans Memorials Act of 2009 to amend section 1369 of title 18, United States Code, to extend Federal jurisdiction over destruction of veterans’ memorials on State or local government property.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

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H.R.270 : TRICARE Continuity of Coverage for National Guard and Reserve Families Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for continuity of TRICARE Standard coverage for certain members of the Retired Reserve. Companion Bill S.731.

Sponsor: Rep Latta, Robert E. [OH-5] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (72)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12923561&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805&False&False

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H.R.293 : Homeless Women Veteran and Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Grant Program Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a grant program to provide reintegration services through programs and facilities that emphasize services for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.294 : Veteran Owned Small Business Promotion Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the reauthorization of the Department of Veterans Affairs small business loan program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.295 : More Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 to authorize appropriations for the veterans’ workforce investment programs.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.296 : Armed Forces Disability Retirement Enhancement Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to revise the process by which a member of the Armed Forces is retired for disability and becomes eligible for retirement pay, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.297 : Veteran Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Subsistence Allowance Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of subsistence allowance payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans participating in vocational rehabilitation programs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.514

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.303 : Retired Pay Restoration Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit additional retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or Combat-Related Special Compensation and to eliminate the phase-in period under current law with respect to such concurrent receipt.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (133)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.309 : American Heroes’ Homeownership Assistance Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow certain current and former service members to receive a refundable credit for the purchase of a principal residence.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.333 : Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act to amend title 10, United States Code, 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 eliminate the phase-in period for concurrent receipt, to extend eligibility for concurrent receipt to chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Marshall, Jim [GA-8] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (156)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12406456&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] and http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12888756

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H.R.341 : Suspend Limitations Period for Tax Refund on VA Retroactive Payments. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to suspend the running of periods of limitation for credit or refund of overpayment of Federal income tax by veterans while their service-connected compensation determinations are pending with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.347 : Congressional Gold Medal Award. To grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

Sponsor: Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (297) – Related bill S.1055

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 5/18/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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H.R.379 : State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Expansion Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that all taxpayers have the ability to deduct State and local general sales taxes. Companion Bill S.35.

Sponsor: Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (26)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.394 : Medal of Honor Pension. To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that title by up to $1,000.

Sponsor: Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. [SC-1] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.403 : Homes for Heroes Act of 2009 to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Al [TX-9] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (41)

Committees: House Financial Services; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 6/17/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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H.R.423 : Samuel B. Moody Bataan Death March Compensation Act to provide compensation for certain World War II veterans who survived the Bataan Death March and were held as prisoners of war by the Japanese.

Sponsor: Rep Mica, John L. [FL-7] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.433 : Ready Employers Willing to Assist Reservists’ Deployment (REWARD) Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax equal to 50 percent of the compensation paid to employees while they are performing active duty service as members of the Ready Reserve or the National Guard and of the compensation paid to temporary replacement employees.

Sponsor: Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (40)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.442 : Veterans’ Heritage Firearms Act of 2009 to provide an amnesty period during which veterans and their family members can register certain firearms in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (191)

Committees: House Judiciary; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

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H.R.449 : Health Care for America’s Heroes Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the availability of health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by adjusting the income level for certain priority veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.456 : Disabled Veteran Small Business Eligibility Expansion Act of 2009 to amend the Small Business Act to make service-disabled veterans eligible under the 8(a) business development program.

Sponsor: Rep Wittman, Robert J. [VA-1] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Small Business

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

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H.R.466 : Wounded Veteran Job Security Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit discrimination and acts of reprisal against persons who receive treatment for illnesses, injuries, and disabilities incurred in or aggravated by service in the uniformed services.

Sponsor: Rep Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/9/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.482 : Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act to authorize the rededication of the District of Columbia War Memorial as a National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial to honor the sacrifices made by American veterans of World War I.

Sponsor: Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (51)

Committees: House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.

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H.R.484 : Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act to require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to provide chiropractic health care services and benefits for certain new beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE program.

Sponsor: Rep Rogers, Mike D. [AL-3] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (45)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.531 : Social Security Number Fraudulent Use Notification Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to require that the Commissioner of Social Security notify individuals of improper use of their Social Security account numbers.

Sponsor: Rep Myrick, Sue Wilkins [NC-9] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.568 : Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality of care provided to veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, to encourage highly qualified doctors to serve in hard-to-fill positions in such medical facilities, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 1/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.593 : CRSC for DoD Disability Severances Pay. To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the authorized concurrent receipt of disability severance pay from the Department of Defense and compensation for the same disability under any law administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover all veterans who have a combat-related disability, as defined under section 1413a of such title.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (44)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12918951&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.612 : Disabled Veterans Insurance Act of 2009 to amend section 1922A of title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of supplemental insurance available for totally disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 1/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.613 : Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for forgiveness of certain overpayments of retired pay paid to deceased retired members of the Armed Forces following their death.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 1/21/2009) Cosponsors (62)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12489731&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.620 : Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an increased work opportunity credit with respect to recent veterans.

Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 1/21/2009) Cosponsors (14) Related Bill: H.R.4443

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.627 : Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 to amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish fair and transparent practices relating to the extension of credit under an open end consumer credit plan, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (128) Related Bill S.235 Companion Bill S.414

Committees: House Financial Services

House Reports: 111-88

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-24

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H.R.656 : Unemployed Early Retirement Plan Withdrawal without Penalty. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow certain individuals who have attained age 50 and who are unemployed to receive distributions from qualified retirement plans without incurring a 10 percent additional tax.

Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/22/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.667 : Heroes at Home Act of 2009 to improve the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury in members and former members of the Armed Forces, to review and expand telehealth and telemental health programs of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] (introduced 1/23/2009) Cosponsors (46)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.668 : Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide flexibility in the manner in which beds are counted for purposes of determining whether a hospital may be designated as a critical access hospital under the Medicare Program and to exempt from the critical access hospital inpatient bed limitation the number of beds provided for certain veterans. Companion Bill S.307

Sponsor: Rep Walden, Greg [OR-2] (introduced 1/23/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/23/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.671 : In Memory Medal for Forgotten Veterans Act to direct the Secretary of Defense to issue a medal to certain veterans who died after their service in the Vietnam War as a direct result of that service.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.731 : Jenny’s Law to amend title 38, United States Code, to exclude individuals who have been convicted of committing certain sex offenses from receiving certain burial-related benefits and funeral honors which are otherwise available to certain veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and related individuals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Shadegg, John B. [AZ-3] (introduced 1/27/2009) Cosponsors (26)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/27/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.746 : Safeguarding America’s Seniors and Veterans Act of 2009 to provide for economic recovery payments to recipients of Social Security, railroad retirement, and veterans disability benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Adler, John H. [NJ-3] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/28/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.761 : Parental Burial in National Cemeteries (Corey Shea Act). To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the eligibility of parents of certain deceased veterans for interment in national cemeteries.

Sponsor: Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (3) Related Bill H.R.3949

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Provisions of measure incorporated into H.R.3949 .

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H.R.775 : Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to offset the receipt of veterans dependency and indemnity compensation.

Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (345) Companion Bill S.535

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/15/2010 Motion to Discharge Committee filed by Mr. Jones. Petition No: 111-10.

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To support the Discharge Petition send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=14825891&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.784 : VA Reports to Congress. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress quarterly reports on vacancies in mental health professional positions in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.785 : VA Outreach Training. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide outreach and training to certain college and university mental health centers relating to the mental health of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.543

Sponsor: Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.806 : TRICARE Mail-Order Pharmacy Pilot Program Act to establish a mail-order pharmacy pilot program for TRICARE beneficiaries.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.809 : Widow Remarriage Age Decrease for DIC. To amend title 38, United States Code, to reduce from age 57 to age 55 the age after which the remarriage of the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran shall not result in termination of dependency and indemnity compensation otherwise payable to that surviving spouse.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12993371

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H.R.811 : Retired Pay Restoration Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit certain retired members of the uniformed services who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or Combat-Related Special Compensation. Companion Bill S.546

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.816 : Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to prohibit certain increases in fees for military health care.

Sponsor: Rep Edwards, Chet [TX-17] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (199)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12591151&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12603596 or http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=12607551 or http://capwiz.com/trea/issues/alert/?alertid=12710751

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H.R.819 : POW DIC Eligibility Date. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who died on or before September 30, 1999, under the same eligibility conditions as apply to payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who die after that date.

Sponsor: Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.870 : Medicare Medically Necessary Dental Care Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage under part B for medically necessary dental procedures.

Sponsor: Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.879 : Affordable Health Care Expansion Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a refundable credit against income tax for the purchase of private health insurance.

Sponsor: Rep Granger, Kay [TX-12] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.883 : Social Security 1993 Tax Increase Repeal. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 increase in income taxes on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.917 : Combat-Related Injury Death Dependent Health Benefits. To increase the health benefits of dependents of members of the Armed Forces who die because of a combat-related injury.

Sponsor: Rep Guthrie, Brett [KY-2] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.919 : Veterans’ Medical Personnel Recruitment and Retention Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.929 : VA Vet Training Program. To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program of training to provide eligible veterans with skills relevant to the job market, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Welch, Peter [VT] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.931 : Veterans Employment Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the work opportunity credit with respect to certain unemployed veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (None) Related bill: H.R.4443

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.942 : Veterans Self-Employment Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot project on the use of educational assistance under programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs to defray training costs associated with the purchase of certain franchise enterprises.

Sponsor: Rep Alexander, Rodney [LA-5] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .

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H.R.944 : Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide improved benefits for veterans who are former prisoners of war.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.950 : Vet Distance Learning Assistance. To amend chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, to increase educational assistance for certain veterans pursuing a program of education offered through distance learning.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (28)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.952 : Compensation Owed for Mental Health Based on Activities in Theater Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the meaning of “combat with the enemy” for purposes of service-connection of disabilities.

Sponsor: Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (95)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.953 : Veterans Travel Tax Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a deduction for travel expenses to medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with examinations or treatments relating to service-connected disabilities.

Sponsor: Rep Heller, Dean [NV-2] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (68)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.954 : Social Security Benefits Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide that a monthly insurance benefit thereunder shall be paid for the month in which the recipient dies, subject to a reduction of 50 percent if the recipient dies during the first 15 days of such month, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.972 : Retired Reserve Age for Health Benefits. To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement that certain former members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces be at least 60 years of age in order to be eligible to receive health care benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12992881

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H.R.1004 : Veterans Health Care Full Funding Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide an enhanced funding process to ensure an adequate level of funding for veterans health care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] (introduced 2/11/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/11/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1016 : Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide advance appropriations authority for certain medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (125)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

House Reports: 111-171

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-81

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12704096

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H.R.1017 : Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 and title 38, United States Code, to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and to expand access to such care and services.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (37) Related bill S.1204

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/25/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1034 : Honor and Remember Flag. To amend title 36, United States Code, to designate the Honor and Remember Flag created by Honor and Remember, Inc., as an official symbol to recognize and honor members of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Forbes, J. Randy [VA-4] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

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H.R.1036 : Veterans Physical Therapy Services Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the position of Director of Physical Therapy Service within the Veterans Health Administration and to establish a fellowship program for physical therapists in the areas of geriatrics, amputee rehabilitation, polytrauma care, and rehabilitation research.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (27)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1037 : Pilot College Work Study Programs for Veterans Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a five-year pilot project to test the feasibility and advisability of expanding the scope of certain qualifying work-study activities under title 38, United States Code.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

House Reports: 111-162

Latest Major 10/7/2009 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

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H.R.1038 : Shingles Prevention Act to amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for the shingles vaccine under the Medicare Program.

Sponsor: Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.1042 : Enemy POW Hospitalization Policy. To prohibit the provision of medical treatment to enemy combatants detained by the United States at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the same facility as a member of the Armed Forces or Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility.

Sponsor: Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1075 : Restoring Essential Care for Our Veterans for Effective Recovery (RECOVER) Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access to hospital care for veterans in major disaster areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Scalise, Steve [LA-1] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1088 : Mandatory Veteran Specialist Training Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a one-year period for the training of new disabled veterans’ outreach program specialists and local veterans’ employment representatives by National Veterans’ Employment and Training Services Institute.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1089 : Veterans Employment Rights to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the enforcement through the Office of Special Counsel of the employment and unemployment rights of veterans and members of the Armed Forces employed by Federal executive agencies, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1098 : Veterans’ Worker Retraining Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of educational assistance payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certain individuals pursuing internships or on-job training.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1114 : National Cemetery Availability. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a process for determining whether a geographic area is sufficiently served by the national cemeteries located in that geographic area.

Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 2/23/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/23/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1163 : Establish Nebraska National Cemetery. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County region to serve veterans in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northwest Missouri.

Sponsor: Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] (introduced 2/24/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.1168 : Veterans Retraining Act of 2009 to amend chapter 42 of title 38, United States Code, to provide certain veterans with employment training assistance.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1169 : VA Adapted Housing/Automobile Assistance. To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disabled veterans for specially adapted housing and automobiles and adapted equipment.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1170 : Adapted Housing Technology Grants. To amend chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, to establish a grant program to encourage the development of new assistive technologies for specially adapted housing.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1171 : Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to reauthorize the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program for fiscal years 2010 through 2014.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/31/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1172 : VA Website Scholarship Info Addition. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include on the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a list of organizations that provide scholarships to veterans and their survivors.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

House Reports: 111-164

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1182 : Military Spouses Residency Relief Act to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to guarantee the equity of spouses of military personnel with regard to matters of residency, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Carter, John R. [TX-31] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (208)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/8/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.1197 : Medal of Honor Health Care Equity Act of 2009 to assign a higher priority status for hospital care and medical services provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs to certain veterans who are recipients of the medal of honor.

Sponsor: Rep Mitchell, Harry E. [AZ-5] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1203 : Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums. Companion Bill S.491

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (214)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12787701&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1211: Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.597

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (51)

House Reports: 111-165

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12833716&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1232 : Far South Texas Veterans Medical Center Act of 2009 to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct a full service hospital in Far South Texas.

Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1263 : Federal Retirement Reform Act of 2009 to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the automatic enrollment of new participants in the Thrift Savings Plan, and to clarify the method for computing certain annuities based on part-time service; to allow certain employees of the District of Columbia to have certain periods of service credited for purposes relating to retirement eligibility; and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.1289 : Social Security Fairness for the Terminally Ill Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period in the disability insurance program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Charles A. [OH-6] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1293 : Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 3/4/2009) Cosponsors (16)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/29/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1305 : Perpetual Purple Heart Stamp Act to provide for the issuance of a forever stamp to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the armed forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart. Companion Bill S.572

Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 3/4/2009) Cosponsors (82)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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H.R.1317 : Mortgage Payment Tax Credit. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to individuals who pay their mortgages on time.

Sponsor: Rep Shuster, Bill [PA-9] (introduced 3/4/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1335 : VA Catastrophically Disabled Copay. To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (40)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1336 : Veterans Education Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the basic educational assistance program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1377 : VA Emergency Treatment Reimbursement to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/6/2009) Cosponsors (2) Companion Bill S.404.

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-137

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H.R.1388 : Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws. Passed 321-105 and placed on the Senate calendar.

Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (37) Related Bills: H.RES.250, H.RES.296, S.277

Committees: House Education and Labor,

House Reports: 111-37

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-13

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H.R.1401 : VET Corps Act of 2009 to create a service corps of veterans called Veterans Engaged for Tomorrow (VET) Corps focused on promoting and improving the service opportunities for veterans and retired members of the military by engaging such veterans and retired members in projects designed to meet identifiable public needs with a specific emphasis on projects to support veterans, including disabled and older veterans and retired members of the military.

Sponsor: Rep Sarbanes, John P. [MD-3] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

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H.R.1416 : Southern New Jersey Veterans Comprehensive Health Care Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the capability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for the medical-care needs of veterans in southern New Jersey.

Sponsor: Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] (introduced 3/10/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1428 : VA Parkinson’s Disease Compensation. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide wartime disability compensation for certain veterans with Parkinson’s disease.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/11/2009) Cosponsors (84)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12986021&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1474 : Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enforcement of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.263.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Artur [AL-7] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (28)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1478 : Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009 to amend chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, to allow members of the Armed Forces to sue the United States for damages for certain injuries caused by improper medical care, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 4/26/2010 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 267.

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H.R.1496 : Child Health Care Affordability Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a credit against income tax for medical expenses for dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1513 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009 to increase, effective as of December 1, 2009, the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (10) Related bill S.407

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/31/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13048376&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1519 : Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 income tax increase on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Sam [TX-3] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1522 : United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act to provide that service of the members of the organization known as the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II constituted active military service for purposes of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (25)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1532 : CMOH Statute of Limitations Elimination. To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the statute of limitations on the award of the congressional medal of honor.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1544 : Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited eligibility for health care for mental illnesses for veterans of combat service during certain periods of hostilities and war.

Sponsor: Rep Driehaus, Steve [OH-1] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1546 : Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Sponsor: Rep McNerney, Jerry [CA-11] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.1592 : Pay Increase Guarantee. To amend title 37, United States Code, to guarantee a pay increase for members of the uniformed services for fiscal years 2011 through 2014 of one-half of one percentage point higher than the Employment Cost Index.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 3/18/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=13002241

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H.R.1600 : TRICARE Autism Care. To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of autism under TRICARE.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 3/18/2009) Cosponsors (23)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1647 : Veterans’ Employment Transition Support Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax for hiring veterans.

Sponsor: Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1657 : Notification of Exposure to Harmful Material/Contaminants. To direct the Secretary of Defense to notify members of the Armed Forces and State military departments of exposure to potentially harmful materials and contaminants.

Sponsor: Rep Schrader, Kurt [OR-5] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1658 : Veterans Healthcare Commitment Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the recovery by the United States of charges from a third party for hospital care or medical services furnished to a veteran for a service-connected disability.

Sponsor: Rep Tiahrt, Todd [KS-4] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1681 : Veterans Transitional Assistance Act of 2009 to improve the coordination between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to better provide care to members and the Armed Forces and veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] (introduced 3/24/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1694 : Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act to authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program.

Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] (introduced 3/24/2009) Cosponsors (12) Related Bill S.1168

Committees: House Natural Resources; Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 3/2/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 302.

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H.R.1695 : Reserve Retired Pay Age Reduction. To amend title 10, United States Code, to reduce the minimum age for receipt of military retired pay for non-regular service from 60 to 55.

Sponsor: Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] (introduced 3/24/2009) Cosponsors (49)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1701 : PTSD/TBI Guaranteed Review For Heroes Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a special review board for certain former members of the Armed Forces with post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1708 : Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to phase out the 24-month waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits, to eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.700.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (111)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Transportation and Infrastructure

Latest Major Action: 3/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

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H.R.1712 : Savings for Seniors Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to establish a Social Security Surplus Protection Account in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund to hold the Social Security surplus, to provide for suspension of investment of amounts held in the Account until enactment of legislation providing for investment of the Trust Fund in investment vehicles other than obligations of the United States, and to establish a Social Security Investment Commission to make recommendations for alternative forms of investment of the Social Security surplus in the Trust Fund.

Sponsor: Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1716 : Property Tax Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the deduction for real property taxes on the principal residences to all individuals whether or not they itemize other deductions.

Sponsor: Rep Hill, Baron P. [IN-9] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1767 : Fair Housing Tax Credit Extension Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the first-time homebuyer credit retroactive to the beginning of 2008 and to permanently extend the credit.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 3/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/26/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1804 : Federal Retirement Reform Act of 2009 to amend title 5, United States Code, to make certain modifications in the Thrift Savings Plan, the Civil Service Retirement System, and the Federal Employees’ Retirement System, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (4) Related Bill H.R.108

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 307 , H.R. 1804 is laid on the table.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13048556&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1809 : TRICARE Prime Geographic Expansion. To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the geographical coverage of TRICARE Prime to include Puerto Rico and Guam.

Sponsor: Rep Pierluisi, Pedro R. [PR] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1818 : Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability and to their dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (18)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1849 : World War I Memorial and Centennial Act of 2009 to designate the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the National World War I Memorial, to establish the World War I centennial commission to ensure a suitable observance of the centennial of World War I, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (101) Related Bill S.760

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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H.R.1851 : DOL Transitional Services. To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that certain members of the Armed Forces receive employment assistance, job training assistance, and other transitional services provided by the Secretary of Labor before separating from active duty service.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1872 : Secure Electronic Military Separation Act to require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to develop and implement a secure electronic method of forwarding the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) to the appropriate office of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the State or other locality in which a member of the Armed Forces will first reside after the discharge or release of the member from active duty.

Sponsor: Rep Space, Zachary T. [OH-18] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1879 : National Guard Employment Protection Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for employment and reemployment rights for certain individuals ordered to full-time National Guard duty.

Sponsor: Rep Coffman, Mike [CO-6] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805

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H.R.1902 : Providing Real Outreach for Veterans Act of 2009 to provide veterans with individualized notice about available benefits, to streamline application processes for the benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1919 : Federal Withholding Tax Repeal Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the withholding of income and social security taxes.

Sponsor: Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1963 : Military Separation Transitional Services. To amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that members of the Armed Forces who are being separated from active duty receive comprehensive employment assistance, job training assistance, and other transitional services, to require that such members receive a psychological evaluation in addition to the physical examination they receive as part of their separation from active duty, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1982 : Veterans Entitlement to Service (VETS) Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to acknowledge the receipt of medical, disability, and pension claims and other communications submitted by veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1994 : Citizen Soldier Equality Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide equity between active and reserve component members of the Armed Forces in the computation of disability retired pay for members wounded in action.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Geoff [KY-4] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.2014 : WASP Gold Medal Award. To award a congressional gold medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (“WASP”).

Sponsor: Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (337) Companion Bill S.614

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 4/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2017 : MOAA Federal Charter. To amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (140) Companion Bill S.832 Related Bill S.1449

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

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H.R.2059 : SBP Disabled Child Trust. To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the payment of monthly annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to a supplemental or special needs trust established for the sole benefit of a disabled dependent child of a participant in the Survivor Benefit Plan.

Sponsor: Rep Foster, Bill [IL-14] (introduced 4/23/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2127 : Veterans Travel Equity Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the income eligibility and service-connected disability rating requirements for the veterans beneficiary travel program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] (introduced 4/27/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/1/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2138 : Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act to provide grants to establish veteran’s treatment courts.

Sponsor: Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] (introduced 4/28/2009) Cosponsors (34) Related Bill S.902

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.

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H.R.2180 : Disabled Vet Housing Loan Fee Waiver. To amend title 38, United States Code, to waive housing loan fees for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities called to active service.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 4/29/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

House Reports: 111-163

Latest Major Action: 6/18/2009 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 81.

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H.R.2243 : Surviving Spouses Benefit Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (77)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/8/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13303636&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.2244 : Single Parent Protection Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an individual who is entitled to receive child support a refundable credit equal to the amount of unpaid child support and to increase the tax liability of the individual required to pay such support by the amount of the unpaid child support.

Sponsor: Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2254 : The Agent Orange Equity Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (257)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13301656&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.2257 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie B [TX-30] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (None) – Related Bill S.315

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2263 : Disability Equity Act to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the waiting periods for people with disabilities for entitlement to disability benefits and Medicare, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2270 : Benefits for Qualified World War II Veterans Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the establishment of a compensation fund to make payments to qualified World War II veterans on the basis of certain qualifying service.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/6/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2302 : Military Retired Pay Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to limit recoupments of separation pay, special separation benefits, and voluntary separation incentive from members of the Armed Forces subsequently receiving retired or retainer pay.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 5/7/2009) Cosponsors (5) Companion bill S.1008

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13682556&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13967481&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.2342 : Wounded Warrior Project Family Caregiver Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a family caregiver program to furnish support services to family members certified as family caregivers who provide personal care services for certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] (introduced 5/11/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2365 : Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 2009 to require the establishment of a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security and Medicare benefits under titles II and XVIII of the Social Security Act.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 5/12/2009) Cosponsors (60)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 5/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2379 : Veterans’ Group Life Insurance Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide certain veterans an opportunity to increase the amount of Veterans’ Group Life Insurance.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

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H.R.2389 : Veterans’ Group Life Insurance Improvement Act of 2009 to require the Secretary of Defense to establish registries of members and former members of the Armed Forces exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed to such hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Hill, Baron P. [IN-9] (introduced 5/13/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/12/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.2405 : Richard Helm Veterans’ Access to Local Health Care Options and Resources Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide veterans enrolled in the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs the option of receiving covered health services through facilities other than those of the Department.

Sponsor: Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2412 : Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas.

Sponsor: Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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H.R.2419 : Military Personnel War Zone Toxic Exposure Prevention Act to require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical surveillance system to identify members of the Armed Forces exposed to chemical hazards resulting from the disposal of waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, to prohibit the disposal of waste by the Armed Forces in a manner that would produce dangerous levels of toxins, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (23)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.2429 : Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 2009 to require the establishment of a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security benefits under title II of the Social Security Act.

Sponsor: Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2456 : Veterans Education Tuition Support Act of 2009 to amend section 484B of Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to students who withdraw from an institution of higher education to serve in the uniformed services, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] (introduced 5/18/2009) Cosponsors (34) Related Bills: H.R.2561, S.1603

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.2474 : Veterans Educational Equity Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that in the case of an individual entitled to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance program who is enrolled at an institution of higher education in a State in which the public institutions charge only fees in lieu of tuition, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall allow the individual to use all or any portion of the amounts payable for the established charges for the program of education to pay any amount of the individual’s tuition or fees for that program of education.

Sponsor: Rep McKeon, Howard P. “Buck” [CA-25] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (48)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2486 : Vet Organization Funeral Detail Support. To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for support of funeral ceremonies for veterans provided by details that consist solely of members of veterans organizations and other organizations, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Gohmert, Louie [TX-1] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2504 : Homeless Vet VA Appropriation Increase. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the annual amount authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2505 : Reaching Rural Veterans through Telehealth Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to utilize tele-health platforms to assist in the treatment of veterans living in rural areas who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2506 : Veterans Hearing and Assessment Act to direct the Secretary of Defense to ensure the members of the Armed Forces receive mandatory hearing screenings before and after deployments and to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to mandate that tinnitus be listed as a mandatory condition for treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs Auditory Centers of Excellence and that research on the preventing, treating, and curing of tinnitus be conducted.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2546 : Right to Display Service Flag. To ensure that the right of an individual to display the Service flag on residential property not be abridged.

Sponsor: Rep Boccieri, John A. [OH-16] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (56) Related bill: S.3477

Committees: House Financial Services

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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H.R.2553 : Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act to authorize the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of participation in the testing of nuclear weapons or under other circumstances.

Sponsor: Rep Tiahrt, Todd [KS-4] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (16) Related bill S.1128

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2559 : Help Our Homeless Veterans Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a national media campaign directed at homeless veterans and veterans at risk for becoming homeless.

Sponsor: Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (13)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2561 : Help Student Soldiers Act to amend section 484B of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to forgive certain loans for servicemembers who withdraw from an institution of higher education as a result of service in the uniformed services, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (21) Related Bills: H.R.2456, S.1603

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.2573 : Atomic Veterans Relief Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the eligibility criteria for presumption of service-connection of certain diseases and disabilities for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation during military service, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (23)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2583 : Women Veterans Access to Care Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve health care for women veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2585 : Protecting the Retirement of Our Troops by Ensuring Compensation is Timely Act to delay any presumption of death in connection with the kidnapping in Iraq or Afghanistan of a retired member of the Armed Forces to ensure the continued payment of the member’s retired pay.

Sponsor: Rep Broun, Paul C. [GA-10] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2586 : Honor Guard 13-fold Flag Recitation Option. To prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from authorizing honor guards to participate in funerals of veterans interred in national cemeteries unless the honor guards may offer veterans’ families the option of having the honor guard perform a 13-fold flag recitation, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Broun, Paul C. [GA-10] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (46)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2594 : Dependent State Plot VA Allowance. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide a plot allowance for spouses and children of certain veterans who are buried in State cemeteries.

Sponsor: Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (48)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2598 : Bataan/Corregidor/Luzon Gold Medal. To grant a congressional gold medal to American military personnel who fought in defense of Bataan/Corregidor/Luzon between December 7, 1941 and May 6, 1942.

Sponsor: Rep Heinrich, Martin [NM-1] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (50)

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2621 : Travel Expense Reimbursement Time Requirement. To amend title 10, United States Code, to use a time requirement for determining eligibility for the reimbursement of certain travel expenses.

Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Kevin [CA-22] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2638 : Veterans Stamp to Honor American Veterans Act to provide for the issuance of a veterans health care stamp.

Sponsor: Rep Shuler, Heath [NC-11] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.2642 : Veterans Missing in America Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assist in the identification of unclaimed and abandoned human remains to determine if any such remains are eligible for burial in a national cemetery, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2647 : National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] (by request) (introduced 6/2/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill H.R.2990

Committees: House Armed Services

House Reports: 111-166, 111-166 Part 2

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-84

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H.R.2672 : Help Veterans Own Franchises Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow credits for the establishment of franchises with veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Schock, Aaron [IL-18] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (35)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2673 : Surviving Spouse Pension Upgrade. To amend title 38, United States Code, to match the pension amount paid to surviving spouses of veterans who served during a period of war to the pension amount paid to such veterans.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/5/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.2683 : To establish the American Veterans Congressional Internship Program.

Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Administration

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

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H.R.2689 : D-Day Memorial. To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, as a unit of the National Park System.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (7) Related bill S.1207

Committees: House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2696 : Servicemembers’ Rights Protection Act to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide for the enforcement of rights afforded under that Act.

Sponsor: Rep Miller, Brad [NC-13] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Provisions of measure incorporated into H.R. 3949 .

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H.R.2698 : Veterans’ and Survivors’ Behavioral Health Awareness Act to improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to veterans, to enhance counseling and other benefits available to survivors of veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (48)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2699 : Armed Forces Behavioral Health Awareness Act to improve the mental health care benefits available to members of the Armed Forces, to enhance counseling available to family members of members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (37)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2713 : Disabled Veterans Life Insurance Enhancement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the service disabled veterans’ insurance program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Donnelly, Joe [IN-2] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (13)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2734 : Health Care for Family Caregivers Act of 2009 to amend section 1781 of title 38, United States Code, to provide medical care to family members of disabled veterans who serve as caregivers to such veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/18/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2735 : Homeless Vet Service Program Improvements. To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2738 : Family Caregiver Travel Expense Compensation. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide travel expenses for family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/18/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2756 : Veterans Home Loan Refinance Opportunity Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow eligible veterans to use qualified veterans mortgage bonds to refinance home loans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] (introduced 6/8/2009) Cosponsors (16)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2771 : Military Overpayment Fairness Act of 2009 to amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to provide a more equitable process by which the military departments may recover overpayments of military pay and allowances erroneously paid to a member of the Armed Forces when the overpayment is due to no fault of the member, to expand Department discretion regarding remission or cancellation of indebtedness, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 6/9/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2774 : Families of Veterans Financial Security Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the extension of the duration of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance coverage for totally disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 6/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

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H.R.2788 : Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act to designate a Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California.

Sponsor: Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44] (introduced 6/10/2009) Cosponsors (48)

Committees: House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 3/22/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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H.R.2830 : Providing Access to Healthcare (PATH) for Veterans Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to give priority to unemployed veterans in furnishing hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to certain veterans assigned to priority level 8.

Sponsor: Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] (introduced 6/11/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/12/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2836 : National Guard and Reservist Suicide Prevention and Community Response Act to amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to improve and expand suicide prevention and community healing and response training under the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.

Sponsor: Rep Hodes, Paul W. [NH-2] (introduced 6/11/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2879 : Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care for veterans who live in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 6/15/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Latest Major Action: 6/19/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2898 : Wounded Warrior Caregiver Assistance Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide support services for family caregivers of disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 6/16/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Latest Major Action: 6/19/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2926 : VA Special Care for Vietnam-era & Persian Gulf War Vets Exposed to Herbicides. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide, without expiration, hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicide and veterans of the Persian Gulf War.

Sponsor: Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] (introduced 6/17/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.2928: Post-9/11 GI Bill Apprenticeship/OJT Program. To amend title 38, United State Code, to provide for an apprenticeship and on-job training program under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 6/17/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Latest Major Action: 9/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.2965 : Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act of 2009 to amend the Small Business Act with respect to the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, and for other purposes.: Amended with H.AMDT.291 by Rep. David Reichert, D-WA to give preference to organizations that are located in under represented states and regions, or are women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, or minority-owned when awarding grants for Small Business Administration (SBA) outreach efforts authorized under Title III (rural development and outreach).

Sponsor: Rep Altmire, Jason [PA-4] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Small Business; House Science and Technology

House Reports: 111-190 Part 1, 111-190 Part 2

Latest Major Action: 7/13/2009 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Passed Senate in lieu of S. 1233 with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

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H.R.2968 : SGLI/VGLI Accelerated Death Benefit. To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the required reduction in the amount of the accelerated death benefit payable to certain terminally-ill persons insured under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance or Veterans’ Group Life Insurance.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2970 : Federal Law Enforcement Officer Vet Age Limit. To amend title 5, United States Code, to increase the maximum age limit for an original appointment to a position as a Federal law enforcement officer in the case of any individual who has been discharged or released from active duty in the Armed Forces under honorable conditions, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Rob [UT-1] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Latest Major Action: 6/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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H.R.2974 : Disabled Vet Health Savings Account Eligibility. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals eligible for veterans health benefits to contribute to health savings accounts.

Sponsor: Rep Campbell, John [CA-48] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Latest Major Action: 6/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2980 : Survivor Benefit Time Limit for 100% Disabled Vets. To amend title 38, United States Code, to reduce the period of time for which a veteran must be totally disabled before the veteran’s survivors are eligible for the benefits provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for survivors of certain veterans rated totally disabled at time of death.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 6/19/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Latest Major Action: 6/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.2990 : Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act of 2009 to provide special pays and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces, expand concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] (introduced 6/23/2009) Cosponsors (25) Related Bill H.R.2647

Committees: House Armed Services; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Natural Resources; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/25/2009 Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 572 , H.R. 2990 is laid on the table.

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H.R.3067 : Health Security for All Americans Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reform Medicare payments to physicians and certain other providers and improve Medicare benefits, to encourage the offering of health coverage by small businesses, to provide tax incentives for the purchase of health insurance by individuals, to increase access to health care for veterans, to address the nursing shortage, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] (introduced 6/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Education and Labor; House Ways and Means; House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 8/3/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.3073 : Pending Vet Homeless Grant Program. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs establish a grant program to provide assistance to veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Sponsor: Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] (introduced 6/26/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3087 : Establish VA Claim Decision Deadlines. To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a deadline for decisions with respect to claims for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Butterfield, G. K. [NC-1] (introduced 6/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/10/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3155 : Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide certain caregivers of veterans with training, support, and medical care, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] (introduced 7/9/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/28/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.3199 : Emergency Medic Transition (EMT) Act of 2009 to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to State emergency medical service departments to provide for the expedited training and licensing of veterans with prior medical training, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce

Latest Major Action: 7/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

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H.R.3200 : America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means; House Education and Labor; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Budget

Latest Major Action: 10/14/2009 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 168.

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H.R.3223 : Vet Owned Businesses VA Contracts. To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs contracting goals and preferences for small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 7/15/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3266 : Veteran Assistance Dog Grant Program. To establish a grant program to encourage the use of assistance dogs by certain members of the Armed Forces and veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Klein, Ron [FL-22] (introduced 7/20/2009) Cosponsors (22) Related Bill S.1485

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3280 : Rural Vet Transportation Grant Program. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a grant program to assist veterans in highly rural areas by providing transportation to medical centers.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 7/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3281 : Vet Care Rural Area Demonstration Project. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out demonstration projects related to providing care for veterans in rural areas.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 7/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3282 : Vet Readjustment and Mental Health Care Services. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide certain veterans with readjustment and mental health care services, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 7/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3283 : VA Travel Reimbursement for Veterans Annual Review. To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for reimbursement of certain travel at a set rate, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 7/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3324 : Stable Future for Veterans’ Children Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the payment of monthly annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to a supplemental or special needs trust established for the sole benefit of a disabled dependent child of a participant in the Survivor Benefit Plan.

Sponsor: Rep Cantor, Eric [VA-7] (introduced 7/24/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 7/24/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.3337 : Post-9/11 Veterans’ Job Training Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the use of entitlement under Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program for the pursuit of apprenticeships and on-job training.

Sponsor: Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] (introduced 7/24/2009) Cosponsors (16)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/31/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3349 : NAIV Charter. To grant a Federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 7/27/2009) Cosponsors (8) Related Bill S.1520

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 8/19/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

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H.R.3365 : Medicare VA Reimbursement Act of 2009 to provide Medicare payments to Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities for items and services provided to Medicare-eligible veterans for non-service-connected conditions.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 7/28/2009) Cosponsors (31)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/31/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3366 : Illegal Garnishment Prevention Act to prohibit the use of funds to promote the direct deposit of Veterans and Social Security benefits until adequate safeguards are established to prevent the attachment and garnishment of such benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Gordon, Bart [TN-6] (introduced 7/28/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/31/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3368 : Honor Act of 2009 to enhance benefits for survivors of certain former members of the Armed Forces with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, to enhance availability and access to mental health counseling for members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Markey, Betsy [CO-4] (introduced 7/28/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.3403 : Supporting Military Families Act of 2009 to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to provide leave for family members of members of regular components of the Armed Forces, and leave to care for covered veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] (introduced 7/30/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Education and Labor; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections

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H.R.3407 : Severely Injured Veterans Benefit Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to benefits for severely injured veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 7/30/2009) Cosponsors (27)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/31/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3441 : Combat Vet VA Enrollment. To provide for automatic enrollment of veterans returning from combat zones into the VA medical system, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Arcuri, Michael A. [NY-24] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3467 : Veterans Education Enhancement and Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs for individuals pursuing programs of education offered through distance learning, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Carney, Christopher P. [PA-10] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (13)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/11/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3484 : VA Work Study Authority. To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the authority for certain qualifying work-study activities for purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.3485 : Veterans Pensions Protection Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that monetary benefits paid to veterans by States and municipalities shall be excluded from consideration as income for purposes of pension benefits paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Higgins, Brian [NY-27] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (14) Related Bill: S.3118

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.3491 : Thomas G. Schubert Agent Orange Fairness Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption of service connection for certain cancers occurring in veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam and were exposed to certain herbicide agents, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kagen, Steve [WI-8] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/11/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3507 : VA Survivor Education Rate Increase. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the rates of survivors’ and dependents’ educational assistance payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Paulsen, Erik [MN-3] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/11/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3522 : Veterans Hardship Outreach for Priority Eights (HOPE) Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide grants and assistance to States to conduct outreach to veterans regarding hardship and priority under the Department of Veterans Affairs patient enrollment system.

Sponsor: Rep Space, Zachary T. [OH-18] (introduced 7/31/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/11/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3544 : National Cemeteries Expansion Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide guidelines for the establishment of new national cemeteries by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 9/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/8/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via

http://capwiz.com/ngaus/mail/compose/?mailid=14779496&azip=92571

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H.R.3554 : National Guard Education Equality Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the inclusion of certain active duty service in the reserve components as qualifying service for purposes of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] (introduced 9/10/2009) Cosponsors (101)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/24/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3573 : Call to Service Homebuyer Credit Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prevent a change in residency as a result of extended official duty in the uniformed services, Foreign Service, or intelligence community from triggering the repayment provisions of the first time homebuyer credit, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] (introduced 9/15/2009) Cosponsors (None) Related bills: H.R.2562

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 9/15/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.3575 : Vet Mortgage Life Insurance Increase. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the maximum amount of veterans’ mortgage life insurance available under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 9/15/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/15/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.3577 : Education Assistance to Realign New Eligibilities for Dependents (EARNED) Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United State Code, to provide authority for certain members of the Armed Forces who have served 20 years on active duty to transfer entitlement to Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to their dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 9/15/2009) Cosponsors (24)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

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H.R.3620 : Hiring Heroes Tax Incentive Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax for employing members of the Ready Reserve and National Guard and veterans recently separated from the Armed Forces.

Sponsor: Rep Alexander, Rodney [LA-5] (introduced 9/22/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 9/22/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.3657 : USPHS & NOAA GI Bill Benefit Transfer. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for members of the United States Public Health Service and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Corps to transfer unused benefits under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program to family members, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 9/25/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/2/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3661 : GI Bill Housing Stipend. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for individuals pursuing programs of education offered through distance learning, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 9/29/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/2/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3672 : Social Security COLA Fix for 2010 Act to provide for an increase of $150 in Social Security benefits for one month in 2010 to compensate for the lack of a cost-of-living adjustment for that year, and to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the requirement that there be a Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for an adjustment in the contribution and benefit base to occur.

Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] (introduced 9/29/2009) Cosponsors (16)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 9/29/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.3677: Save Our Seniors’ Social Security Act of 2009 to provide $280 relief payments to recipients of Social Security and railroad retirement benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Granger, Kay [TX-12] (introduced 9/30/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Transportation and Infrastructure; House Appropriations

Latest Major Action: 10/1/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

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H.R.3685 : Inclusion of VetSuccess on VA Website. To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include on the main page of the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a hyperlink to the VetSuccess Internet website and to publicize such Internet website.

Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 9/30/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3719 : Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 10/6/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.3787 : Treat Certain Reserve Time as Active Duty Time. To amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the reserve components as active service for purposes of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] (introduced 10/8/2009) Cosponsors (39) Related bill: S.1780

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3796 : Homeless Vet Assistor’s Per Diem Grants. To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve per diem grant payments for organizations assisting homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 10/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/16/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3813 : Veterans Training Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the approval of certain programs of education for purposes of the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 10/14/2009) Cosponsors (17) Related bills: S.3171

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3843 : Transparency for America’s Heroes Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to publish redacted medical quality-assurance records of the Department of Veterans Affairs on the Internet website of the Department.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 10/15/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/16/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3885 : Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on dog training therapy.

Sponsor: Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. [SC-1] (introduced 10/21/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.3886 : Providing Military Honors for our Nation’s Heroes Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse certain volunteers who provide funeral honors details at the funerals of veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 10/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/23/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.3906 : Low Income Vet Family Permanent Housing. To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs program to provide financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 10/22/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/23/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.3908 : Families of Disabled Veterans Work Opportunity Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide the work opportunity tax credit with respect to a designated family member of a veteran with a service-connected disability if the veteran is unable to work.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 10/22/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.3926 : Armed Forces Breast Cancer Research Act to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly conduct a study on the incidence of breast cancer among members of the Armed Forces and veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] (introduced 10/26/2009) Cosponsors (45)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.3943 : Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, to be eligible to participate in the Troops-to-Teachers Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] (introduced 10/27/2009) Cosponsors (170) Related Bill S.

Committees: House Education and Labor; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 12/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

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H.R.3948 : Test Prep for Heroes Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for entitlement under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program to payment for test preparatory courses, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Putnam, Adam H. [FL-12] (introduced 10/28/2009) Cosponsors (30)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.3949 : Veterans’ Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, and the Servicemember Civil Relief Act, to make certain improvements in the laws relating to benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 10/28/2009) Cosponsors (22) Related Bill: H.R.761

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/4/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.3998 : Compensation for Combat Veterans Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the service treatable as service engaged in combat with the enemy for utilization of non-official evidence for proof of service-connection in a combat-related disease or injury.

Sponsor: Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] (introduced 11/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.4006 : Rural, American Indian Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for Indian veterans health care coordinators, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 11/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4028 : Rural Veterans Services Outreach and Training Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve services for veterans residing in rural areas.

Sponsor: Rep Wu, David [OR-1] (introduced 11/5/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

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H.R.4043 : Military Spouse Pin Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to recognize the spouses of members of the Armed Forces who are serving in combat or have served in combat through the presentation of an official lapel button.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/18/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4044 : Vet Plot & Headstone/Marker Allowance. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to restore plot allowance eligibility for veterans of any war and to restore the headstone or marker allowance for eligible persons.

Sponsor: Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (37)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4045 : Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase burial benefits for veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (42)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4048 : Rural Area TBI Pilot Program. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on the provision of traumatic brain injury care in rural areas.

Sponsor: Rep Capito, Shelley Moore [WV-2] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4051 : Cold War Service Medal Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold War, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (44) Related bill: S.2743

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/18/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4054 : Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements Act of 2009. To amend titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment of disability rated and certified as total by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as disability for purposes of such titles.

Sponsor: Rep Sarbanes, John P. [MD-3] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (72) Related Bill: S.2759

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 11/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.4058 : Veterans to Work Pilot Program Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to establish the Veterans to Work Program providing for the employment of individuals, especially veterans, who participate in apprenticeship programs on designated military construction projects, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] (introduced 11/6/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/18/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.4063 : WWII Messman/Steward Congressional Gold Medal. To grant the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the messman and steward branches of United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard that served during World War II.

Sponsor: Rep Edwards, Donna F. [MD-4] (introduced 11/7/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 11/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.4064 : Post-9/11 EAP Improvements. To make certain improvements in the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8] (introduced 11/7/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4073 : Rural Veterans Reimbursement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the payments to certain veterans for certain travel expenses.

Sponsor: Rep Minnick, Walter [ID-1] (introduced 11/16/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/16/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4121 : Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the appeals process of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish a commission to study judicial review of the determination of veterans’ benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] (introduced 11/19/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4156 : Increasing Housing Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2009 to provide for certain improvements in the laws relating to housing for veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-13] (introduced 11/19/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Financial Services

Latest Major Action: 11/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

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H.R.4203 : Direct Deposit of Vet Education Payments. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans certain educational assistance payments through direct deposit.

Sponsor: Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] (introduced 12/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4220 : Promoting Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to small business concerns and employment assistance, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 12/8/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Education and Labor; House Small Business

Latest Major Action: 1/4/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.4221 : Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for improved acquisition practices by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 12/8/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 12/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.4241 : State Veteran Home Payments. To amend chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, to allow for increased flexibility in payments for State veterans homes.

Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] (introduced 12/8/2009) Cosponsors (45)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4279 : Vet Accelerated Educational Assistance Payments. To amend titles 38 and 10, United States Code, to authorize accelerated payments of educational assistance to certain veterans and members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces.

Sponsor: Rep Quigley, Mike [IL-5] (introduced 12/10/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/12/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4319 : Specially Adapted Housing Assistance Enhancement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain improvements in the laws relating to specially adapted housing assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Moran, Jerry [KS-1] (introduced 12/15/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4320 : Post-9/11 GI Education Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the types of approved programs of education for purposes of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Murphy, Scott [NY-20] (introduced 12/15/2009) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 12/15/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4350 : Fallen Heroes Family Act of 2009 to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for nonimmigrant status for an alien who is the parent or legal guardian of a United States citizen child if the child was born abroad and is the child of a deceased member of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Sponsor: Rep Issa, Darrell E. [CA-49] (introduced 12/16/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 3/1/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

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H.R.4359 : WARMER Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to guarantee housing loans for the construction energy efficient dwellings, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 12/16/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4403 : SPACE-A Travel Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize space-available travel on military aircraft for unremarried surviving spouses of retired members of the uniformed services and the unremarried surviving spouses of veterans who died from a service-connected or compensable disability, and for the dependents of such spouses.

Sponsor: Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] (introduced 12/16/2009) Cosponsors (25)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/21/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.4429 : Restoring the Social Security COLA Act to provide for an increase of $250 in benefits under certain Federal cash benefit programs for one month in 2010 to compensate for the lack of a cost-of-living adjustment for that year.

Sponsor: Rep Adler, John H. [NJ-3] (introduced 1/13/2010) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Appropriations; House Veterans’ Affairs; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Transportation and Infrastructure

Latest Major Action: 1/13/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Appropriations, Veterans’ Affairs, Oversight and Government Reform, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.4443 : Veterans Employment Today Act of 2010 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the work opportunity tax credit for hiring veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 1/13/2010) Cosponsors (13) Related Bills: H.R.620, H.R.931, S.274

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/13/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.4465 : Vet Financial Status for Hospital Care. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take into account each child a veteran has when determining the veteran’s financial status when receiving hospital care or medical services.

Sponsor: Rep Kissell, Larry [NC-8] (introduced 1/19/2010) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4525 : Chapter 61 Concurrent Receipt Entitlement. To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the eligibility for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation to include all members of the uniformed services who are retired under chapter 61 of such title for disability, regardless of the members’ disability rating percentage.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/26/2010) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Budget; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/18/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=15039641&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.4551 : Keep Our Promise to America’s Military Retirees Act to restore health care coverage to retired members of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 1/27/2010) Cosponsors (32)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4555 : Janey Ensminger Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Miller, Brad [NC-13] (introduced 2/2/2010) Cosponsors (35)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/2/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4559 : State Disabled Vet Benefits Review. To establish a commission to review benefits provided by each State to disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Kissell, Larry [NC-8] (introduced 2/2/2010) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/2/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4568 : TBI Treatment Act to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program under which the Secretaries make payments for certain treatments of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sponsor: Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] (introduced 2/2/2010) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4569 : Expanded Housing for America’s Veterans Act to amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 relating to the amount of rental assistance available under the veterans affairs supported housing program.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 2/2/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Financial Services

Latest Major Action: 2/2/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

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H.R.4592 : Vet Energy Related Jobs Pilot Program. To provide for the establishment of a pilot program to encourage the employment of veterans in energy-related positions.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 2/3/2010) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/24/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4593 : Keeping Faith With the Greatest Generation Military Retirees Act of 2010 to amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to waive Medicare part B premiums for certain military retirees (i.e. those who entered the service prior to December 7, 1956).

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 2/3/2010) Cosponsors (18)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/3/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.4632 : Renovate and Enhance Veterans’ Meeting Halls and Posts Act of 2010 to amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to set-aside community development block grant amounts in each fiscal year for grants to local chapters of veterans service organizations for rehabilitation of their facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (introduced 2/22/2010) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Financial Services

Latest Major Action: 2/22/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

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H.R.4639 : Corporal Dustin Lee Memorial Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the adoption of a military working dog by the family of a deceased or seriously wounded member of the Armed Forces who was the handler of the dog.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 2/22/2010) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/5/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.4656 : VA Child Care Center. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program establishing a child-care center for children of veterans receiving treatment and other individuals.

Sponsor: Rep Buchanan, Vern [FL-13] (introduced 2/23/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/23/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4664 : OIF/OEF Survivor Mortgage Foreclosure Moratorium. To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide for a one-year moratorium on the sale or foreclosure of property owned by surviving spouses of servicemembers killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sponsor: Rep Kratovil, Frank, Jr. [MD-1] (introduced 2/23/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4667 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2010 to increase, effective as of December 1, 2010, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 2/23/2010) Cosponsors (8) Related bills: H.R.1513 & S.407 & S.3107

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/23/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4765 : VA Work Study Allowances. To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize individuals who are pursuing programs of rehabilitation, education, or training under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to receive work-study allowances for certain outreach services provided through congressional offices, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 3/4/2010) Cosponsors (12) Related bill: S.3082

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.4810 : End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2010. To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the services provided for homeless veterans under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/10/2010) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/23/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4845 : VA Children Housing Loan Benefits. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide housing loan benefits for children of members of the Armed Forces and veterans who die from service-connected disabilities.

Sponsor: Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] (introduced 3/15/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/15/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.4887 : Tricare Affirmation Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that health coverage provided by the Department of Defense is treated as minimal essential coverage.

Sponsor: Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] (introduced 3/19/2010) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: House Ways and Means; Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 4/26/2010 Signed by President.

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H.R.4912 : CRSC Payments to Chap 61 Vets. To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the required reduction in the amount of combat-related special compensation paid to disabled combat-related uniformed services retirees retired under chapter 61 of such title whose disability is attributable to an injury for which the members were awarded the Purple Heart.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 3/22/2010) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/8/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4923 : TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend TRICARE coverage to certain dependents under the age of 26.

Sponsor: Rep Heinrich, Martin [NM-1] (introduced 3/24/2010) Cosponsors (93) Related bills: S.3201

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.4947 : Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the per-fiscal year calculation of days of certain active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of a reserve component of the uniformed services may retire for non-regular service.

Sponsor: Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] (introduced 3/25/2010) Cosponsors (37) Related bills: S.3406

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=14876641

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H.R.5014 : VA Minimal Essential Coverage. To clarify the health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that constitutes minimum essential coverage.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 4/14/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-173 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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H.R.5045 : Fair Access to Veterans Benefits Act of 2010 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the tolling of the timing of review for appeals of final decisions of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Adler, John H. [NJ-3] (introduced 4/15/2010) Cosponsors (None) Related bills: S.3192, H.R.5064

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/15/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5120 : Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010 to improve employment, training, and placement services furnished to veterans, especially those serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] (introduced 4/22/2010) Cosponsors (19) Related bills: S.3234

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Education and Labor; House Small Business; House Energy and Commerce; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.5136

S.3454

H.R.5185 : Fair Health Care for Military Families Act to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum age for children eligible for medical care under the TRICARE program and the CHAMPVA program.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 4/29/2010) Cosponsors (2) Related Bill H.R.5206

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/6/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.5225 : Improving Veterans’ Electronic Transition Services Act to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly develop and implement an electronic personnel file system, and to jointly conduct a study on improving the access of veterans to files related to military service and veterans benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] (introduced 5/5/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.5226 : Appalachian Veterans Outreach Improvement Act to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Appalachian Regional Commission to carry out a program of outreach for veterans who reside in Appalachia, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Charles A. [OH-6] (introduced 5/5/2010) Cosponsors (22) Related bill: S.3314

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Transportation and Infrastructure

Latest Major Action: 5/6/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.

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H.R.5259 : Equal Access to Preseparation Counseling Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to require preseparation counseling for members of the reserve components upon their retirement or separation from service.

Sponsor: Rep Pingree, Chellie [ME-1] (introduced 5/11/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/11/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5303 : VA Post-9/11 EAP Housing Stipends. To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve housing stipends for veterans receiving educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5360 : Blinded Veterans Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2010. To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the standard of visual acuity required for eligibility for specially adapted housing assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 5/20/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

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H.R.5371 : William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act. To direct the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy to conduct a review of military service records of Jewish American veterans of World War I, including those previously awarded a military decoration, to determine whether any of the veterans should be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Luetkemeyer, Blaine [MO-9] (introduced 5/24/2010) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/24/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5403 : Alaska Tricare Reimbursement Rates. To direct the Secretary of Defense to temporarily adjust the reimbursement rates for TRICARE claims in Alaska.

Sponsor: Rep Young, Don [AK] (introduced 5/26/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5404 : Reserve Space A Travel. To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize space-available travel on military aircraft for a member or former member of a reserve component who is eligible for retired pay but for age and for dependents of the member who accompany the retiree.

Sponsor: Rep Young, Don [AK] (introduced 5/26/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5428 : Disseminate Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights Info. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to educate certain staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to inform veterans about the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 5/27/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5449 : Retroactive Stop-Loss Special Pay Extension. To amend section 310 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 to extend the period of time during which claims for retroactive stop-loss special pay may be submitted.

Sponsor: Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] (introduced 5/27/2010) Cosponsors (18)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.5484 : VetStar Veteran-Friendly Business Act of 2010. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an annual award program to recognize businesses for their contributions to veterans’ employment, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 6/8/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5516 : Access to Appropriate Immunizations for Veterans Act of 2010. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain requirements relating to the immunization of veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 6/10/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5517 : Every Veteran Counts Act. To amend title 13, United States Code, to require that the questionnaire used in a decennial census of population shall include an inquiry regarding an individual’s status as a veteran, a spouse of a veteran, or a dependent of a veteran, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 6/10/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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H.R.5550 : Loss of Use Definition. To amend title 38, United States Code, to include a definition of “loss of use” for purposes of evaluating disabilities and providing adapted housing and automobiles under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 6/17/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/17/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.5555 : Disabled Veterans’ Surviving Spouses Home Loans Act. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for eligibility for housing loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the surviving spouses of certain totally-disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] (introduced 6/17/2010) Cosponsors (26)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/17/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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Senate

S.46 : Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps.

Sponsor: Sen Ensign, John [NV] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (31) Related Bill: H.R.43

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via

http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=14486941&type=CO

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S.66 : Disabled Vet Space A. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit former members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated as total to travel on military aircraft in the same manner and to the same extent as retired members of the Armed Forces are entitled to travel on such aircraft.

Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.67 : Disabled POW Commissary/Exchange Use. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize certain disabled former prisoners of war to use Department of Defense commissary and exchange stores.

Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.68 : Filipino Service Certification. A bill to require the Secretary of the Army to determine the validity of the claims of certain Filipinos that they performed military service on behalf of the United States during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.94 : Long-Term Care Family Accessibility Act. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a nonrefundable tax credit for long-term care insurance premiums.

Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Major Action: 1/13/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.239 : Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans Health Administration in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State.

Sponsor: Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (1) Companion Bill H.R.190

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.246 : Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality of care provided to veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, to encourage highly qualified doctors to serve in hard-to-fill positions in such medical facilities, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.252 : Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals, to improve the provision of health care veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/dav/issues/alert/?alertid=14008476&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.263 : Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enforcement of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1474.

Sponsor: Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.274 : Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an incentive to hire unemployed veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Baucus, Max [MT] (introduced 1/16/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill: H.R.4443

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/16/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.296 : Fair Tax Act of 2009. A bill to promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.

Sponsor: Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/22/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.307 : Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act of 2009. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide flexibility in the manner in which beds are counted for purposes of determining whether a hospital may be designated as a critical access hospital under the Medicare program and to exempt from the critical access hospital inpatient bed limitation the number of beds provided for certain veterans. Companion Bill H.R.668

Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/22/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.315 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.32

Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (2) Related Bill H.R.2257

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.347 : Vet Hand Loss Traumatic Injury Protection. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to distinguish between the severity of a qualifying loss of a dominant hand and a qualifying loss of a non-dominant hand for purposes of traumatic injury protection under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Ensign, John [NV] (introduced 1/29/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.402 : Keeping Our Promise to America’s Military Veterans Act. A bill to improve the lives of our Nation’s veterans and their families and provide them with the opportunity to achieve the American dream.

Sponsor: Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.404 : Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1377.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.407 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009. A bill to increase, effective as of December 1, 2009, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (17) Related bill H.R.1513

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Senate Reports: 111-24

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-37 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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S.423 : Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize advance appropriations for certain medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs by providing two-fiscal year budget authority, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (56)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 8/6/2009 Senate floor actions. Status: Returned to the Calendar. Calendar No. 101.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12703276

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S.491 : Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (48) Companion Bill H.R.1203

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.498 : Vet Dental Insurance. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize dental insurance for veterans and survivors and dependents of veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.514 : Veterans Rehabilitation and Training Improvements Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance vocational rehabilitation benefits for veterans, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.297.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.535 : SBP DIC Offset Elimination. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans’ dependency and indemnity compensation, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.775.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (57)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/5/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senator send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=14275496&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.543 : Veteran and Servicemember Family Caregiver Support Act of 2009. A bill to require a pilot program on training, certification, and support for family caregivers of seriously disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces to provide caregiver services to such veterans and members, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 3/6/2009) Cosponsors (14) Companion Bill H.R.785.

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.546 : Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit certain retired members of the uniformed services who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service of Combat-Related Special Compensation. Companion Bill H.R.811.

Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (45)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/9/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12904686&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.572 : Purple Heart Forever Stamp. A bill to provide for the issuance of a “forever stamp” to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the armed forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart. Companion Bill H.R.1305.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 3/11/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2009 Referred to Senate subcommittee. Status: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security.

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S.597 : Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1211

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.606 : Veterans Corps Program. A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a Veterans Corps program.

Sponsor: Sen Warner, Mark R. [VA] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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S.614 : WASP Gold Medal Award. A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (“WASP”).

Sponsor: Sen Hutchison, Kay Bailey [TX] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (75) Companion Bill H.R.2014

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-40 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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S.642 : Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009. A bill to require the Secretary of Defense to establish registries of members and former members of the Armed Forces exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed to such hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bayh, Evan [IN] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.644 : National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to include service after September 11, 2001, as service qualifying for the determination of a reduced eligibility age for receipt of non-regular service retired pay.

Sponsor: Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (13) Companion Bill H.R.208 Related Bill S.831

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/ncoausa/issues/alert/?alertid=12995086&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12960556

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S.658 : Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care for veterans who live in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Tester, Jon [MT] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.663 : Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, 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.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (51)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.669 : Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the conditions under which certain persons may be treated as adjudicated mentally incompetent for certain purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 3/23/2009) Cosponsors (18)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/16/2009 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 78.

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S.691 : Colorado National Cemetery for Veterans. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southern Colorado region, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.699 : South Texas Veterans’ Hospital. A bill to provide for the construction by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of a full service hospital in Far South Texas.

Sponsor: Sen Cornyn, John [TX] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.700 : Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009. A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to phase out the 24-month waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits, to eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1708.

Sponsor: Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.728 : Veterans’ Insurance and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance veterans’ insurance benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/7/2009 Senate floor actions. Status: Returned to the Calendar. Calendar No. 155.

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S.731 : TRICARE Coverage For “Gray Area” Reservists. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for continuity of TRICARE Standard coverage for certain members of the Retired Reserve. Companion Bill H.R.270

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] (introduced 3/26/2009) Cosponsors (23)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/26/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. ‘

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805&False&False

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S.734 : Rural Veterans Health Care Access and Quality Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain physicians in Health Professional Shortage Areas and to improve the provision of health care to veterans in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/30/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/30/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.746 : Nebraska National Cemetery. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County region to serve veterans in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northwest Missouri.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.760 : National World War I Memorial. A bill to designate the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the “National World War I Memorial”.

Sponsor: Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (3) Related Bill H.R.1849

Committees: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 12/3/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.

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S.768 : Bataan Gold Medal Initiative. A bill to grant the Congressional Gold Medal to the soldiers from the United States who were prisoners of war at Bataan during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Udall, Tom [NM] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.772 : Honor Act of 2009. A bill to enhance benefits for survivors of certain former members of the Armed Forces with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, to enhance availability and access to mental health counseling for members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bond, Christopher S. [MO] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.793 : Department of Veterans Affairs Vision Scholars Act of 2009. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of visual impairment and orientation and mobility.

Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.801 : Family Caregiver Program Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to waive charges for humanitarian care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to family members accompanying veterans severely injured after September 11, 2001, as they receive medical care from the Department and to provide assistance to family caregivers, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (27)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/25/2009 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 167.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13104956&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.820 : Veterans Mobility Enhancement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the automobile assistance allowance for veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.821 : VA Copay Collection Prohibition. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read the second time and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.831 : National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to include service after September 11, 2001, as service qualifying for the determination of a reduced eligibility age for receipt of non-regular service retired pay.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/20/2009) Cosponsors (32) Related Bill S.644

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805

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S.832 : MOAA Federal Charter. A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 4/20/2009) Cosponsors (41) Companion Bill H.R.2017 Related Bill S.1449

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-95 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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S.842 : VA Home Loan Payoff to Mortgagers. A bill to repeal the sunset of certain enhancements of protections of servicemembers relating to mortgages and mortgage foreclosures, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay mortgage holders unpaid balances on housing loans guaranteed by Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/21/2009 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.847 : SBP Education Assistance Limitation Exclusion. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that utilization of survivors’ and dependents’ educational assistance shall not be subject to the 48-month limitation on the aggregate amount of assistance utilizable under multiple veterans and related educational assistance programs.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.883 : Medal of Honor Coin. A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the establishment of the Medal of Honor in 1861, America’s highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States, to honor the American military men and women who have been recipients of the Medal of Honor, and to promote awareness of what the Medal of Honor represents and how ordinary Americans, through courage, sacrifice, selfless service and patriotism, can challenge fate and change the course of history.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/23/2009) Cosponsors (85)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.902 : Veteran’s Treatment Courts. A bill to provide grants to establish veteran’s treatment courts.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/27/2009) Cosponsors (4) Related Bill H.R.2127

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S. 944 – The Wounded Warrior Transition Assistance Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretaries of the military departments to give wounded members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces the option of remaining on active duty during the transition process in order to continue to receive military pay and allowances, to authorize members to reside at their permanent places of residence during the process, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 4/30/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/30/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13266571&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.977 : Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide improved benefits for veterans who are former prisoners of war, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.998 : Arthur Woolweaver, Jr., Social Security Act Improvements for the Terminally Ill Act. A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period in the disability insurance program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 5/7/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 5/7/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1008 : Military Retired Pay Fairness Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to limit requirements of separation pay, special separation benefits, and voluntary separation incentive from members of the Armed Forces subsequently receiving retired or retainer pay.

Sponsor: Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] (introduced 5/7/2009) Cosponsors (7) Companion bill H.R.2302

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/7/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13682656&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13967481&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.1015 : Enhanced Disability Compensation for Certain Disabled Veterans. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance disability compensation for certain disabled veterans with difficulties using prostheses and disabled veterans in need of regular aid and attendance for residuals of traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 5/11/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/11/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1016 : Vet Disability Compensation Award upon Separation. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the commencement of the period of payment of original awards of compensation for veterans who are retired or separated from the Uniformed services for disability.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 5/11/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/11/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1042 : Illegal Garnishment Prevention Act. A bill to prohibit the use of funds to promote the direct deposit of Veterans and Social Security benefits until adequate safeguards are established to prevent the attachment and garnishment of such benefits.

Sponsor: Sen Kohl, Herb [WI] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1055 : Gold Medal Award for 100th Inf Bn & 442nd RCT. A bill to grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (69) Related bill H.R.347

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.1106 : Selected Reserve Continuum of Care Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to require the provision of medical and dental readiness services to certain members of the Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve based on medical need, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 5/20/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1109 : PRO-VETS Act of 2009. A bill to provide veterans with individualized notice about available benefits, to streamline application processes or the benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 5/20/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1118 : DIC Compensation Rate Increase to 55%. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1128 : Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act. A bill to authorize the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of participation in the testing of nuclear weapons or under other circumstances.

Sponsor: Sen Roberts, Pat [KS] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (3) Related bill H.R.2553

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1160 : Homes for Heroes Act of 2009. A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 6/1/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.1166 : Voluntary Support for Reservists and National Guard Members Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow taxpayers to designate part or all of any income tax refund to support reservists and National Guard members.

Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1168 : Nationally Significant Battlefields Protection. A bill to authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill H.R.1694

Committees: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 7/15/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 111-92.

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S.1169 : Uniformed Services with Autism (USA) Heroes Act . A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of autism under TRICARE.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1204 : Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 6/8/2009) Cosponsors (9) Related bill H.R.1017

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1237 : Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the grant program for homeless veterans with special needs to include male homeless veterans with minor dependents and to establish a grant program for reintegration of homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 6/11/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 360.

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S.1337 : Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2009. A bill to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 6/24/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S.1347 : Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009. A bill to amend chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, to allow members of the Armed Forces to sue the United States for damages for certain injuries caused by improper medical care, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 6/24/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13791596&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.1394 : Veterans Entitlement to Service Act of 2009. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to acknowledge the receipt of medical, disability, and pension claims and other communications submitted by claimants, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 7/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1427 : Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a Hospital Quality Report Card Initiative to report on health care quality in Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 7/9/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1429 : Servicemembers Mental Health Care Commission Act. A bill to establish a commission on veterans and members of the Armed Forces with post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or other mental health disorders, to enhance the capacity of mental health care providers to assist such veterans and members, to ensure such veterans are not discriminated against, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 7/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1449 : MOAA Federal Charter. A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (None) Related Bill H.R.2017 & S.832

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 7/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S.1450 : Deceased Servicemen Parental Nursing Home Care. A bill to enable State homes to furnish nursing home care to parents any of whose children died while serving in the Armed Forces.

Sponsor: Sen Ensign, John [NV] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1452 : COMBAT PTSD Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the meaning of “combat with the enemy” for purposes of service-connection of disabilities.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 7/14/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1467 : Lance Corporal Josef Lopez Fairness for Servicemembers Harmed by Vaccines Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide coverage under Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance for adverse reactions to vaccinations administered by the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] (introduced 7/16/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1495 : Service Dogs for Veterans Act of 2009. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using service dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of veterans with physical or mental injuries or disabilities, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Franken, Al [MN] (introduced 7/22/2009) Cosponsors (7) Related Bill H.R.3266

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/22/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1518 : Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 7/27/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1520 : NAIV Charter. A bill to grant a Federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated.

Sponsor: Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] (introduced 7/27/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill H.R.3349

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 7/27/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S.1543 : Supporting Military Families Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to provide leave for family members of members of regular components of the Armed Forces, and leave to care for covered veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] (introduced 7/30/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Major Action: 7/30/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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S.1547 : Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, and the United States Housing Act of 1937 to enhance and expand the assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Reed, Jack [RI] (introduced 7/30/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1556 : Veteran Voting Support Act of 2009. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter registration agencies, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] (introduced 8/3/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1558 : Travel Reimbursement for Inactive Duty Training Personnel (TRIP) Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 37, United States Code, to provide travel and transportation allowances for members of the reserve components for long distance and certain other travel to inactive duty training.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 8/3/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 8/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1668 : National Guard Education Equality Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the inclusion of certain active duty service in the reserve components as qualifying service for purposes of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] (introduced 9/14/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/ngaus/mail/compose/?mailid=14779496&azip=92571

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S.1685 : Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act of 2009. A bill to provide an emergency benefit of $250 to seniors, veterans, and persons with disabilities in 2010 to compensate for the lack of a cost-of-living adjustment for such year, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 9/17/2009) Cosponsors (10) Related Bills: H.R.3597

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 9/17/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1695 : Congressional Gold Medal Award. A bill to authorize the award of a Congressional gold medal to the Montford Point Marines of World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Burris, Roland [IL] (introduced 9/23/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/23/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.1717 : VA Facility Leases. A bill to authorize major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 9/25/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill S.1310

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-82

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S.1752 : Parkinson’s Disease VA Compensation. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide wartime disability compensation for certain veterans with Parkinson’s disease.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 10/5/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1753 : Disabled Veteran Caregiver Housing Assistance Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase assistance for disabled veterans who are temporarily residing in housing owned by a family member, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 10/5/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1779 : Health Care for Veterans Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bayh, Evan [IN] (introduced 10/14/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1780 : Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Retirees Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the reserve components as active service for purposes of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 10/14/2009) Cosponsors (9) Related bill: H.R.3787

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1798 : Automatic Reserve Component Enrollment Act of 2009. A bill to provide for the automatic enrollment of demobilizing members of the National Guard and Reserve in health care and dental care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 10/19/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1932 : Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act. A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, to be eligible to participate in the Troops-to-Teachers Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen McCain, John [AZ] (introduced 10/27/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Major Action:

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S.1939 : Vet Presumptive Exposure in Vietnam. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 10/27/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.1963 : Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide assistance to caregivers of veterans, to improve the provision of health care to veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 10/28/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-163 [GPO: Text, PDF]

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S.2096 : Parent VA Burial Eligibility. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the eligibility of parents of certain deceased veterans for interment in national cemeteries.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 10/29/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/29/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.2743 : Cold War Service Medal Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold War, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] (introduced 11/5/2009) Cosponsors (7) Related bill: H.R.4051

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/5/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.2759 : Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements Act of 2009. A bill to amend title II and XVI of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment of disability rated and certified as total by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as disability for purposes of such titles.

Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 11/10/2009) Cosponsors (None) Related Bill: H.R.4054

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 11/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.2760 : VA Homeless Vets Appropriations. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the annual amount authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Udall, Tom [NM] (introduced 11/10/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.2769 : Post-9/11 Veterans’ Job Training Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the use of entitlement under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance for the pursuit of apprenticeships and on-job training, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Klobuchar, Amy [MN] (introduced 11/10/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 11/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.2770 : Veterans Business Center Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Small Business Act to establish a Veterans Business Center program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 11/10/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Latest Major Action: 11/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

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S.3082 : VA Work Study Allowances. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize individuals who are pursuing programs of rehabilitation, education, or training under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to receive work-study allowances for certain outreach services provided through congressional offices, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 3/5/2010) Cosponsors (1) Related bill: H.R.4765

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/5/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3107 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2010. A bill to amend title 38 , United States Code, to provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2010, in the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/11/2010) Cosponsors (11) Related Bill: H.R.4667

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.3118 : Veterans Pensions Protection Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that monetary benefits paid to veterans by States and municipalities shall be excluded from consideration as income for purposes of pension benefits paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 3/16/2010) Cosponsors (None) Related Bill: H.R.3485

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3162 : VA Minimum Essential Coverage. A bill to clarify the health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that constitutes minimum essential coverage.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/24/2010) Cosponsors (59) Related bills: H.R.5014

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/13/2010 Held at the desk.

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S.3171 : Veterans Training Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the approval of certain programs of education for purposes of the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 3/25/2010) Cosponsors (10) Related bills: H.R. 3813

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3192 : Fair Access to Veterans Benefits Act of 2010. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the tolling of the timing of review for appeals of final decisions of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] (introduced 4/12/2010) Cosponsors (1) Related bills: H.R.5045, H.R.5064

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/12/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3201 : TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend TRICARE coverage to certain dependents under the age of 26.

Sponsor: Sen Udall, Mark [CO] (introduced 4/14/2010) Cosponsors (31) Related bills: H.R.4923

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/14/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.3234 : Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010. A bill to improve employment, training, and placement services furnished to veterans, especially those serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 4/20/2010) Cosponsors (13) Related bills: H.R.5120

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.3286 : VA Vet Claim Assistance Pilot Program. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on the award of grants to State and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide assistance to veterans with their submittal of claims to the Veterans Benefits Administration, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] (introduced 4/29/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.3356 : CHAMPVA Children Maximum Age increase. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum age for children eligible for medical care under the CHAMPVA program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3359 : Veterans’ Disability Compensation Automatic COLA Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Thune, John [SD] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3367 : VA Pension Increase for Disabled Couples. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the rate of pension for disabled veterans who are married to one another and both of whom require regular aid and attendance, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.3371 : TRICARE Mental Health Care Access Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to improve access to mental health care counselors under the TRICARE program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] (introduced 5/13/2010) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.3378 : Examination of Exposures to Environmental Hazards During Military Service and Health Care for Camp Lejeune and Atsugi Naval Air Facility Veterans and their Families Act of 2010. An original bill to authorize health care for individuals exposed to environmental hazards at Camp Lejeune and the Atsugi Naval Air Facility, to establish an advisory board to examine exposures to environmental hazards during military service, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 5/17/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Senate Reports: 111-189

Latest Major Action: 5/17/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 377.

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S.3394 : Strengthening Entrepreneurship for America’s Veterans Act of 2010. A bill to establish the veterans’ business center program, to improve the programs for veterans of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] (introduced 5/20/2010) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

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S.3398 : Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2010. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the work opportunity credit to certain recently discharged veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Baucus, Max [MT] (introduced 5/24/2010) Cosponsors (3) Related bills: H.R.5400

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 5/24/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.3406 : Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the per-fiscal year calculation of days of certain active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of a reserve component of the uniformed services may retire for non-regular service.

Sponsor: Sen Hagan, Kay [NC] (introduced 5/24/2010) Cosponsors (None) Related bills: H.R.4947

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/24/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.3447 : Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve educational assistance for veterans who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 5/27/2010) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/27/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.3454 : National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Levin, Carl [MI] (introduced 6/4/2010) Cosponsors (None) Related bills: H.R.5136, S.3455, S.3456, S.3457

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Senate Reports: 111-201

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 414.

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S.3477 : Blue Star/Gold Star Flag Act of 2010. A bill to ensure that the right of an individual to display the Service Flag on residential property not be abridged.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 6/10/2010) Cosponsors (10) Related Bill: H.R.2546

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.3499 : Fiduciary Benefits Oversight Act of 2010. A bill to require fiduciaries of individuals receiving benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to authorize the Secretary to obtain financial records with respect to such individuals for purposes of administering such laws, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 6/16/2010) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/16/2010 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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[Source: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?n=Browse 27 Jun 09 ++]

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VETERAN UPDATES

RAO BULLETIN July 01, 2010

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THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

== ISP’s Blocking RAO Bulletin [05] ———– (AOL Phase Out)

== CalVet/DMV Agreement —————– (New Vet ID System)

== VAMC St. Louis MO ———- (Dental Sterilization Problems)

== VA Headstones & Markers [06] ———- (Bronze Medallions)

== United States Naval Academy ————————— (History)

== United States Naval Academy [01] ——– (Financial Scandal)

== Ernie Pyle Museum —————————————- (Closed)

== Vet Toxic Exposure ~ Sand ———————— (Afghanistan)

== VA Facility Wireless Service ——————- (Patient Access)

== VA Blue Water Claims [11] — (AO Exposure List Expanded)

== DNA Testing in RP [01] —————- (U.S. Embassy Manila)

== Visa Fee increase ———————————————- (U.S.)

== Car Insurance Primer —————————- (Do you Know?)

== Mobilized Reserve 22 JUN 2010 ————– (6,191 Decrease)

== VA Claims Backlog [40] ———————————- (S.3517)

== GI BILL [80] ———————————– (66th Anniversary)

== AAFES Refund Policy [01] ———————- (Recall Process)

== National Infantry Museum —————————– (Overview)

== VA Copay [11] —————————————- (2010 Rates)

== Health Care Reform [36] —————- (3.8% Real Estate Tax)

== Pennsylvania Vet Cemetery [04] ——- (WA Crossing Phase 2)

== VA Parkinson’s Disease Program [02] ———- (DBS Benefits)

== Tricare User Fee [50] ——– (Substantial Increases Requested)

== VA Presumptive VN Vet Diseases [06] ——— (Funds Frozen)

== VA Presumptive VN Vet Diseases [07] —— (Webb’s Position)

== Medicare Reimbursement Rates 2010 [14] ———- (6 Mo Ext)

== VAMC Charleston SC ————————— (Highly Praised)

== Arlington National Cemetery [10] — (More Headstones Found)

== Arlington National Cemetery [11] ———— (Records System)

== VA Claims Processing [02] —— (Hostile Work Environment)

== VAT Tax ——————————————— (Do we need?)

== Vet Jobs [19] ————————– (Delta Airline Wants Vets)

== Korean War 60th Anniversary —– (Congressional Ceremony)

== Korean War Vet Appreciation Letter ———- (How to Obtain)

== Tricare Nursing Home Coverage [02] ——- (Preauthorization)

== Outward Bound ————————– (OEF/OIF Vet Program)

== Alzheimer’s [07] ————————- (Preventative Measures)

== Estate Planning [02] —————————— (Planned Giving)

== SBP DIC Offset [25] ———— (After Sharp Lawsuit SITREP)

== NDAA 2011 [04] ————————- (Obama’s Veto Threat)

== Government Paper Checks —————————- (Phase Out)

== California Vet Home [08] ——————– (West Los Angeles)

== Tricare Smoking Quitline ———————– (24/7 Assistance)

== SNAP [01] —————————————— (How to Apply)

== Retirement Calculators ————————————– (Flaws)

== Credit Card Agreements ———————————– (Access)

== ISP’s Blocking RAO Bulletin [05] ———— (AOL Phase Out)

== Medicare Fraud [42] —————————– (15-30 Jun 2010)

== Medicad Fraud [16] —————————— (15-30 Jun 2010)

== State Veteran’s Benefits ———————————– (Alaska)

== Military History ————————- (WWII Philippine Army)

== Military History Anniversaries ————- (Jul 1-15 Summary)

== Military Trivia 7 ———————————————– (Jeep)

== Tax Burden for New Mexico Retirees ——————— (2009)

== Congressional Alphalist ———————————- (Index C)

== Veteran Legislation Status 28 JUN 2010 —- (Where we stand)

== Have You Heard? ———————————- (Military Time)

Attachment – Alaska State Veteran’s Benefits

Attachment – WWII Philippine Army

Attachment – Veteran Legislation

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ISP’s Blocking RAO Bulletin Update 05: I have sent thousands of emails over the years to AOL subscribers about AOL’s alleged blocking of their RAO Bulletins and received back zero responses with a solution on how to make them stop.  In many cases short follow-up messages from me to confirm if the Bulletin was received by the AOL user are also blocked.  It is obvious AOL will not or cannot tell anybody what to do when their filters automatically advise their customer’s correspondents that the customer’s email addee is no longer valid. For the last 5 years AOL has been telling their customers who request assistance to resolve this problem that there is no problem.  However, at least two to three times a year they do the same thing to a significant percentage of the AOL subscribers on my directory and randomly to some others with every Bulletin. Since some AOL users do receive the Bulletin its size and/or attachments apparently are not the problem. There does not seem to be any pattern to who is blocked.  I recently deleted over 4000 AOL subscribers from my directory because of this which makes about 10,000 AOL subscribers over the last 5 years. I send the Bulletin to over 200 ISP’s and AOL is the only one that consistently creates problems. AOL users have no idea how much email they never see because of AOL’s spam blocking policies.

Because of this, and the hundreds of manhours I have wasted over the years trying to cope with AOL’s idiosyncrasies, I have decided to no longer add any new subscribers with AOL email addees unless they provide an alternate non-AOL email addee up front.  Also, unless I have an alternate non-AOL email addee on file, I am deleting any of the remaining 9,000 AOL subscribers on my directory for which I receive the first vice third return indication their email addee is no good or they do not initially respond to any message I send them on the subject. No response is confirmation that they either no longer wish to receive the Bulletin or AOL again blocked my message.  Anyone wanting their AOL email addee added back to the directory must first provide an alternate non-AOL email addee for me to put on file. This I need so I have a means of communicating with them the next time my messages to their AOL email addee are blocked. Those deleted who cannot provide an alternate non-AOL addee can go to http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html on the 2th & 16th of each month to read/download the Bulletin. [Source: RAO Bulletin Editor/Publisher 14 Jun 2010 ++]

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CalVet/DMV Agreement: The California Department of Veterans Affairs and the California Department of Motor Vehicles today announced 39 JUN an historic agreement that will help connect nearly all of the 2.1 million veterans in California with information about their benefits and services that they have earned through their service in the U.S. Military. Under an agreement signed by CalVet Secretary Roger Brautigan and DMV Director George Valverde, effective 1 JUL 2011, new driver’s license and state identification card application forms will ask veterans if they have ever served in the U.S. Military. If they mark on the forms that they have, their mailing addresses will be sent to the CalVet Department for distribution of information relative to services and benefits available to all veterans who served honorably in the military.”This new partnership will help our department reach out to veterans and help them connect with the benefits and services they have earned through their service that are offered by the state of California and the U.S. Government,” said Secretary Brautigan.

The information provided by the DMV will include the name of the veteran and his or her mailing address.  The CalVet Department will mail to that address information that will explain some of the benefits available to them such as health care, education assistance, job training assistance and home-purchasing assistance and how to obtain those benefits and services.The Veterans will also be asked to log-on to the state department’s new Veterans Reintegration System and register their contact information and areas of interest.  This new system provides veterans with on-going information about areas such as housing, health care, mental health, state benefits, etc.  If the veteran can’t utilize a computer or doesn’t have access to one, they will be provided with a card that will allow them to sign up for the same information which will be mailed to them whenever there is news to share. The DMV is in the process of redesigning its driver’s license and state identification card forms to accommodate mandated changes and new information that is required by state law and this provided the two departments the opportunity to achieve this historic agreement.  [Source: News From Around the Country 30 JUN 2010 ++]

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VAMC St. Louis MO: A flaw in the sterilization of dental equipment at the St. Louis VA Medical Center John Cochran Division exposed 1,812 veterans to a “low risk” of becoming infected with AIDS or hepatitis. Certified letters were sent 28 JUN to veterans who received dental treatment at the center between 1 FEB 09 and 11 MAR 2010, encouraging them to go to the medical center and be tested for HIV or human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C virus. VA spokeswoman Marcena Gunter on 29 JUN said, “A routine inspection by a  VA internal quality inspection team in March revealed that certain equipment was not being sterilized in accordance with accepted standards.”  Asked why it took more than a year from when the improper cleaning techniques occurred until the warning letters went out, Gunter said that during that time experts either didn’t know it was occurring or were assessing the risk. “Nothing was being swept under the rug,” she said. The St. Louis VAMC is a full-service health care facility providing inpatient and ambulatory care in medicine, surgery, psychiatry, neurology, and rehabilitation, as well as over 65 subspecialty areas. It is a two-division facility that serves veterans and their families in east central Missouri and southwestern Illinois. The John Cochran Division is located in midtown St. Louis in close proximity to its affiliated medical schools – St. Louis University and Washington University. It has all of the medical center’s operative surgical capabilities, the ambulatory care unit, and a six-story Clinical Addition that includes surgical facilities, intensive care units, outpatient psychiatry clinics, and expanded laboratory.

Dr. Gina Michael, the association chief of staff at the VA hospital, said the failure happened because some dental technicians thought they were doing the right thing by washing the dental tools themselves.  The techs were using…strong soap to clean the tools, when they should have sent them to the hospital sanitizing and sterilizing department. In a written statement, RimaAnn Nelson, acting medical director of the hospital, stated that those desiring a blood test or having questions can call 1(888) 374-3046. However, a reporter who called the number on 29 JUN did not reach a person after being on hold for 20 minutes. The blood tests also will be available at VA clinics in Belleville, 6500 W. Main St., and in St. Charles, Mo. But Gunter said the preferred location for the testing is the dental clinic at the John Cochran Campus of the medical center in south St. Louis. “That’s where we will have full staff available to answer detailed questions and provide counseling,” said Gunter, who added that she was not aware of any similar occurrence ever happening at the medical center. Nelson, the acting medical director, wrote, “We deeply regret that this situation occurred and we assure you that we are taking all the necessary steps to make certain that testing is offered quickly and the results communicated timely.” Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-St. Louis) said that he had requested that the federal agency conduct a formal investigation. In a letter to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, Carnahan called the potential exposure an “indefensible breach of standard operating procedure.” Carnahan added in an interview that he had requested a congressional hearing.

Cochran’s procedures have come under scrutiny before. In 2003, an independent agency that evaluates and accredits most of the nation’s hospitals took the rare step of placing the St. Louis VA Medical Center on “conditional accreditation” after a surprise inspection uncovered problems at Cochran. The hospital regained full accreditation by the end of the year. In 2007, after reports about poor treatment and rundown conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, officials at the VA’s St. Louis area facilities said they were working to solve similar problems. The Veterans Affairs Hospital system has come under fire in recent years for improper care. The New York Times reported in June 2009 that a “rogue cancer unit” operated at a veterans hospital in Philadelphia, where 92 of 116 prostate cancer treatments were botched. Federal investigators were called in to find out how the cancer unit was allowed to operate for six years before officials noticed that the treatment was improper, the newspaper reported. [Source:  News-Democrat George Pawlaczyk & St. Louis Post Dispatch Bill Lambrecht articles 29 & 30 Jun 2010 ++]

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VA Headstones & Markers Update 06: Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki announced 29 JUN that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is offering bronze medallions to attach to existing, privately purchased headstones or markers, signifying a deceased’s status as a Veteran.  “For Veterans not buried in a national or state Veterans cemetery, or those without a government grave marker, VA is pleased to offer this option that highlights their service and sacrifices for our country,” said Secretary Shinseki. The new item can be furnished instead of a traditional government headstone or marker for Veterans whose death occurred on or after 1 NOV 90, and whose grave in a private cemetery is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker. Under federal law, eligible Veterans buried in a private cemetery are entitled to either a government-furnished grave marker or the new medallion, but not both.  Veterans buried in a national or state Veterans cemetery will receive a government headstone or marker of the standard design authorized at that cemetery.

The medallion is available in three sizes: 5 inches, 3 inches and 1 ½ inches in width.  Each bronze medallion features the image of a folded burial flag adorned with laurels and is inscribed with the word “Veteran” at the top and the branch of service at the bottom. Next of kin will receive the medallion, along with a kit that will allow the family or the staff of a private cemetery to affix the medallion to a headstone, grave marker, mausoleum or columbarium niche cover. More information about VA-furnished headstones, markers and medallions can be found at http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmtype.asp.  VA is currently developing an application form for ordering the medallion.  Until it is available, applicants may use the form for ordering government headstones and markers, VA Form 40-1330.  Instructions on how to apply for a medallion are found on the VA Web site at www.cem.va.gov/hm_hm.asp.

Veterans with a discharge issued under conditions other than dishonorable, their spouses and eligible dependent children can be buried in a VA national cemetery.  Other burial benefits available for all eligible Veterans, regardless of whether they are buried in a national cemetery or a private cemetery, include a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a government headstone or grave marker.  The new medallions will be available only to Veterans buried in private cemeteries without a government headstone or marker.  Families of eligible decedents may also order a memorial headstone or marker when remains are not available for interment.

VA operates 131 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico and 33 soldiers’ lots and monument sites.  More than 3 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict — from the Revolutionary War to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan — are buried in VA’s national cemeteries on more than 19,000 acres.  Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the VA Web site on the Internet at www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 1(800) 827-1000. [Source: VA News Release 29 Jun 2010 ++]

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United States Naval Academy: The United States Navy was born during the American Revolution when the need for a naval force to match the Royal Navy became clear. But during the period immediately following the Revolution, the Continental Navy was demobilized in 1785 by an economy-minded Congress. The dormancy of American seapower lasted barely a decade when, in 1794, President George Washington persuaded the Congress to authorize a new naval force to combat the growing menace of piracy on the high seas. The first vessels of the new U.S. Navy were launched in 1797; among them were the United States, the Constellation, and the Constitution. In 1825, President John Quincy Adams urged Congress to establish a Naval Academy “for the formation of scientific and accomplished officers.” His proposal, however, was not acted upon until 20 years later.

On 13 SEP 1842, the American Brig Somers set sail from the Brooklyn Navy Yard on one of the most significant cruises in American naval history. It was a school ship for the training of teenage naval apprentice volunteers who would hopefully be inspired to make the Navy a career. However, discipline deteriorated on the Somers and it was determined by a court of inquiry aboard ship that Midshipman Philip Spencer and his two chief confederates, Boatswains Mate Samuel Cromwell and Seaman Elisha Small, were guilty of a “determined attempt to commit a mutiny.” The three were hanged at the yardarm and the incident cast doubt over the wisdom of sending midshipmen directly aboard ship to learn by doing. News of the Somers mutiny shocked the country. Through the efforts of the Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft, the Naval School was established without Congressional funding, at a 10-acre Army post named Fort Severn in Annapolis, Maryland, on 10 OCT 1845, with a class of 50 midshipmen and seven professors. The curriculum included mathematics and navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French.

When the founders of the United States Naval Academy were looking for a suitable location, it was reported that Bancroft decided to move the naval school to “the healthy and secluded” location of Annapolis in order to rescue midshipmen from “the temptations and distractions that necessarily connect with a large and populous city.” The Philadelphia Naval Asylum School was its predecessor. In 1850 the Naval School became the United States Naval Academy. A new curriculum went into effect requiring midshipmen to study at the Academy for four years and to train aboard ships each summer. That format is the basis of a far more advanced and sophisticated curriculum at the Naval Academy today. As the U.S. Navy grew over the years, the Academy expanded. The campus of 10 acres increased to 338. The original student body of 50 midshipmen grew to a brigade size of 4,000. Modern granite buildings replaced the old wooden structures of Fort Severn.

Congress authorized the Naval Academy to begin awarding Bachelor of Science degrees in 1933. The Academy later replaced a fixed curriculum taken by all midshipmen with the present core curriculum plus 18 major fields of study, a wide variety of elective courses and advanced study and research opportunities. Since then, the development of the United States Naval Academy has reflected the history of the country. As America has changed culturally and technologically so has the Naval Academy. In just a few decades, the Navy moved from a fleet of sail and steam-powered ships to a high-tech fleet with nuclear-powered submarines and surface ships and supersonic aircraft. The academy has changed, too, giving midshipmen state-of- the-art academic and professional training they need to be effective naval officers in their future careers. The Naval Academy first accepted women as midshipmen in 1976, when Congress authorized the admission of women to all of the service academies. Women comprise about 13 to 14 percent of entering plebes–or freshmen–and they pursue the same academic and professional training as do their male classmates. [Source: www.usna.edu/VirtualTour/150years Jun 2010 ++]

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United States Naval Academy Update 01: A sprawling financial scandal at the Naval Academy — involving extravagant parties and a “slush fund” — was an embarrassment that helped lead to an early exit for the school’s superintendent, Navy Times has learned. Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler faced “administrative action” in April as a result of a year-long Naval Inspector General’s investigation, said Rear Adm. Denny Moynihan, the Navy’s top spokesman. Navy Times received a copy of the investigation report 28 JUN after a longstanding Freedom of Information Act request. The IG investigation found that Naval Academy officials working under Fowler had created a “sham” bank account that helped fund things like a $10,000 party for the academy’s golf association and $1,000 worth of wine for a dinner party at the superintendent’s house. The IG did not substantiate any of the allegations that Fowler was knowingly involved in the financial misconduct. “Vice Adm. Fowler believed any expenditure he authorized was permissible, and he did not financially gain from these irregularities,”

Moynihan told Navy Times. The person assigned as superintendent of the academy is legally required to serve for three years. While Fowler served more than three years, “the outcome of this investigation was a factor in him not serving longer,” Moynihan told Navy Times. Other questionable spending probed by the IG included:

  • Annual spending of $400,000 or more for academy-sponsored tailgate events at football bowl games over the past six years.
  • Spending $157,000 to purchase an 18-wheel tractor trailer truck for the academy’s football team.
  • Spending $325,000 to purchase an antique airplane model that hangs in the front entrance to Dahlgren Hall.
  • Spending $3,715,187 on video production services to create recruiting videos.
  • Spending several million dollars to renovate the dining facilities of the Naval Academy Club and the Club at Greenbury Point.

While the inspector general ultimately concluded that these and other expenditures were “within the discretionary authority” of the Naval Academy, the IG criticized the accounting and oversight of the money used. In other instances, such as the catered parties for football coaches and their families, the IG found that the allegations of wrongful spending were “substantiated; however, the violations were unintentional.” Also as a result of the investigation, Robert Parsons, the academy’s deputy for finance, was given a five-day suspension without pay, Moynihan said. A third official, whose name was not released, was also reprimanded, Moynihan said. The IG’s probe found that a fund set up by the academy’s business services division to cover many entertainment expenses was “an unauthorized, off-the-books account that is improper on its face. Its existence is a sham, and it was used much as in the business definition of a ‘slush fund,’ i.e., to pay for things from a pool of money with little accountability required,” IG concluded. The fund was created in APR 07, using about $95,000 of corporate sponsorship money that the academy received for participation in the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl football game, the IG report said.

Fowler explained to the IG that he did not see any fundamental problem with using government money to pay for events that the IG concluded were extravagant and wasteful. “I don’t know the technicalities, but the concept of us doing special things for the people who work here in my mind is not a bad thing,” Fowler told the IG investigators. Although Moynihan would not specify if other “factors” led to Fowler’s early departure, the superintendent’s tenure has been fraught with controversy. Last year he was criticized for allowing a pregnant midshipman to graduate despite the academy’s clear prohibition against being pregnant while enrolled there.

Also last year, the administration scrambled to explain why it replaced white members of the school’s color guard with minority students for a nationally televised appearance at the World Series in New York. Fowler has also been criticized for prioritizing the academy’s athletic program over its academics. Earlier this year, he permitted a star football player who tested positive for marijuana to stay at the academy despite the Navy’s purported “zero-tolerance” drug policy. The athlete, Midshipman 3rd Class Marcus Curry, later left the academy after additional allegations of misconduct. [Source: NavyTimes Andrew Tilghman article 29 Jun 2010 ++]

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Ernie Pyle Museum: The Ernie Pyle State Historic Site is located one mile north of U.S. Highway 36 on Indiana State Road 71. Contact info was: P.O. Box 338; 120 W. Briarwood Ave. Dana, IN 47847-0338 or (765) 665-3633/9312F or [email protected]. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, citing low visitation numbers and state budget cuts, no longer wants to operate the Ernie Pyle museum and birthplace, which they closed several months ago. State officials have given the nonprofit group Friends of Ernie Pyle until 1 AUG to come up with a plan for the museum’s future. The Friends can accept ownership, alone or in partnership with other community or governmental groups. If that doesn’t happen, the state will move the exhibits to the Indiana State Museum and sell the real estate.

The Site consists of a Visitor Center and a Historic House. The Visitor Center exhibits feature life-size scenes based on Ernie Pyle’s writings and experiences as a World War II correspondent. The exhibits include state-of-the-art audio and video stations and contain authentic World War II uniforms, weapons, and gear, including a 1944 Willys jeep donated by local veterans groups . The Historic House from the farm where Pyle was born is furnished as an early 1900s rural Indiana farmhouse. Through the efforts of the Dana residents, the Indiana Department of the American Legion, and a sizeable contribution from the Eli Lilly Foundation, the Historic House was moved from its rural site to its present location. It became a state historic site in July 1976. On 18 APR 95 a new Visitor Center, constructed from two authentic World War II Quonset huts, was dedicated. The center features a video theater, research library, exhibits and a gift shop. This addition was made possible through a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation and the Paige Cavanaugh estate. The permanent exhibits were completed in 1998. [Source: The Tribune-Star Sue Loughlin article 26 Jun 2010 ++]

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Vet toxic Exposure ~ Sand: American forces in Afghanistan may be dealing with toxic sand that can damage their brains, according to a recent Navy study. In a presentation at a neurotoxicology conference in Portland, OR earlier this month, Palur G. Gunasekar, a senior scientist with the Navy Environmental Health Effects Laboratory, said that dust kicked up in sandstorms contains manganese and other metals. “The sand is a risk factor for inducing neurotoxicity,” Gunasekar said. Compounds that are neurotoxic are those that damage the nervous system or the brain. The Navy said the findings are preliminary and that so far no definitive link has been found between the inhalation of sand and brain damage. Still, the study followed reports that returning soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq are experiencing impairments such as memory loss and difficulty concentrating, which may not always be attributable to traumatic brain injuries. Gunasekar told the group, most of them academic and government scientists, that he and his colleagues focused on “subtle environmental issues that our soldiers face.” Troops caught in sandstorms may inhale toxic particles, which can be carried to the brain, lungs and other organs. “Once they return…they complain about respiratory problems and also they complain about some of the cognitive functions,” he said.

Gunasekar conducted the study with staff scientist Krishnan Prabhakaran and Lt. Cmdr. Micheal Stockelman, both of whom also work at the Naval Health Research Center Detachment, Navy Health Effects Laboratory, located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, in Ohio. The research team analyzed sand samples from Afghanistan, and found manganese, silicon, iron, magnesium, aluminum, chromium and trace elements. Manganese, on its own, is considered a potent neurotoxicant capable of damaging the brain and causing Parkinsons-like symptoms. They are also studying sand from Iraq. The researchers conducted tests in which nerve cells were exposed to the toxic sand. “As the sand extract dose increases at the higher concentration you see cell death,” said Gunasekar, who accompanied his talk with a video of a fierce sandstorm. The researchers also found that exposure to sand could also damage the lungs. Gunasekar noted that soldiers returning from Afghanistan have complained of respiratory problems. Their next step will be to test the effects of exposure to the sand dust in an animal study, if they can secure funding, Gunasekar said. Neither Gunasekar nor the Navy would provide further details about the study.

Dr. Stephen N. Xenakis, a retired brigadier general who now has a private medical practice and also does consulting for the government and health-related companies, said he wasn’t surprised by Gunasekar’s results. “We know environmental factors are going to make a difference here,” Xenakis said. “Now, fortunately, these scientists have gone down to the cellular level and shown what the manifestations are.” Xenakis says he sees cognitive problems “all the time in the soldiers I work with,” though the causes are not always clear. “They can’t focus. They have problems with short-term memory. They’ll tell you that stuff that came really quickly to them before, they seem to have more difficulty trying to understand.”

In recent years, there has been controversy over reports of how many troops return home with cognitive problems. Xenakis puts the estimate at 20 to 30 percent, most of whom are survivors of brain injuries from blasts or other traumas. “You had over 2 million people who served, some multiple times, in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Xenakis. “We don’t know precisely how many have been effected, but you’re looking at a big number.”

Lisa Jaycox is a senior behavioral scientist with the Rand Corp. who has studied cognitive difficulties after exposure to blasts. She supports a closer look at the possible threat posed by sand.

“A lot of people are reporting headaches and difficulties with memories and such that are hard to explain,” she said. “The symptoms overlap with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is lots of controversy about what these cognitive symptoms are, whether they are related to a central brain problem or more of a mental health or emotional problem or a combination. This idea of the neurotoxins in the sand would be yet another thing that could contribute to some cognitive problems. I think there needs to be more research is the bottom line.”

Cmdr. Cappy Surette, a spokesman for Navy Medicine, said Gunasekar was presenting his own opinion, and not speaking in an official capacity. Surette said that the Navy has no record of troops complaining about cognitive difficulties that are unrelated to traumatic brain injuries. The research team’s work was commissioned, he said, “acting on theories that the dust and sand may contain elements of interest.” Surette added that “research will continue until the complete picture is understood.” The Navy has several related research projects either in the planning stages, or underway; among them, one study to determine whether exposure to sand can exacerbate traumatic brain injuries, and another looking at combined effects of Iraqi sand and cigarette smoke. [Source: Politics Daily Sheila Kaplan article 26 Jun 2010 ++]

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VA Facility Wireless Service: The Veterans Affairs Department plans to install wireless networks at health care facilities nationwide so patients and their families would have Internet access, top officials said on 24 JUN. The project would be a massive undertaking to deploy the service throughout VA’s 153 hospitals, 134 nursing homes and 50 residential rehabilitation facilities across the country. But patients have asked the department provide Internet service in its health care facilities and officials said they view the requests as part of their service to the veteran community. Veterans and their families would be able to use the networks for communications, e-mail and therapeutic activities, said Gail Graham, deputy chief officer for Health Information Management at the Veterans Health Administration during the hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. She emphasized that any network VA installs must run separately from Wi-Fi networks already in place in hospitals that support medical operations.

Roger Baker, chief information officer at VA, said in an interview with Nextgov on 24 JUN that a Wi-Fi network for patients and hospital visitors must operate with an air gap between it and medical networks. If the department installs patient Wi-Fi networks, they cannot compromise the security or data capacity of medical networks used to support bar code medication administration, among other things. A patient Wi-Fi network also cannot interfere with spectrum the medical staff uses, he said. VA plans to consider using broadband cellular wireless as an alternative to Wi-Fi to support the patient network. In addition, VA does not want to maintain the network, because it doesn’t want to be put in the position of banning patients from certain websites, a practice it would likely be asked to do if it ran the system, Baker said. VA plans to ask the technology industry to propose business models for the outsourced network, including supporting the network through advertising or asking patients to pay for access. The latter alternative most likely will be hard to sell to veterans, Baker acknowledged. He anticipated VA will put out a request for the network within the next six months.

Health care facilities present a wireless challenge, because they typically have thick, solid walls that make it hard for signals to penetrate and medical devices in the buildings create interference, said David Callisch, vice president of marketing for Ruckus Wireless in Sunnyvale, Calif., which has developed Wi-Fi systems for large organizations such as hospitals. Craig Mathias, wireless analyst at Farpoint Group in Ashland, Mass., said depending on its size, VA might have to install as many as 200 Wi-Fi access points in each facility, which would place the total cost of a national wireless patient network in the multimillion-dollar range. [Source: www.nextgov.com Bob Brewin article 24 Jan 2010 ++]

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VA Blue Water Claims Update 11: The VA has added the below named ships to the already existing list noted in Update 10 for Navy and Coast Guard ships and vessels that are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange.  If you served on any of these mentioned ships and you have had a claim denied, you should reapply citing the VA list as the source for your reapplication.  NAUS advises that the VA is already working on a third list that will have more ships listed.  If you have a claim and evidence the ship you served on was in Vietnamese waters and/or actually tied up to a dock there, make sure you include that with your claim.

Vessels that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways

  • All U.S. Coast Guard Cutters with hull designation WPB [patrol boat] and WHEC [high endurance cutters]
  • USS Mark (AKL-12) [light cargo ship]; USS Brule (AKL-28)
  • USS Patapsco (AOG-1) [gasoline tanker];  USS Elkhorn (AOG-7)
  • USS Genesee (AOG-8); USS Kishwaukee (AOG-9)
  • USS Tombigbee (AOG-11); USS Noxubee (AOG-56)
  • USS Okanogan (APA-210) [attack transport]; USS Montrose (APA-212)
  • USS Bexar (APA-237)
  • USS Benewah (APB-35) [self-propelled barracks ship]; USS Colleton (APB-36)
  • USS Mercer (APB-39); USS Nueces (APB-40)
  • Barracks Barge (APL-26) [sleeping quarters] ); Barracks Barge (APL-30)
  • USS Tutuila (ARG-4) [repair ship]; USS Satyr (ARL-23) [repair ship]
  • USS Sphinx (ARL-24); USS Askari (ARL-30); USS Indra (ARL-37)
  • USS Krishna (ARL-38)
  • USS Belle Grove (LSD-2) [landing ship dock]; USS Comstock (LSD-19)
  • USS Tortuga (LSD-26)
  • USS Asheville (PG-84) [patrol gunboat]; USS Gallop (PG-85)
  • USS Antelope (PG-86); USS Ready (PG-87); USS Crockett (PG-88)
  • USS Marathon (PG-89); USS Canon (PG-90)
  • Floating Base Platform (YRBM-17) [repair, berthing, and messing barge]
  • Floating Base Platform (YRBM-18); Floating Base Platform (YRBM-20)
  • Winnemucca (YTB-785) [harbor tug]

Vessels that operated temporarily on Vietnam’s inland waterways or docked to the shore:

  • USS Card (ACV-11) [escort carrier] mined, sunk, and salvaged in Saigon River Harbor during May 1964
  • USS Maury (AGS-16) [mapping survey ship] conducted surveys of Mekong Delta and other coastal areas and rivers beginning November 1965 through 1969
  • USS Henrico (APA-45) [amphibious attack transport] operated on Hue River during March 1965 and conducted numerous troop landings through March 1967
  • USS Montrose (APA-212) operated on Song Hue River during December 1965, operated on Long Tau River during March 1967, and operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha during May 1967
  • USS Talladega (APA-208) operated on Saigon River during October 1967
  • USS Bolster (ARS-38) [salvage ship] crew operated on land.
  • USS Canberra (CAG-2) [guided missile cruiser] operated on Saigon River from March 31 through April 1, 1966, on Cua Viet River during December 15, 1966, and on Mekong Delta Ham Luong River during January 15, 1967
  • USS Sproston (DD-577) [destroyer] operated on Mekong Delta and Ganh Rai Bay during January 1966
  • USS Picking (DD-685) operated on Saigon River during November 16, 1965
  • USS Epperson (DD-719) docked to Da Nang Pier on October 4, 1970
  • USS Southerland (DD-743) operated on Song Nga Bay and Saigon River during July 1966
  • USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) operated on Nga Be River during 1969
  • USS Buck (DD-761) operated on Mekong River Delta and Saigon River during October 1966
  • USS Preston (DD-795) operated on Mekong River Delta, Ganh Rai Bay, and Saigon River during September 28 – 29 and December 27 – 29, 1965
  • USS Warrington (DD-843) operated on Mekong River Delta Rung Sat Special Zone, North of Vung Gahn Rai Bay during March 1967
  • USS Dyess (DD-880) operated on Saigon River and Rung Sat Special Zone from June 19-July 1, 1966
  • USS Perkins (DD-877) operated on Saigon River during June 1969
  • USS Orleck (DD-886) operated on Mekong River Delta during July 1969
  • USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16) [guided missile destroyer] operated on Mekong River Delta and Ganh Rai Bay during November 7 and December 7,1968
  • USS Waddell (DDG-24) operated on Cua Viet River during March 1967
  • USS Newell (DER-322) [radar destroyer escort] docked at port of Nha Trang during December 22-24, 1965
  • USS Duluth (LPD-6) [amphibious transport dock] docked to pier at Da Nang during March and October 1971
  • USS Cleveland (LPD-7) operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha, as well as Hue River, from November 1967 through 1968 and Saigon River during September 1969
  • USS Dubuque (LPD-8) docked at Da Nang on March 15, 1970
  • USS Boxer (LPH-4) [amphibious assault ship] docked to pier at Cam Rahn Bay on September 9, 1965
  • USS Carter Hall (LSD-3) [landing ship dock] operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha during December 1967

[Source: NAUS Weekly update 25 Jun 2010 ++]

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DNA Testing in RP Update 01: In order to qualify for many consular benefits such as visas, passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad the establishment of a biological relationship is often a necessity required by law. In some instances the lack of reliable evidence to demonstrate ones identity, maternity and or paternity can make it difficult for an applicant to establish eligibility for a desired benefit. DNA testing is the most accurate and widely available technology to test a biological relationship. Applicants may wish to submit DNA evidence in addition to civil documents in an effort to provide additional evidence as to their eligibility. DNA testing is voluntary. The individual being tested must consent to the testing and the identity of the individual being tested must be verified and confirmed at the time of sample collection.

The specimen collection technique for DNA testing at U.S. Embassy Manila is by buccal (cheek or mouth cavity) swab. Cheek swabs are preferred over blood samples because they are easier to collect, non-invasive, painless and easier to ship. Though advanced, DNA results are only accurate if strict standards are followed for every sample collected. All DNA testing for visa or citizenship purposes must be processed by a lab that is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). The petitioner or applying parent must select an AABB-accredited laboratory, contact the lab directly and make the necessary arrangements including payment for conducting the genetic test.

Under no circumstances should petitioners, including those in the United States, directly receive test kits for themselves or the beneficiaries. The AABB laboratory selected by the petitioner will send the test kit directly to the U.S. Embassy. Upon receipt of the test kit, St. Luke’s hospital will contact the beneficiary to set up an appointment for DNA sample collection. All DNA collections must take place at the Embassy and not at the panel physician’s office or other lab facility. St. Luke’s Hospital lab personnel will be present to take the DNA samples of each beneficiary. Payment for the collection must be made to St. Luke’s prior to any collection to be conducted at the Embassy. When test results are received, the U.S. Embassy will contact the beneficiary in order to continue processing case.  [Source: U.S. Embassy Manila ACS Newsletter Jun 2010 ++]

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Visa Fee increase: On 4 JUN 2010 the U.S. Department of State worldwide increased Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees to ensure sufficient resources to meet the increasing cost of processing nonimmigrant visas. The on-line visa application form, known as the DS-160, to replaces paper application forms. The DS-160 is a form that has been in use at many other U.S. embassies and consulates for several months. The U.S. Embassy in Manila’s conversion to the on-line form is unrelated to the worldwide visa fee increase. Refer to http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwh3024.html for information about the DS-160 on-line application form and instructions. The new fees are:

  • $140 – B1/B2,  C1/D,  F,  J,  and all other NIV categories not listed below (Visitor/Transit/Student)
  • $150 – H,  L,  O,  P,  Q,  and R (Temporary Worker)
  • $350 – K (Fiancée)
  • $390 – E (Investor/Trader)

All applicants with an interview date of 4 JUN or later must pay the full MRV fee even if they have already made an appointment and paid at the old rate of $131. The Embassy requests that visa applicants who have already paid the MRV fee of $131 for an appointment scheduled after 3 JUN, pay for the difference in fees at the same bank branch where they made the initial $131 payment. Applicant will need to pay the difference of $9 before arriving at the Embassy on the appointment date. Applicants for other visa categories will also need to pay the appropriate incremental fee difference. Applicants will need to present both blue MRV fee receipts when arriving at the Embassy (in this example, receipts for $131 and $9). Applicants will not be allowed to enter the Embassy for their interview unless the full MRV fee has been paid. [Source:  U.S. embassy manila ACS Newsletter Jun 2010 ++]

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Car Insurance Primer: When you purchase car insurance you should fully understand the protections you are purchasing to enable you to make decisions that can minimize your premiums.  There are many companies to choose from and the protections they offer offered should substantially meet the following critera:

Bodily Injury Liability:  Pays damages for people injured or killed in an accident for which you are legally responsible. It also covers your legal defense if you are sued as a result of an accident.

  • Why Do You Need This? If your operation of a covered vehicle results in your being legally responsible for someone’s bodily injury or death, you may be required to pay for the person’s loss. If the damages are high, all of your assets, including your home, savings and future wages are in jeopardy. Bodily Injury Liability helps protect your assets by covering the injured person’s losses and expenses. It also covers legal defense if you are sued as a result of an accident. There are a number of common exclusions to this coverage that will be detailed in your policy.
  • How Much Coverage Do You Need?  When you purchase this coverage you select two limits, for example $100,000/$300,000. The first number in the coverage limit is for any one person; the second is the total coverage limit for one incident or accident. Individual states have different minimum requirements for liability insurance and for lease cars. If you lease a car, your lease contract will typically require you to maintain minimum Bodily Injury Liability coverage of $100,000/$300,000. You should buy enough Bodily Injury Liability coverage to fully protect your assets.

Property Damage Liability: Pays for damage to other people’s property resulting from an accident caused by your auto for which you are legally responsible. It also covers your legal defense if you are sued as a result of an accident.

  • Why Do You Need This? If your operation of a covered vehicle results in your being legally responsible for damage to someone else’s property — for example, a car or building — as the result of an accident when you are operating your auto (and certain non-owned vehicles) you may be required to pay for that damage. If the property damages are high, your assets including your home, savings and future wages may be at risk. Property Damage Liability helps protect your assets by paying for the damage to the property.
  • How Much Coverage Do You Need?  Individual states have different minimum requirements for Property Damage Liability insurance. If you lease a car, your lease contract will typically require you to maintain minimum Property Damage Liability Coverage of $50,000. You should buy enough Property Damage Liability coverage to adequately protect your assets.

Medical Payments Coverage: Pays the reasonable and necessary medical, dental, hospital and funeral expenses for the insured, covered passengers and family members, who are injured in a covered auto accident, regardless of who was at fault. Coverage should also be provided to the insured and resident relatives, while they are riding in someone else’s car at the time of the accident or if they are struck as a pedestrian.

  • Why Do You Need This? It will pay medical expenses, such as for surgery, x-rays, ambulance, hospital, and physicians, regardless of who is at fault within the terms of the coverage.
  • How Much Coverage Do You Need?  If you have health insurance that covers most of your medical expenses, you may want to choose a lower level of coverage. This coverage also pays the medical expenses of injured passengers in your car that may not have health insurance.

Comprehensive Coverage: Pays for losses to your auto not caused by collision, such as theft, flood, vandalism, earthquakes, explosion, fire, or other covered causes.

  • Why Do You Need This? Because it will pay for such common non-collision losses to your auto as a broken windshield, a stolen car stereo, or a stolen vehicle. It also pays for damage to your auto caused by natural disasters such as fire and flood.
  • How Much Coverage Do You Need? With Comprehensive, you can collect for damages up to the actual cash value of your car. If you have an older car, where the cash value is low, you may decide not to purchase this coverage. With Comprehensive, you choose a deductible — the amount that you will pay out of your own pocket-before your insurance pays your claim. For example: your car’s stereo is stolen and replacement costs are $500. If you have a $100 deductible, Comprehensive will cover $400 — the replacement cost minus your $100 deductible. To keep your premiums low, select as high a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket. If you lease a car, your lease contract will typically require you to have Comprehensive coverage.

Collision Coverage: Pays for damages to your auto caused by collision with another object or when it overturns.

  • Why Do You Need This?  If you are legally responsible for an accident, your auto insurance will not cover repairs to your vehicle unless you have Collision coverage. This coverage is normally required if you have a car loan or leased vehicle. There are a number of common exclusions to this coverage that will be detailed in your policy.
  • How Much Coverage Do You Need? The coverage pays for repair or replacement of your vehicle, up to its actual cash value. If you have an older car, where the cash value is low, you may decide not to purchase Collision coverage. With Collision, you choose a deductible — the amount that you will pay out of your own pocket-before your insurance pays your claim. To keep your premiums low, select as high a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket. If you lease a car, your lease contract will typically require you to have Collision coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage:  Typically pays for you and your passengers’ bodily injury damages caused by an uninsured driver. This coverage is subject to the terms, limits and conditions of the policy contract.

Uninsured Motorist Property Damage: Pays for damage to your vehicle caused by an uninsured driver or in many cases, a hit-and-run driver.

  • Why Do You Need This? This coverage will pay for damage to your vehicle that you normally would recover from the uninsured driver’s insurance company. Given the number of drivers who drive without insurance or without adequate insurance, this is an important coverage.
  • How Much Coverage Do You Need? You need enough coverage to pay for the repair to or replacement of your vehicle.

Emergency Road Service (ERS): An alternative to auto-club towing and road services (such as AAA). It covers problems not typically covered by car insurance, such as towing, lockout service, and mechanical labor if you have a dead battery or get a flat tire.

  • Why Do You Need This?  ERS helps to take the hassle out of unpredictable events such as a flat tire or a dead battery. We’ll send help to get you back on the road or tow you to a repair facility. These services are normally available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, anywhere in the United States and Canada.
  • How Much Coverage Do You Need? ERS is normally available in one standard package.

Rental Reimbursement Coverage: Pays up to a preset amount for a rental vehicle if your car isn’t drivable for more than a specified period (normally 24 hours) because of a covered accident.

  • Why Do You Need This?  It helps to reduce the hassle of an accident by providing for a replacement car, while your car is in the repair shop, or if your car was a total loss, until you have purchased another car, subject to the coverage limits.
  • How Much Coverage Do You Need? The costs of rental cars are dependent on their type and model. The amount of coverage you select is determined by your vehicle need and preference.  If a compact vehicle is all you need then normally the lowest coverage offered will be sufficient.

Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI): Covers many mechanical repairs to your car, protecting you from expensive repair bills. Each company offering this coverage has their own coverage criteria.  This coverage is usually available for vehicles whose odometers have not reached a specified limit that have been purchased within a specified time period. A deductible per claim usually applies. Mechanical Breakdown Insurance is similar to a dealer’s extended warranty protection. It’s in excess of coverage provided by the manufacturer’s warranty

  • Mechanical Breakdown normally covers repairs to the following systems: Engine, Steering, Air Conditioning, Transmission, Cooling, Brakes  Drive Axle, Suspension, and Electrical.
  • Most policies have exclusions on coverage such as:

1)       Regular maintenance services such as tune-ups, suspension alignment, wheel balancing, filters, lubrication, coolant and fluids, spark plugs, brake pads and lining, brake shoes and tires (includes tire wear and/or tire damage).

2)       Breakdown repairs made necessary by intentional damage, rust and oxidation, misuse, or improper maintenance.

3)       Coverage provided by the manufacture’s warranty.

[Source: Various Jun 2010 ++]

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Mobilized Reserve 22 JUN 2010: The Department of Defense announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 22 JUN 2010. The net collective result is 6,191 fewer reservists mobilized than last reported in the 15 JUN 2010 RAO Bulletin. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 92,373; Navy Reserve, 6,363; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 17,596; Marine Corps Reserve, 5,712; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 826.  This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 122,870 including both units and individual augmentees.  A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defense.gov/news/d20100622ngr.pdf. [Source: DoD News Release No. 528-10 dtd 23 Jun 2010 ++]

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VA Claims Backlog Update 40: Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) on 22 JUN introduced The Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2010 (S.3517) to make much-needed improvements to VA’s disability claims processing. The bill  focuses on enhancements that can be made to adjudicate veterans’ disability compensation claims in a more timely and accurate manner. The Committee will hold a hearing to review disability claims processing on 1 JUL, at which time witnesses will testify about Akaka’s legislation.  Akaka said, “VA’s system to provide veterans with disability compensation is well intended, but it is broken.  This bill will move the Department closer to fulfilling its obligation to provide every eligible veteran with timely and accurate disability compensation.”  VA provides disability compensation to approximately 3.1 million veterans across the nation.

In his introductory remarks for the Congressional Record Akaka noted that VA has seen a dramatic rise in the number of claims, driven by a number of factors, including the aging of the general veteran population and our prolonged involvement in two overseas conflicts.  Further complicating matters, many claims are increasing in complexity, as veterans seek service-connection for multiple disabilities and for disabilities that are difficult to diagnose, such as traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. Claims adjudication is an intricate process that has seen many piecemeal changes in recent years.  Unfortunately, these changes have yet to produce the results that veterans deserve.  Mr. President, my goal, a goal that I am sure is widely shared, is to ensure that veterans are provided accurate and timely resolution to their claims. This legislation I am introducing would make several improvements in the claims adjudication process.

  • Provisions in title I of the bill would establish a pilot program that would utilize ICD codes to identify disabilities of the musculoskeletal system.  Over 50% of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom veterans that the Department of Veterans Affairs has had some health care contact with have a possible musculoskeletal diagnosis.  ICD codes are standard medical condition identification codes used in electronic records that have been adapted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for electronic transmission of medical data.
  • This proposed pilot program would take place in six to ten regional offices and require VA to develop a new method of rating claims, which would consider the frequency, severity, and duration of symptoms of the disability in rating the claim, rather than the current rating schedule published in the Code of Federal Regulations.  The current rating schedule adds to the complexity of claims adjudication, because many disabilities claimed are not exactly as described in the regulation and several rating codes may need to be considered.  The new rating schedule would focus on the impact of the disability, for example, an inability to walk normally, rather than a particular VA rating code classification.  All limitations resulting from all disabilities of the musculoskeletal system would be combined to provide one rating, rather than separate ratings for each individual disability.  This information would be placed into an organized and searchable electronic record.  A veteran could elect to not participate in the pilot program.  I believe that such an approach will result in fairer, comprehensive ratings for the entire musculoskeletal system.
  • Title II of the bill includes a number of provisions that are intended to yield some near-term changes to the claims processing system and should help reduce the overall time a claim is under consideration by VA.  During the last several years, the Committee has held oversight hearings on the claims processing system.  Many of the provisions in this legislation were first suggested by veterans service organizations and other interested parties in connection with those hearings.  Others have been recommended by the Administration.  The legislation I am introducing serves as a starting point to move forward in our effort to improve VA’s claims adjudication process. Provisions in title II would allow for VA to:
  1. Issue partial ratings of claims that include multiple issues for those issues that can adjudicated expeditiously.
  2. Give equal deference to private medical opinions during the rating process.
  3. Clarify that the Secretary is required to provide notice to claimants of additional information and evidence required only when additional evidence is actually required.
  4. Modify filing periods for notices of disagreement from one year to 180 days and require a claimant to file a substantive appeal within 60 days of the Department issuing a post-Notice of Disagreement decision – both of these modifications would contain good cause exceptions to the filing deadlines.
  5. Automatically waive the review of new evidence by the agency of original jurisdiction, usually a Regional Office, so that any evidence submitted after the initial decision would be subject to initial review at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals unless the claimant or the claimant’s representative requests in writing that the agency of original jurisdiction initially review such evidence.
  6. Replace the Secretary’s obligation to provide a Statement of the Case with an obligation to provide a post-Notice of Disagreement decision.  The post-Notice of Disagreement decision would be in plain language and contain a description of the specific facts in the case that support the decision including, if applicable, an assessment as to the credibility of any lay evidence pertinent to the issue or issues with which disagreement has been expressed; a citation to pertinent laws and regulations that support the decision; the decision on each issue and a summary of the reasons why the evidence relied upon supports such decision under the specific laws and regulations applied; and the date by which a substantive appeal must be filed in order to obtain further review of the decision.  The Secretary would also be required to send, with a rating decision, a form that if completed and returned, would suffice as a notice of disagreement.

[Source: Sen. Akaka News Release 22 Jun 2010 ++]

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GI BILL Update 80: On the 66th anniversary of signing the GI Bill into law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it has issued more than $3.6 billion in the bill’s newest manifestation, the Post-9/11 GI Bill.  Benefit payments under the bill, implemented last year, have gone to more than 285,000 people and their educational institutions.  On 22 JUN 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights. The Veterans Administration – as it was known at that time — was responsible for carrying out the law’s key provisions for education and training, loan guaranty for homes, farms or businesses, and unemployment pay. Before the World War II, college and homeownership were, for the most part, unreachable dreams for the average American.  Thanks to the GI

Bill, millions who would have flooded the job market opted for education instead.

In the peak year of 1947, Veterans accounted for 49% of college admissions.  By the time the original GI Bill ended on 25 JUL 1958, 7.8 million of the 16 million World War II Veterans had participated in an education or training program. In 1984, former Mississippi congressman G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery revamped the GI Bill.  The Montgomery GI Bill assured that VA home loan guaranty and education programs continued to work for Veterans of the post-Vietnam era. In 2009, GI Bill benefits were updated again.  The new law gave Veterans with active duty service on, or after 11 SEP 01, enhanced educational benefits to cover more expenses, provide a living allowance,

money for books and the ability to transfer unused educational benefits to spouses or children. For more information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill for Veterans, refer to www.gibill.va.gov. [Source: VA News Release 23 Jun 2010 ++]

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AAFES Refund Policy Update 01: With the recent major recalls of cars, toys, and a popular fast food franchise’s promotional glassware, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) wants to ensure their patrons know the recall process for goods sold in exchanges. There are two ways to check recalls specific to exchange operations. Authorized shoppers can go to their local exchange and check the customer service area or log on to www.aafes.com for the latest recall information. In the event of a potential recall, AAFES Quality Assurance notifies buyers to determine whether exchange shoppers have been affected. Buyers then provide information such as the scope, Universal Product Code, and disposition information. Once quality assurance specialists send recall information to impacted stores and distribution centers, details are posted in the stores and online. Once the item is recalled it can be systematically blocked at the registers and the distribution flow is stopped. Exchange patrons can utilize the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and AAFES websites as well as in store information to stay up to date on the latest recall information. CPSC is the federal agency charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death. Information concerning more than 4,500 product recalls is available through their website at www.cpsc.gov.  [Source: AAFES News Release 10-019 ++]

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National Infantry Museum: The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park celebrated its Grand Opening 19 JUN 09. It is located in Columbus, Georgia, just outside the gates of Fort Benning, the Home of the Infantry and one of the Army’s largest installations. This tribute to Infantrymen past, present and future, is the first of its kind in the United States. Throughout the 190,000-square-foot museum, visitors will take an interactive journey through every war fought by the U.S. over the past two centuries. The museum tells the heroic story of everyday Infantrymen through an enviable collection of more than 30,000 artifacts. Era galleries trace Infantry history from before the Revolutionary War to action today in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a special gallery recognizing Medal of Honor recipients and one that pays tribute to those who love an Infantryman, and the sacrifices they make supporting him. Soldier Center offers visitors more than an education in military history. There is a 3-D IMAX Theatre, full service restaurant and gift store.  There also are galleries honoring Soldiers’ family members, the Officer Candidate School, Rangers and the training done at Fort Benning. Outside the museum is Heritage Walk, a walkway lined with commemorative granite pavers which leads to a new five-acre parade field for Infantry School graduations and stadium seating for 2,100. World War II Street is an authentically recreated complex of seven buildings from the 1940s. Soon, dozens of Infantry unit monuments will line a memorial walk of honor.

Three parking areas contain space for 900 cars and up to 50 buses. The entire site will accommodate visitors who are disabled. There is no admission fee. There are nominal charges, however, for the IMAX theater and the Infantry Adventure simulators. The museum shop and restaurant offer reasonably priced snacks, meals and gifts. The museum is located at 1775 Legacy Way, Columbus GA 31903 Tel: 706-685-5800.  It is open daily except on Xmas & New Year’s day from 09-1700 M-Sa and 1100-1700 on Sun.  A brochure can be obtained by mail upon request filled out online at www.nationalinfantrymuseum.com/?page_id=25 .  [Source: http://nationalinfantrymuseum.com Jun 2010 ++]

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VA Copay Update 11: Effective 1 JAN 2010

Outpatient Services – The following Copay amounts are limited to a single charge per visit regardless of the number of health care providers seen in a single day. The copay amount is based on the highest level of service received. There is no copay requirement for preventive care services such as screenings and immunizations:

  • Basic Care Services provided by a primary care clinician $15 / visit
  • Specialty Care Services provided by a clinical specialist such as surgeon, radiologist, audiologist, optometrist, cardiologist, and specialty tests such as magnetic resonance imagery (MRI), computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, and nuclear medicine studies $50 / visit.

Medications

  • Veterans in Priority Group 1 do not pay for medications
  • Veterans in Priority Groups 2-6, for each 30-day or less supply of medication for treatment of nonservice-connected condition $8 (Veterans in Priority Groups 2 through 6 are limited to $960 annual cap)
  • Effective July 1, 2010 Veterans in Priority Groups 7-8, for each 30-day or less supply of $9 medication for treatment of nonservice-connected condition (Veterans in Priority Groups 7-8 do not qualify for medication copay annual cap)

Inpatient Services – Based on geographically-based means testing, lower income veterans who live in high-cost areas may qualify for a reduction of 80% of inpatient copay charges. Charges applicable to all priority groups:

  • Inpatient Copay for first 90 days of care during a 365-day period $1,100
  • Inpatient Copay for each additional 90 days of care during a 365-day period $550
  • Per Diem Charge $10 / day

Long-Term Care – Copays for Long-Term Care services start on the 22nd day of care during any 12-month period-there is no copay requirement for the first 21 days. Actual copay charges will vary from veteran to veteran depending upon financial information submitted on VA Form 10-10EC. Charges applicable to all priority groups:

  • Nursing Home Care/Inpatient Respite Care/Geriatric Evaluation maximum of $97/day
  • Adult Day Health Care/Outpatient Geriatric Evaluation Outpatient Respite Care maximum of $15/day
  • Domiciliary Care maximum of $5 / day

[Source: VA Fact Sheet 16-1 dtd Jun 2010 ++]

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Health Care Reform Update 36: Contrary to reports circulating on the Internet and a few newspapers, there is not a 3.8% “sales tax” or “transfer tax” on the sale of a home included in the recently signed health care reform bill. The analysis underlying these reports is incorrect and fails to take into account the interplay of the bill’s provisions with already existing real estate tax laws that remain unchanged. What was included in the health bill is a provision that imposes a new 3.8% Medicare tax for some high income households that have “net investment income.” Any revenue collected by the tax is dedicated to the Medicare hospital insurance program. This new tax will only apply to households with Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of more than $200,000 for individuals or more than $250,000 for married couples. Since capital gains are included in the definition of net investment income, an additional tax obligation might result from the sale of real property.  In the case of the sale of a principal residence, the existing $250,000/$500,000 exclusion from capital gains on the sale of a principal residence remains unchanged. Consequently, even when the AGI limits are met, the new tax would not be applied to all capital gains that result from the sale of a home. Rather, it would only apply to any home sale gain realized in excess of the $250K/$500K existing primary home exclusion that pushes the filer’s AGI over the $200K/$250K adjusted gross income limit. The new Medicare tax will not take effect until January 1, 2013. [Source:  Nebraska Realtors Association article May 2010 ++]

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Pennsylvania Vet Cemetery Update 04: Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced 28 MAY a nearly $19.5 million contract to develop the next phase of Washington Crossing National Cemetery, in Newtown, Pa. The contract was awarded to G&C Fab-Con, LLC, a service-disabled Veteran-owned small business from Flemington, N.J. The project is scheduled for completion in fall 2011. Administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the 205-acre national cemetery in the Philadelphia area will continue to serve Veterans’ needs for at least the next 50 years.  The cemetery, which serves approximately 580,000 Veterans in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, is located near the borough of Newtown in Bucks County, about three miles northwest of Interstate 95 and less than three miles from Washington Crossing Historic Park.  In January, VA completed a 12-acre early burial area with temporary facilities. The first burials at the new cemetery took place Jan. 20.

This phase of the project will include approximately 10,000 full casket gravesites; 3,600 in-ground cremation sites; 4,000 columbarium niches and a memorial wall.  The cemetery will also include an administration and public information center complex with public restrooms, a maintenance facility, a cemetery entrance area, a flag assembly area and committal shelters for funeral services.  Other infrastructure elements include roadways, landscaping, utilities and irrigation. The Commonwealth’s other VA cemeteries are Philadelphia National Cemetery, Indiantown Gap National Cemetery near Lebanon and the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville. The Philadelphia National Cemetery, established in 1862, no longer has available burial space.

Veterans with a discharge issued under conditions other than dishonorable, their spouses and eligible dependent children can be buried in a VA national cemetery.  Also eligible are military personnel who die on active duty, their spouses and eligible dependents.  Other burial benefits available for all eligible Veterans, regardless of whether they are buried in a national cemetery or a private cemetery, include a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a government headstone or marker.  Families of eligible decedents may also order a memorial headstone or marker when remains are not available for interment. Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the Internet at www.cem.va.gov, or by calling VA regional offices at (800) 827-1000.  For information on Washington Crossing National Cemetery, call the cemetery office at (215) 504-5610.  To make burial arrangements at the time of need, call the national cemetery scheduling office at (800) 535-1117.   [Source: VA News Release 28 May 2010 ++]

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VA Parkinson’s Disease Program Update 02: Veterans and others with Parkinson’s disease who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) may benefit from new research co-sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and published recently in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.  The report shows DBS is equally effective at either of two brain sites.  Earlier results from the landmark study appeared last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which indicated DBS overall is somewhat riskier than carefully managed drug therapy but may hold significant benefits for appropriate patients.  The new analysis finds two brain sites roughly equal for patient outcomes relating to movement symptoms.  Researchers will follow the study participants several more years to examine the relative benefits and risks of each DBS approach.  An abstract of the study is available on the New England Journal of Medicine website http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/362/22/2077 . [Source: NAUS weekly update 18 Jun 2010 ++]

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Tricare User Fee Update 50: On 15 JUN, Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Walter Jones (R-NC) as well as Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a copy of their letter to the National Commission of Fiscal Responsibility and Reform requesting serious consideration of major cuts in defense spending. They expressed “an ongoing commitment to strong national defense,” but said the ever-growing national debt requires a reduction in defense spending over the next 10 years. Specifically, their letter endorses the recommendations of the Sustainable Defense Task Force, a group of analysts and scholars seeking to reduce military spending in procurement, research and development, personnel, operations and maintenance, and infrastructure. The Task Force proposes a series of measures that could possibly save $960 billion between 2011 and 2020. That task force proposed reducing personnel costs by more than $100 billion during that period by cutting 200,000 military personnel, yielding a peacetime active duty end strength of approximately 1.3 million, recalculating military compensation to curtail pay raises, and imposing substantial increases in military health care fees (i.e. Tricare). [Source: MOAA Leg Up 18 Jun 2010 ++]

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VA Presumptive VN Vet Diseases Update 06: Senator Jim Webb, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, added language to the 2010 War Supplemental Bill that froze the payment of funds for the new illnesses that the VA had decided last October would be added to the list of presumptive illnesses from exposure to Agent Orange (B cell leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and certain heart diseases). Although Senate VA Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka agreed, it was with reluctance because the decision will add $13.6 billion to VA compensation claims in a single year. The cost of the decision has the two Senators worried about the impact it could have on other VA services. Webb, who is a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, expressed in a letter sent to Shinseki in early June his concern that the 1991 Agent Orange Act, under whose authority Shinseki acted, was designed to cover “relatively rare conditions” and that he is afraid the new ruling has the effect of expanding presumption to common diseases of aging. A spokesman for Akaka said new hearings on the issue could be rescheduled for late summer or fall. However, in order for Congress to block the VA’s new regulation, both the House and Senate would have to pass blocking resolutions, something that most likely will not happen. [Source: TREA Washington Update 18 Jun 2010 ++]

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VA Presumptive VN Vet Diseases Update 07: VA Secretary Eric Shinseki will get the Senate hearing he didn’t want. Sen. James Webb (D-VA) says he will use a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing (rescheduled now for 23 SEP) to have Shinseki explain his decision to compensate Vietnam veterans, and many surviving spouses, for three more ailments including heart disease. Shinseki announced last October that ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-Cell leukemia will be added to the list of illnesses presumed caused by exposure to defoliants, including Agent Orange, used to clear jungle in combat areas during the war. VA projects that the decision will cost $13.4 billion in 2010 alone as it will qualify a few hundred thousand more veterans for service-connected disability compensation. Those veterans, it now appears, will have to wait at least a few more months before claims can be paid. And there is at least some doubt now they will be paid. That will depend on whether Webb and enough of his colleagues are dissatisfied with the science behind Shinseki’s decision. In an interview in his Capitol Hill office 23 JUN, Webb said he was surprised to find among line items in an emergency wartime supplemental bill (H.R.4899) a few weeks ago $13.4 billion attributed to “veterans.” He asked staff to find out what it would fund. “It came back this was the Agent Orange law,” Webb said.

Webb, a highly-decorated Marine from combat service in Vietnam, said this deepened his skepticism over the soundness of that law and how it has been used. “When the law was passed there were two areas that raised questions for me,” Webb explained. “One was the presumption of exposure for anyone who had been in Vietnam;   2.7 million people had an automatic presumption of exposure. And then the notion that the VA administrator, now the secretary of veterans’ affairs, has discretion based on scientific evidence to decide a service-connection to various illnesses. It’s very broad. “Webb amended H.R.4899 so claims can’t be paid on the three newly-named Agent Orange illnesses until 60 days after a final rule is published.”This is an area where we have a responsibility to pump for more [information] to tell us specifically how they made the connection. The only appropriate way to do that is say, ‘Let’s fence the money for 60 days and get some clarification here.’ Webb said he was unaware on finding the $13.4 billion in the bill that Shinseki had asked Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), chairman of the VA committee, not to hold a hearing on this issue.

Akaka had scheduled one for April, then rescheduled for early May when VA declined to send witnesses. One theme he ran on in 2006, Webb said, was restoring a proper balance of power between the legislative and executive branches. Too much authority had been conceded to, or usurped by, recent administrations. Webb said he even fired off a letter to President Obama last December challenging a claim he made as he prepared for a summit on climate change that he would return from Copenhagen with a binding agreement. “I just felt compelled to say, ‘You do not have the constitutional authority to bind the United States to an international agreement. The Congress does.” Webb said. Shinseki’s decision on Agent Orange strikes Webb as more proof too much power has been conceded to the executive branch. It was the Carter administration, he said, that adopted a presumption ‘that everyone who was in Vietnam was exposed’ to Agent Orange. At the time, he said, the decision wasn’t onerous on VA budgets because the department only had linked Agent Orange to some rare illnesses. More recently, VA has found links to ailments generally associated with aging, committing VA to pay billions in additional compensation.

Webb felt the scientific evidence linking Type II diabetes to Agent Orange in 2001 was soft. He is reluctant to say the same about the three illnesses Shinseki has endorsed until he hears his testimony. But Webb does intend to question the science behind presuming everyone who served in Vietnam was exposed to defoliants. He knows his own Marine Company was, he said, as were many other units who were engaged in combat in the countryside or handled Agent Orange directly. “On any given day in Vietnam they say about 10% of the people were actually out in direct combat. Percentages are actually higher than that because of rotations…But the majority of the people weren’t in combat” where defoliants were used. “That’s just the reality of it.”The issue was handled with more precision, he suggested, in the late 1970s when Webb served as legal counsel on the House VA committee. “The discussions were you could develop a chronological map overlay of where defoliants had been used, and then develop a nexus in someone’s service record on whether they had been in those areas. From that you could say whether these conditions would be presumptively acquired.

“Back then it was very small in numbers. Everyone up here wants to help veterans — no one more than I do. But a lot of people have asked about this. They want to make sure we’re really (a) following the law and (b) taking care of people who are service connected. I don’t want to be the one person out here doing this. I know Chairman Akaka has joined me in his concerns. The main thing is let’s have Secretary Shinseki come forward and explain the causality.” Webb said VA wouldn’t publish a final regulation until after the 23 SEP hearing. It was later learned the hearing might fall within the 60-day period, an indication VA officials plan to publish a final rule before the hearing. That would narrow Webb’s window to try to block compensation payments if he and colleagues decide such action is justified. [Source: Military.com Tom Philpott article 17 Jun 2010 ++]

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Medicare Reimbursement Rates 2010 Update 14: On 17 JUN the Senate fell four votes short of passing legislation that was needed to stop the 21% cut in Medicare payments to doctors that officially went into effect on 1 JUN. That provision was part of H.R.4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, commonly known as the Extender bill. Because of the complicated Senate rules they needed 60 votes to cut off debate on the bill and proceed with a vote. Senate leaders tried all week to change the bill in order to attract enough votes but no Republicans supported it. Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) also refused to go along. They wanted more of the costs in the bill to be paid for by cutting government spending elsewhere instead of borrowing more money to pay for it. Doctors groups have been saying for months that if these cuts went into effect doctors will stop taking new Medicare patients and, eventually, new Tricare patients.  Senate leaders made another attempt to get the bill passed after making major cuts to appease the republicans but they could only obtain 57 votes on 24 JUN.  Not one Republican senator voted for the bill.

On 18 JUN before adjourning for the weekend, the Senate passed a six-month “doc fix” bill H.R.3962 by voice vote after extracting it from a larger tax and benefits package H.R.4213 that has been stalled for months. However, starting 18 JUN payments sent to doctors for their services provided to Medicare patients contained a 21% cut in what they would otherwise have received. it would have been another week or two before Tricare also had to cut the amount of its payments to doctors.  The $6.5 billion bill will stop the 21% cut to doctors who receive reimbursements from Medicare and increase their payouts by 2.2%.  The measure is fully paid-for under congressional budget rules. The bill’s cost was partially offset by changes to pension funding rules that would reduce required payments by companies, and some of that language may cause concern in the House. Another offset would prevent hospitals from submitting separate Medicare reimbursement claims for inpatient care and outpatient care provided within three days of a hospital admission. The doc fix measure was exempt from the pay-as-you-go law, but many lawmakers, expressing concern over the federal deficit, had called for the bill to comply with that law.

House Democratic leadership leaders said 21 JUN that they would not take up the Senate-passed six-month patch to Medicare provider payments unless the Senate moved to pass certain jobs measures. Within hours of the Senate action, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement calling it an insufficient temporary fix. “I see no reason to pass this inadequate bill until we see jobs legislation coming out of the Senate,” she said. “House Democrats are saying to Republicans in the Senate: Show us the jobs!” The face-off between the two chambers seemed certain to further delay any action to stop the 21% cuts in payment rates that doctors began experiencing 18 JUN. The Medicare agency had delayed processing payments for almost three weeks in anticipation of congressional action, but said it could wait no longer. The agency said it would swiftly process retroactive payments if a patch were enacted into law. A House leadership aide said that Democrats remain committed to “ensuring our seniors and veterans receive the care they deserve,” although he declined to say what steps Democrats might take, or when. Frustration over the Senate’s inaction was increasing among House Democrats who have taken several politically difficult votes only to find the legislation languish in the other chamber. After another dramatic week, the House finally passed the Senate’s stand-alone “Doc Fix” Medicare bill (H.R.3962) 417-1 on 24 JUN.  It was sent to the President for signature to make it law which Obama did the same day. [Source: TREA Washington Update & GQ Politics News 18, 21 & 25 JUN 2010 ++]

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VAMC Charleston SC: The Joint Commission, the accrediting body for all hospitals in the United States, was so impressed with the quality of clinical programs at the Charleston, SC, VA Medical Center during its recent survey that it sent surveyors’ comments praising the facility as “outstanding” to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. The Charleston VA far surpassed the national average for direct impact findings during the Joint Commission survey conducted 9 thru12 MAR with just four findings for four different accreditation surveys for the hospital, its Long Term Care program, Behavior Health Care, and Home Care. According to the surveyors, medical centers average 10 to 12 direct impact findings for the hospital accreditation alone.

The medical center was praised for its computer-based system for residents’ competency, which was noted “as complete and up to date as I’ve ever seen, particularly with regard to the level of supervision required for the safe performance of surgery or … invasive procedures” by the physician surveyor. The VA was also recognized for its credentialing and privileging practices, and its Chief of Staff Florence Hutchison, MD, was singled out for special praise by the surveyors. “I have participated in Joint Commission surveys for 34 years,” said Charleston VA Quality Manager Shirley Cooper, “and I have never seen such positive comments from a surveyor. It speaks volumes about the quality of care we deliver here. Our Veterans can rest assured they are being cared for in one of the finest medical centers in the country.” Charleston was ranked second for quality of medical care amongst VA medical centers in 2007. The facility consistently meets or exceeds quality performance measures set by VA. [Source: VA Secy Vet Group Liaison Officer article 17 Jun 2010 ++]

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Arlington National Cemetery Update 10: Several mud-caked headstones line the banks of a small stream at Arlington National Cemetery, the country’s most venerated burial ground. Farther upstream in a wooded area, a few others lie submerged with the rocks that line the stream bed. On 16 JUN, after The Washington Post alerted the cemetery to their presence, officials there said they were shocked to find the gravestones lying in the muck near a maintenance yard. Already under fire in recent days for more than 200 unmarked or misidentified graves and a chaotic and dysfunctional management system, cemetery officials vowed to investigate the headstones along the stream and take “immediate corrective action,” said Kaitlin Horst, a cemetery spokeswoman. Officials initially said they do not know how the stones got there, whom they belong to, or how old they are. Horst could say only that “they appear to be decades old.” Were they used as riprap to prevent stream erosion? Were they engraved incorrectly and then discarded? Or were they intended for a landfill — where thousands of weathered or damaged burial markers routinely were sent years ago — and ended up in the mud instead? Subsequently on 22 JUN cemetery officials said they were aware that discarded tombstones were lining the banks of the small for more than a decade but left them in the mud, adding that the tombstones were not removed because of concerns about damaging the stream.

The stream runs under Ord & Weitzel Drive in the northwest corner of the cemetery, across from Section 28. Some of the headstones, stacked in pairs along the stream bed, are visible from the roadway. Others are farther upstream, under a dense canopy of trees. The discovery follows an investigation of the cemetery by the Army’s inspector general, which found 117 graves that are marked on maps as occupied on but have no headstones. The inquiry found 94 more marked on maps as unoccupied even though they have gravestones. In addition, the investigation found that at least four burial urns were unearthed and dumped in an area where excess dirt is kept. As a result of the scandal, the Army reprimanded Superintendent John C. Metzler Jr., who is retiring 2 JUL, and his deputy, Thurman Higginbotham, who was placed on administrative leave pending a disciplinary review. Army Secretary John McHugh appointed a new team to oversee cemetery operations and continue the investigation, which officials said could find even more unmarked grave sites. The cemetery’s new management team has “vowed to remove the tombstones from around the steam and dispose of them properly.

Joe Davis, a spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said he was “stunned” to learned about the discarded headstones. “Arlington National Cemetery is truly hallowed ground to this entire nation,” he said. “It is an honor to be buried at Arlington. It is an honor to work at Arlington. And over the past week, we’re finding out that people are just not doing their jobs.” Horst said that the cemetery’s new superintendent, Patrick K. Hallinan, a longtime cemetery official with the Department of Veterans Affairs, checked out the streamside headstones and ordered their removal. “They will reclaim the stones and dispose of them properly in accordance with our current headstone-disposal policy,” Horst said. Headstones are replaced if they are damaged or if the writing on them becomes illegible, she said. At one time, gravestones were discarded in landfills. The cemetery ended that practice because Washington area residents were plucking the stones and using them for patios, driveways and other home improvement projects. Under the current disposal policy, headstones are to be ground up so the names cannot be recognized and then recycled.

Officials at Arlington National Cemetery have established a special call center to address concerns worried family members may have about the potential mishandling of their loved ones’ remains. Family members with concerns can call (703) 607-8199 M-F from 08-1700 EDT. Six people at the call center take down information, as well as researching records and verifying the physical location of gravesites. The call center opened June 11, a day after Army Secretary John M. McHugh announced the findings of a months-long investigation into the cemetery’s records management. Call center workers can release private information only to immediate family members. The call center began returning calls 21 JUN and will continue do so until all of the concerns brought to the center’s attention are addressed.   Cemetery officials ask for patience from the families as they work through their concerns. [Source: Washington Post Christian Davenport article 17 Jun 2010 ++]

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Arlington National Cemetery Update 11: Arlington National Cemetery officials with limited expertise in federal contracting regulations and scant outside supervision improperly paid millions of dollars to companies that failed to create a digital database of the cemetery’s records. As a result, the nation’s most hallowed military cemetery uses a flawed and antiquated paper system for tracking the whereabouts of thousands of buried service members and their relatives. Although the cemetery has spent $5.5 million over seven years to upgrade its records, problems abound, according to an Army inspector general investigation and other Army documents. One contract was so flawed that a handwritten note attached to a legal review of it said, “This is probably not the best way to do business,” according to the Army’s investigation, which was released this month. But the note said that the “contract is not illegal.” The Army’s report found that the cemetery had “no acquisition strategy, no integrated IT system and a series of IT regulatory violations.” And the cemetery’s use of outside contractors had not been reviewed by outside Army officials for more than 10 years.

Many of the problems in the IG’s report focus on the cemetery’s No. 2 administrator, Thurman Higginbotham. Despite having no training as a contracting officer, he was identified “as the government point of contact for monitoring all IT contract performance.” The report identified Higginbotham only by title. “On the surface, [the cemetery] appears to be a very effective organization,” Army investigators wrote. But its reputation as a national treasure “obscures many problems.” Among them: Dozens of burial plots appear on maps as occupied but have no headstone, and some graves that have a headstone are recorded as vacant. Cemetery workers have begun to dig graves in what they thought was an unoccupied plot but then found that someone was buried there. In some cases, grounds crews have found that graves are marked with headstones for other decedents. Some burial sites have been planted over with trees.

Most national cemeteries are run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Army runs two: Arlington and the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in the District. In 2002, eight years after the VA started automating its burial records, officials at Arlington launched their own program. They initially projected that it would cost $4.8 million through 2016, according to the Army’s investigation. Instead, the cemetery spent $5.5 million on 35 different contracts with “a few vendors,” but it has little to show for it. The Army has ordered an audit of contracts during the past five years. In a conference call with reporters 24 JUN, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) called it an “astonishing” waste of taxpayer money on a project that “should be able to be solved relatively easily.” The VA, which manages 131 cemeteries with 3 million gravesites (Arlington has 330,000), started digitizing all new interments in 1994, said Steve Muro, the agency’s acting undersecretary for memorial affairs. In 2003, it started digitizing its older records, which date to 1862. That project took five years and cost $1.5 million. At many cemeteries run by the VA, visitors can look up burial information on a touch-screen computer. At Arlington, that information is primarily on microfiche. “We are one fire, or one flood, or one spilled Starbucks coffee away from some of those records being lost or spoiled,” Warner said.

Six of the early IT contracts at Arlington were awarded to a then-newly formed Manassas company called Offise Solutions, the only company mentioned by name in the report. Between March 2004 and June 2005, the business, which had never previously won a government contract, was paid more than $700,000 by the cemetery, according to federal contracting records. The company delivered approximately 60 CDs of scanned burial files, according to the Army’s report. But “these records were not delivered in a standardized format and were not stored as part of a database,” the report says. Richard J. Greaux, the founder of Offise Solutions, according to state records, said the company fulfilled all of its obligations. “Everything that we were contracted for, we delivered. We did everything that we were supposed to. You got the wrong company,” Greaux said when reached  by phone. “You’re looking for other companies.” The company that obtained the most lucrative contracts for IT work was Alpha Technology Group of Waldorf. The cemetery paid the company roughly $2.5 million between 2004 and 2007, according to federal records.

The Army report also mentions a company that received a sole-source contract for work estimated at $250,000. The contractor’s proposal came in at more than double that figure, but the contract was awarded “without any evidence . . . that the vendor was capable of performing the effort, given the significant increase in cost.” The report does not identify the contractor or describe the work to be performed. Gary Tallman, an Army spokesman, would not elaborate, saying that the “report has to stand on its own.” In another case, contractors drafted a fair-price analysis for work to be performed, a duty that is supposed to be “reserved only for government officials,” according to the Army report. The cemetery’s contracting officer “merely circled ‘concur’ ” to indicate the cemetery’s decision. The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division conducted a recent investigation of allegations of conflict of interest between Arlington personnel and a civilian contractor. Investigators referred their findings to the U.S. attorney’s office but, said Christopher Grey, a CID spokesman, it “declined to pursue criminal prosecution based on the lack of substantial credible information.”  [Source: Washington Post Christian Davenport & Aaron C. Davis article 25 Jun 2010 ++]

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VA Claims Processing Update 02: VA department officials and representatives of veterans services organizations told House lawmakers 16 JUN that the Veterans Affairs Department faces a wave of more than a million new disability claims this year, a workload compounded by delays in developing automated systems to process them. In addition, a representative of the American Federation of Government Employees told the hearing that employees at the Veterans Benefits Administration have difficulty managing paper claims in a work environment described as “hostile” and that has “deteriorated significantly” since Eric Shinseki took over as VA secretary in JAN 09. “In 2009, for the first time, we received over 1 million claims during the course of a single year,” Michael Walcoff, acting undersecretary for benefits at VA, told a hearing of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. The number of claims the department received increased from 578,773 in 2000 to 1.014 million in 2009, a 75% rise. Walcoff said the number of claims should increase 13.1% this year to just under 1.2 million. For 2011, he said claims are projected to grow another 11.3% to more than 1.3 million.

Accounting for the sharp increase are the nearly 10-year-old wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and less restrictive requirements for Vietnam veterans to file claims for exposure to Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant, he said. The new Agent Orange rules will add 186,000 claims to VBA’s workload through 2011. Last month, VA kicked off a fast-track procurement for an automated system to process Agent Orange claims. Walcoff told lawmakers the agency has begun a series of pilot programs (approximately 30) to help streamline claims processing, including a Business Transformation Lab test in its Providence, R.I., regional office that electronically processes a small number of claims. Business practices developed in Providence will be incorporated into VBA’s new automated Veterans Benefits Management System, which is scheduled to go online in 2012. Ian C. de Planque, deputy director of the American Legion’s Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission, said the Providence pilot provided claims examiners with electronic tools that removed the need to “shuffle through papers and books.” In addition, examiners typically process portions of a veteran’s claim serially. VBA changed that practice in another pilot at its regional office in Little Rock, Ark., where teams of employees worked together on claims. The test shows the “most promise . . . as the starting point for digital claims processing,” said Carol Wild Scott, chairman of the Veterans Law Section of the Federal Bar Association.

One claims processor testified that the VA has daily productivity requirements which reward regional offices for the gross amount of work they report, not whether the work is done accurately or correctly. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has set a national goal of processing claims within 125 days with a 98% accuracy rate by 2015. Another participant at the hearing testified that, “if we can put a man on the moon, we should be able to meet this goal.” That remains to be seen. Joseph Violante, National Legislative Director for Disabled American Veterans, said since VBA is at least a decade behind in automating its claims process, it should not “rush to meet self-imposed, aggressive deadlines for piloting and rolling out the VBMS. He urged, “They get this done right the first time.” He told lawmakers he was seriously concerned that VBA did not plan to make rules-based processing a core component of VBMS. That process is commonly used in the insurance industry to automatically compute numerous parameters in claims without the need for manual intervention. Violante said VBA officials told him rules-based processing “will be a component to be added on later, perhaps years later after the full national rollout.” He urged the subcommittee to “fully explore this issue with VBA and suggest that it might be helpful to have an independent outside expert review VBMS while it is still early in the development phase.”

VBA got more bad news at the hearing when Molly Ames, a rating veterans service representative at the VA regional office in San Diego, said the agency should improve its relations between labor and management if it wants to better process the flood of claims. “Labor-management relations at many [regional offices] have deteriorated significantly, resulting in a work environment that is more hostile now than under the prior administration,” she said in her testimony on behalf of the American Federation of Government Employees. “Terminations of both experienced employees and newly trained employees are a routine occurrence.” Ames said VBA has targeted union representatives, sometimes at the expense of veterans. A union official Ames did not identify was prevented from working overtime to process claims because she was a member of the union, she said. Although Shinseki has touted the use of technology to transform VA since taking office, she said the approach does not apply to telework for employees. VA “maintains discriminatory, counterproductive telework policies across all its [regional offices],” Ames said. “Last year, at our request, Congressman Frank Wolf [R-VA] asked Secretary Shinseki to offer telework to more claims processors and to end the arbitrary, unfair practice of requiring higher production from work-at-home employees. Unfortunately, Secretary Shinseki refused to change course. [Source: GovExec.com Bob Brewin article 16 Jun 2010 ++]

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VAT Tax: Alarmed by the country’s $1.4 trillion deficit, some economists have suggested that the U.S. adopt a national sales tax.  Currently, about 150 countries have this type of value-added tax (VAT): In Great Britain its 17.5%; China 17%; Mexico 16%; Kazakhstan 12%, Philippines 12%, and Egypt 10%. The tax typically applies to all purchases, as well as to services from haircuts to stock trades. VATs “often generate half a country’s public revenues,” says Robert Goulder of Tax Analysts, a nonprofit publisher of tax policy magazines.  In France, for instance, the VAT accounts for 52% of the money the government collects. “Most of the 150 countries that have a VAT would be fiscally crippled without it,” Goulder says. In the U.S., each 1% of VAT could raise $1 trillion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. While some federal lawmakers are warning of the idea, others say such a tax disproportionally hurts the poor, who spend most of their income on necessities. Some countries counter that problem by having a dual[rate structure – lowering or eliminating the VAT on purchases like prescription drugs and groceries. However, some policy experts worry that a VAT could actually raise so much money, and so easily, that it would encourage Congressional waste. “A VAT would take the pressure of the government to rein in spending,” says Rudolph Penner, a fellow with the Urban Institute, a public-policy think tank. “And the more they spend, the more taxpayers have to shell out.” [Source: Parade Economy article 30 May 2010 ++]

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Vet Jobs Update 19: Delta Airlines has asked for The National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) assistance to get the word to all state veterans’ coordinators, DVOPs, LVERs and one-stop centers to inform them Delta Airlines is hiring for a variety of positions and they want to hire Veterans. Positions include baggage handlers, flight attendants, pilots, etc. For information on number of positions, locations and job descriptions refer to the Delta’s Careers section: www.deltajobs.net/career_destinations.htm. For pilots refer to www.deltajobs.net/pilot_qualifications.htm . [Source: AL Dept of CT msg 18 Jun 2010 ++]

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Korean War 60th Anniversary: The 60th Anniversary of the Start of the Korean War was commemorated on 24 JUN at a Congressional Ceremony Commemorating in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.  The event was attended by many dignitaries from the Republic of Korea, as well as Korean War veterans. Nine members of Congress spoke at the event, including all members of the Democratic and Republican leadership, as well as four of the five members of Congress who either fought in the Korean War or were in the armed services at the time of the war. Those members were Congressmen Charlie Rangel (D-NY), John Conyers (D-Mich.), Howard Coble (R-NC) and Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.). Not in attendance was Representative Sam Johnson (R-Texas), a Korean and Vietnam War veteran and a Vietnam War POW. Several of the speakers mentioned the fact that when you look at satellite photos taken at night of the Korean peninsula, South Korea is lit up in much the same way as is the eastern coast of the U.S., while North Korean is starkly black. They saw this as a vivid analogy of the difference between a free society — one that is full of light and life — and a brutal dictatorship, where the light of freedom has been extinguished. All of the speakers paid tribute to those brave Americans who went to Korea when their nation called and fought against the communist tyranny which threatened to overrun the entire Korean peninsula. Speaker Pelosi said that while some have called the Korean War the “forgotten war,” the ceremony in the Capitol was a demonstration that our nation has not forgotten the sacrifices of those who fought in that faraway land. [Source: TREA Washington Update 25 Jun 2010 ++]

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Korean War Vet Appreciation Letter: The Invasion of Inchon, the Pusan Perimeter and the Chosin Reservoir are only a few of the fields of battle where Americans placed their lives on the line for democracy. Of nearly 390,000 Americans who served there, 36,000 gave their lives. The war was a military conflict between the Republic of South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, backed by the People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union.  The situation escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces invaded South Korea across the border between the countries—the 38th parallel—on 25 JUN 50. An armistice was signed on 23 JUL 53, thus ending the first significant armed conflict of the Cold War; however, a formal peace agreement never has been signed.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the war, the Republic of Korea 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee has various plans to thank, honor and remember Korean War Veterans and their achievements. One of the projects is to send letters of appreciation from the President of the Republic of Korea to as many living Korean War Veterans as possible to express tribute and profound gratitude for their service and sacrifice that laid the foundations of peace and freedom enjoyed today by the people of Korea. Korean War veterans who want to receive the letter should fill our and submit an application form for an appreciation letter from the Republic of Korea President. To obtain forms and information on how/where to submit:

  • Complete the PDF form at http://eng.koreanwar60.go.kr/apply.asp
  • By internet click ‘SUBMIT’ upon completion.
  • By mail complete and print the Application Form and send to: US Branch ROK 60th AKW Commemoration Committee, 2450 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington D.C., 20008
  • Direct all questions to: [email protected]

[Source: Oregon VA News Release 15 Jun 2010 ++]

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Tricare Nursing Home Coverage Update 02: A new Tricare requirement is that skilled nursing facilities will have to preauthorize care provided to Medicare-eligible Tricare beneficiaries once Medicare benefits are exhausted and Tricare becomes the primary health coverage.  Preauthorization is only required for skilled nursing facility care when medically-necessary skilled nursing services extend beyond Medicare’s 100-day limit and Tricare becomes the primary payer for a beneficiary. Since medical documentation must be submitted, the preauthorization is requested by the skilled nursing facility and should not be a burden to beneficiaries or their families. In fact, since a Tricare coverage determination will be provided prior to extended lengths of care being incurred, dual-eligible beneficiaries of Medicare and Tricare will have the benefit of better planning for their extended health care needs.

Medicare and Tricare cover medically-necessary skilled nursing care and rehabilitative therapies, including room and board, prescription medication and laboratory work, which are provided in the skilled nursing facility. However, Medicare covers only the first 100 days of skilled nursing facility care, while Tricare For Life covers treatment as long as it is medically necessary and is a Tricare covered service. For skilled nursing care benefits to be covered, the facility must be Medicare-certified and enter into a participation agreement with Tricare. Beneficiaries must have a qualifying hospital stay of at least three consecutive days, not including the day of discharge. Beneficiaries must also enter the skilled nursing facility within 30 days of being discharged from the hospital and the care must meet Tricare medical necessity guidelines. [Source: Tricare News Release No.10-56 dtd 16 Jun 2010 ++]

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Outward Bound: Outward Bound is an international non-profit outdoor education program that offers fully funded (i.e. no cost to the participant) outdoor adventure excursions to all OEF/OIF veterans. It doesn’t matter what your current military status is (active, inactive, discharged, retired) – you’re eligible to attend as long as you deployed in support of OEF/OIF combat operations while in the military. These five-day excursions offer adventure activities such as backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering, canoeing, and dog sledding in beautiful wilderness areas in Maine, Texas, Colorado, California, Minnesota and many other states. All expedition costs for lodging, equipment, food, and instruction are completely funded by a multi-million dollar Sierra Club grant, including the participants’ round-trip transportation between home and the wilderness site.  There are two types of courses available, each offering wilderness expeditions year-round.

1.  Open Enrollment Courses: Outward Bound has scheduled expeditions where individual war Veterans sign up for the course of their choosing below, attend on an individual basis, and meet other war veterans from around the nation. Each course listed will have 7 to 12 participants. There are several hundred slots available for OEF/OIF veterans every year. At www.outwardbound.org/index.cfm/do/cp.course_search_result/coursedetailfocusid/18 click the apply/call link for the course you want to go on:

  • Colorado Backpacking & Rock Climbing – Veterans  7/02/10 / 7/06/10
  • Maine Coast Sailing – Veterans  7/02/10 / 7/07/10
  • Sierra Backpacking and Rock Climbing – Veterans  7/11/10 / 7/15/10
  • Apostle Islands Sea Kayaking – Veterans  7/13/10 / 7/18/10
  • Maine Mahoosuc Mountains Backpacking – Veterans  7/22/10 / 7/27/10
  • Sierra Backpacking and Rock Climbing – Veterans  8/01/10 / 8/05/10
  • Maine Mahoosuc Mountains Backpacking – Veterans  8/01/10 / 8/06/10
  • Maine Coast Sailing – Veterans  8/05/10 / 8/10/10
  • Boundary Waters Canoeing – Veterans  8/09/10 / 8/15/10
  • Colorado Backpacking & Rock Climbing – Veterans  8/15/10 / 8/19/10
  • Oregon Rafting – Veterans  8/23/10 / 8/27/10
  • Boundary Waters Canoeing – Veterans  8/23/10 / 8/29/10
  • Apostle Islands Sea Kayaking – Veterans  8/24/10 / 8/29/10
  • Maine Coast Sailing – Veterans  8/24/10 / 8/29/10
  • Sierra Backpacking and Rock Climbing – Veterans  8/29/10 / 9/02/10
  • Apostle Islands Sea Kayaking – Veterans  8/30/10 / 9/05/10
  • Boundary Waters Canoeing – Veterans  8/30/10 / 9/05/10
  • Maine Coast Sailing – Veterans  9/02/10 / 9/07/10
  • Southwest Rafting – Veterans  9/03/10 / 9/08/10
  • Sierra Backpacking and Rock Climbing – Veterans  9/06/10 / 9/10/10
  • Colorado Backpacking & Rock Climbing – Veterans  9/06/10 / 9/11/10
  • Boundary Waters Canoeing – Veterans  9/06/10 / 9/12/10
  • Washington Mountaineering – Veterans  9/06/10 / 9/12/10
  • Washington Sea Kayaking – Veterans  9/06/10 / 9/12/10
  • Oregon Rafting – Veterans  9/07/10 / 9/11/10
  • Southwest Rafting – Veterans  9/15/10 / 9/20/10
  • Sierra Backpacking and Rock Climbing – Veterans  9/19/10 / 9/23/10
  • Colorado Backpacking & Rock Climbing – Veterans  9/20/10 / 9/25/10
  • Maine Coast Sailing – Veterans  9/20/10 / 9/25/10
  • Maine Mahoosuc Mountains Backpacking – Veterans  9/20/10 / 9/25/10
  • Washington Sea Kayaking – Veterans  9/20/10 / 9/26/10
  • Oregon Rafting – Veterans  9/21/10 / 9/25/10
  • Gulf Coast Canoeing & Fishing – Veterans  9/21/10 / 9/26/10
  • Southwest Rafting – Veterans  9/27/10 / 10/02/10
  • Maine Coast Sailing – Veterans  9/30/10 / 10/05/10
  • Maine Mahoosuc Mountains Backpacking – Veterans  9/30/10 / 10/05/10
  • Gulf Coast Canoeing & Fishing – Veterans  10/02/10 / 10/07/10
  • Washington Backpacking – Veterans  10/03/10 / 10/09/10
  • Oregon Rafting – Veterans  10/05/10 / 10/09/10
  • Colorado Backpacking & Rock Climbing – Veterans  10/05/10 / 10/10/10
  • Gulf Coast Canoeing & Fishing – Veterans  11/02/10 / 11/07/10
  • Gulf Coast Canoeing & Fishing – Veterans  11/13/10 / 11/18/10
  • Florida Everglades Canoeing – Veterans  11/23/10 / 11/28/10
  • Florida Everglades Canoeing – Veterans  12/05/10 / 12/10/10

2.  Custom Courses: Outward Bound will schedule customized expeditions upon request for groups of war veterans; these customized expeditions can be tailored to specific needs. These courses are for organizationally established groups of veterans along with their counselor or therapist (mental health worker, outreach specialist); and/or Unit Leader. In order to run a custom course with Outward Bound, in most cases a minimum of 9 participants is needed. These courses can be scheduled at any time of year and at nearly any location where Outward Bound operates. The course activities can be customized to a variety of ability levels. If you are a counselor, therapist, or Unit Leader, who wants to schedule a Custom Course, contact a Veterans Program Course Advisor at [email protected] or call 866-669-2362 ext. 8387.

If you are specifically interested in custom Veteran’s courses run from the Outward Bound Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Center on the Appalachian Trail or on the Potomac River, contact John Enny at [email protected] or at 1(410) 448-1721 ext. 1103. If you are interested in custom Veteran’s programs from the Outward Bound Philadelphia Center in the Delaware Water Gap, contact Kenja Griffin at [email protected] or 1(215) 232-9130 ext. 6305.  For questions regarding the OEF/OIF Veterans Program course offerings, contact 1(866) 669-2362, ext. 8387; e-mail [email protected] or refer to www.outwardboundwilderness.org/veterans.html.  [Source: Veterans Village of San Diego Nadirah Sahar msg 16 Jun 2010 ++]

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Alzheimer’s Update 07: There’s no solid scientific proof that lifestyle measures can prevent Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive decline, according to a federally convened panel of experts. Staying healthy, exercising, eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other healthful foods, and keeping your mind engaged have all been suggested as ways to stave off cognitive decline and the brain disorder known as Alzheimer’s, marked by a loss of memory and other cognitive ability. But the independent panel, convened by the National Institutes of Health, concludes that there is insufficient evidence that any of these measures prevent Alzheimer’s. The conclusion, although probably disappointing to many, may not be as discouraging as it sounds, says Carl C. Bell, MD, a panel member who is also director of the Institute for Juvenile Research, professor of psychiatry and public health, University of Illinois at Chicago, and president and CEO of the Community Mental Health Council, Chicago. ”We had to follow the science,” he says, explaining that the panel applied rigorous scientific standards to the numerous studies reviewed to determine if any measures might be proven to prevent Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive decline, which precedes it. They found the evidence lacking. “There is no hard science right now.” But that doesn’t mean there won’t be, someday, says Martha Daviglus, MD, PhD, MPH, chair of the panel and professor of preventive medicine and medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “Right now research is being conducted in promising areas, such as omega-3, physical activity, and cognitive engagement.”  Currently there are about 5.3 million Americans who have Alzheimer’s, the majority of them late-onset disease that becomes apparent after age 65. [Source: WebMD Health News Kathleen Doheny article 14 Jun 2010 ++]

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Estate Planning Update 02: Use these common estate planning considerations to trigger thoughtful conversation with your family, ensuring them of your watchful assistance and giving you satisfaction of their future security:

Planning for Mom and Dad. Talking with your parents about their estate plan can dramatically reduce family tension and personal stress. Discuss questions like:

  • Should your parents purchase long-term care insurance?
  • How will the family decide when Mom and Dad need more assistance?
  • Whom do your parents want to take on the role of agent for financial and medical powers of attorney?
  • Which people and organizations do Mom and Dad want to receive their assets after they’re gone?

Planning for Your Spouse. If you pass away before your spouse, you want to ensure that you provide for him or her. To do so, consider these elements of your estate plan:

  • Would a trust for your spouse’s benefit ensure that your spouse will receive proper care in the future?
  • Whom should your spouse name as the agent for financial and medical powers of attorney?
  • Should your spouse become the beneficiary of all your assets, or should some of the assets go to a trust, caregiver or charity?
  • What ownership designations on property titles will ensure tax and legal efficiency?

Planning for your Brother or Sister. Sometimes, because of old age or disability, your siblings can require your help. If you’re responsible for their well-being, consider these questions:

  • Have you talked about assisted living or paid home-caregivers?
  • Are they eligible for subsidized services or financial assistance?
  • Should your brother or sister be listed as a beneficiary in your will?
  • Does your brother or sister need to name a backup agent to you on his or her financial or medical power of attorney?

Planning for your Children or Other Dependents. If you still have children, grandchildren or other individuals depending on you, communicate these points in your estate plan:

  • Who will act as their guardian (daily caretaker) and conservator (person who handles money)?
  • Will your dependents receive your assets immediately or at a later date, should something happen to you?
  • Will their inheritance be designated for a specific purpose, such as education?
  • If your dependents leave behind no children, will the balance of their assets go to charity?

By taking time to answer these questions for yourself, asking them of others and recording the answers in writing with the assistance of an estate planning attorney, you can alleviate much of your worry about caring for your generations of loved ones.  A prudent move would be to designate in advance who would act in your behalf in the event you could no longer make decisions. A durable power of attorney is the document you need to accomplish this. It allows you to name the person you designate to make legal, financial and business decisions when you’re no longer able to make them yourself. Be sure to record your durable power of attorney in writing so that it’s honored by businesses and other financial institutions.  [Source: MOAA News Exchange 16 Jun 2010 ++]

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SBP DIC Offset Update 25: Survivors of military members have an opportunity for two forms of survivors’ benefits.  The most common is the purchased benefit called the Survivor Benefit Program (SBP) where the military member pays premiums from retired pay.  Currently serving members are also covered by SBP automatically.  The other is a program ran by Veteran Affairs (VA) called Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC).  DIC is paid to survivors whose spouse died of Service-connected causes. If a survivor qualifies for DIC and is covered by SBP, the DIC amount is subtracted from the SBP amount.  This is known as the SBP-DIC Offset.   Last August, 3 survivors fought in the courts against the offset for their specific situation and won.  They realized the law was worded differently for survivors who remarried after age 57.  In this specific case, the law does not stipulate an offset.  As a result, all survivors remarried after age 57 now receive full SBP and DIC payments.

The DOD is in the process of fixing the offset issue for survivors in this situation. They have identified 737 survivors remarried after age 57.  All of these survivors are now receiving their full monthly SBP and DIC payments.  However, the lawsuit also has a retroactive period that requires survivors who qualify to receive back pay.  The retroactive period is from the date of remarriage but no earlier than 1 JAN 04.  To date, 367 have received their back pay.  The remaining survivors will get their back pay over the next few months as DOD calculates the amounts due for each individual. For all other SBP/DIC eligible’s, there is now a new tool for MOAA and the Military Coalition to use in fighting for the elimination of the SBP-DIC offset.  In 2008, Congress symbolically admitted the offset was wrong by passing legislation that authorized a supplemental pay to help restore some of the pay denied by the offset.  This program is known as Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA).  SSIA is administered by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) as is SBP.  Here is the payment schedule for the additional monthly payment under SSIA:

  • October 2008 – $50
  • October 2009 – $60
  • October 2010 – $70
  • October 2011 – $80
  • October 2012 – $90
  • October 2013 – $100
  • October 2014 – $150
  • October 2015 – $200
  • October 2016 – $275
  • October 2017 – $310

The SSIA was the first foot in the door for the repeal of the offset.  Now the Sharp case is another foot in the door.  We have support on the Hill for the repeal of the offset but the impediment has been the last minute consensus on how to pay for the offset elimination.  The fight will go on. For more on the Sharp case, refer to www.dfas.mil/rapay/annuitantstoreceivefullsbpanddicbenefits.html . General information on SBP can be found in the DFAS booklet at www.dfas.mil/rapay/annuities/sbp/SBPGuideBook.pdf .  [Source: MOAA News Exchange 16 Jun 2010 ++]

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NDAA 2011 Update 04: Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said President Obama’s veto threat on the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill remains strong, even though the bill is likely to contain provisions that the White House has fought hard for. The Pentagon would still recommend vetoing the measure if it contains a continuation of the C-17 cargo plane program or an authorization for a second engine model for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Gates said 16 JUN in written testimony for a Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing. Inclusion of a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that bans gays in the military would not affect the veto threat, Gates said. “I will continue to strongly recommend that the president veto any legislation that sustains the continuation of the C-17 or the F-35 extra engine,” Gates wrote. “And given some recent commentary, it would be a serious mistake to believe the president would accept these unneeded programs simply because the authorization or appropriations legislation includes other provisions important to him and this administration.” Some observers have suggested that Obama might sign a bill with the C-17 and F-35 provisions if it had a repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The House has passed its version of the measure. The Senate Armed Services panel has approved that chamber’s bill, which is awaiting floor action. Both bills include a provision to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.” [Source: CQ Politics News16 Jun 2010 ++]

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Government Paper Checks: The Treasury Department said that most government benefits payments will be made by direct deposit by 2013, the latest in a series of cost-cutting moves by the Obama administration. The change will eliminate about 136 million paper checks sent by the Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Railroad Retirement Board and Office of Personnel Management, and caps years of efforts to cut back on paper and postage costs. The move should cut about $48 million in government postage costs and save taxpayers approximately $303 million in the first five years after the switch, Treasury said.  Americans who enroll for benefits payments on or after 1 MAR 2011, will receive them by direct deposit or be enrolled in the government’s Direct Express Debit MasterCard program if they do not provide bank account information. Beneficiaries now receiving payments will switch to direct deposit or the debit card by 1 MAR 2013, after agencies inform them of the changes, according to the proposed rule change set for publication in the Federal Register.

About 1 million Americans already receive benefit payments through the Direct Express card, according to the Office of Management and Budget. Officials argue that direct deposits or the debit cards ensure safe, quick delivery of funds and make receiving payments easier for residents hit by natural disasters. The change also coincides with the Obama administration’s ongoing efforts to address the soaring deficit and adapt government operations to new technology. “This is precisely the type of smart, streamlined improvement that this administration is committed to making across government to boost efficiency and modernize how we do business,” OMB Director Peter Orszag said in a statement.  [Source: The Washington Post Ed O’Keefe article 14 Jun 2010 ++]

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California Vet Home Update 08: Nearly 400 elderly and disabled veterans will soon have a new housing and long-term care facility to call their own, following the official opening on 14 JUN of the West Los Angeles Veterans Home. The $253 million facility is located on 17 acres in Westwood that the U.S. Veterans Administration gave to the state of California to operate an assisted living and skilled nursing facility for those who were honorably discharged from the armed services. Gov. Schwarzenegger traveled to Los Angeles for Monday’s dedication ceremony. “This will be a place where our veterans can be comfortable and honored, the least they deserve for serving our country in uniform,” he said. “I am very proud of the work my administration has done on behalf of our military men and women and I promise that we will continue to do everything in our power to make sure all our veterans, young and old, are treated with the respect and dignity they have earned.” The home will be the state of California’s sixth facility for veterans once it begins admitting applicants by this fall. It will provide services and amenities for veterans who are unable to live independently, including a dementia and Alzheimer’s unit.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs contributed approximately $142 million to the project, according to a press release from the governor’s office. An additional $111 million for the facility came from state general obligation bonds and lease revenue bonds. While it’s possible the facility could house homeless veterans living in Los Angeles County, the care offered at the home will be geared toward severely injured and elderly veterans who require regular attention, said J.P. Tremblay, deputy secretary for the California Department of Veterans Affairs. The facility will not be equipped to handle those with substance abuse problems or severe mental illnesses, he said. Veterans will have to be clean and sober to be admitted. Located at 800 Bringham Ave. on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ healthcare campus, patients at the facility will have access to both federal and state medical personnel. The ribbon cutting ceremony came three years after CalVet broke ground on the facility, and two decades since California officials began discussing the idea of a state-run veterans home in Los Angeles, Tremblay said. CalVet recently dedicated veterans homes in Ventura and Lancaster. State-operated facilities for veterans are also located in Yountville, Chula Vista and Barstow, and the state broke ground on two additional veterans homes last month in Fresno and Redding. [Source: Santa Monica Daily Press Nick Taborek article 15 Jun 2010 ++]

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Tricare Smoking Quitline: Tricare’s Smoking Quitline is a telephone support and referral service. Tricare’s Smoking Quitline is now accepting calls! All non-Medicare eligible Tricare beneficiaries within the U.S. can get assistance with going “smoke-free” by calling the quitline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays. Beneficiaries residing in the Tricare South Region can reach the quitline at (877) 414-9949.  Beneficiaries living in the North Region can call (866) 459-8766 and those living in the West Region can call (866) 244-6870. Beneficiaries who call will be assessed and receive guidance for a smoking cessation plan that fits their unique smoking habits. Cessation materials can also be provided through U.S. mail upon request .Although the new Tricare Smoking Quitline is geared toward smoking cessation only, any Tricare beneficiaries who want to quit using tobacco, including the smokeless kind, can get support through the Department of Defense’s comprehensive Quit Tobacco website, www.ucanquit2.org. Ucanquit2 offers interactive, Web-based tobacco cessation training along with live, real-time encouragement from trained tobacco cessation coaches via the 24/7 “chat” feature. Users also have the opportunity to exchange information through the website’s blog and electronic bulletin board and link to the website’s Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube pages. Many military treatment facilities offer smoking cessation programs and beneficiaries should check locally for more information on those programs. A military treatment facility locator is at www.tricare.mil/mtf. Medicare eligible beneficiaries are reminded they may be eligible for smoking cessation benefits through Medicare Part B.  Check for more information at www.medicare.gov. [Source: Tricare news Release No 10-55 dtd 15 Jun 2010 ++]

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SNAP Update 01: On 1 OCT 08 the federal food stamp program was replaced by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The SNAP food stamp program makes it easy to find out if you qualify for food stamps. All you need to do is go online at http://foodstampsnow.org and answer questions about where you live, who you live with, your income, and your assets (i.e. money in savings or checking accounts, retirement plans, and other assets). If, after completing the SNAP food stamp eligibility questions, you think you qualify for food stamps the next step is completing the SNAP food stamp application. You can pick up a SNAP food stamp application at your local state SNAP office or they can mail one to you. Some states allow SNAP food stamp applicants to apply for food stamps online. To find the closest SNAP food stamp office in your state refer to www.fns.usda.gov/snap/outreach/map.htm or call the SNAP information line at 1(800) 221-5689. If you qualify, to get the application process going as soon as possible complete the first part of it (your name, address, and signature) and leave it with a SNAP worker while you’re at the SNAP office . This will get your application process going while you complete the rest of the application.

After completing the application for food stamp benefits you’ll have an interview with a SNAP worker. This must be scheduled in advance. When you arrive for the SNAP interview bring your complete application and the documents or papers you need to have. Ask your SNAP worker which documents you will need to bring. It will depend on your individual circumstances and may be different for each person.  However, these documents are often required when applying for food stamps.

  • Drivers license or state ID card.
  • Birth certificate; pay stubs.
  • Eligibility letters for SSI, VA or other assistance you receive.
  • A copy or your apartment lease or mortgage statement.
  • Utility bills.
  • Proof of daycare or child support payments.
  • Medical bills that you pay if you have a disability or are age 60 and older

Unlike the old Federal Food Stamp program SNAP uses EBT cards (similar to ATM cards) instead of coupon books. When you go grocery shopping with your SNAP card simply hand the card to the cashier and he or she will deduct your food purchases from your monthly total. Many of the same food stamp rules apply to SNAP: Only food purchases (no pet food), no cigarettes or alcohol, and no household products, medicine or vitamins. For more details about the SNAP food stamp program including how to use the SNAP EBT card, what to do if you lose your card, and answers to frequently-asked questions refer to www.fns.usda.gov/snap/faqs.htm. [Source: About.Com Senior Living Sharon O’Brien article Jun 2010 ++]

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Retirement Calculators: A recent study by the Society of Actuaries says many popular calculators have serious flaws. These potential hazards could lead to serious miscalculations when you’re plotting your financial future. The report analyzed 12 retirement calculators created by financial services firms, software companies, nonprofits, and government for consumers and financial planning pros. All but one of the six consumer calculators were no charge: the Fidelity Retirement Income Planner, the AARP retirement planning calculator, MetLife calculator, U.S. Department of Labor and the T. Rowe Price Retirement Income Calculator. ESPlanner, created by Boston University economics professor Larry Kotlikoff, starts at $149 per year. Unlike the freebies, ESPlanner gathers more detailed data, making its forecasts more reliable. The no cost online tools, as a group, had a host of problems. “These tools take a project that is fairly complex and boil it down to something simple,” says John Turner, an economist and co-author of the report. “They don’t ask you to consider a lot of important variables.” Some can, however, provide a decent starting point for your retirement planning, as a MoneyWatch test found. To get better results when you run your own numbers, look for look for what blogger Steve Vernon says are highlights of the best calculators, and watch out for the following six areas where retirement calculators may be getting it wrong.

1. Social Security Projections. Most retirees get a third or more of retirement income from Social Security. Yet many retirement calculators don’t gather the detailed information needed to project these benefits accurately, Turner says. “They often project Social Security income using a bare minimum of information: typically your current earnings, your age, and the year you expect to retire,” he says. Although the size of your Social Security payments will vary depending on when you decide to start collecting the checks, Turner found that many calculators don’t analyze this choice in enough detail. So to get the best guess for your Social Security benefits, use the Social Security Administration’s online retirement estimator, which will give you a personalized projection using your actual earnings history. Another problem: Turner found that many of the calculators low-ball the increases you’ll get from Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which is pegged to the Consumer Price Index. “Typically, the inflation assumptions are hidden from the user,” he says. “But a few do reveal to you that, for unknown reasons, they use a COLA that is less than the inflation rate.”

2. Rate-of-Return Assumptions. Three calculators used pre-set future investment rate-of-return assumptions that you can’t change, and their percentages varied widely. One, created by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, assumed a 5% average annual return from 401(k)s; several others assumed 10%. If a calculator won’t let you choose your anticipated rate of return, either be sure you’re comfortable with its assumption or walk away. The best calculators let you put in what-if scenarios, and run the numbers using alternative rate-of-return projections. Going this route can let you see how much you might have at retirement using both conservative and aggressive scenarios. While no one can predict the market’s future rate of return, the long-term after-inflation rate of return on stocks has averaged 6.8% per year. But odds are you are not invested entirely in stocks, and the fixed-income portion of your portfolio is likely to produce lower returns. So when you’re plugging in numbers, base it on your asset allocation, and consider that as you get closer to retirement, you’ll want to reduce your stock exposure and boost your bond exposure. A conservative portfolio might yield more like 4% a year.

3. Life Expectancy. It’s impossible to know how long you’ll live, of course. On average, 65-year-old men can expect to live another 17 years, and women another 20 years. Some calculators, the study found, automatically input life expectancy figures. But they fail to account for differences by race, income, and gender. And they also don’t take into consideration that you or your spouse might live longer than the averages. “The probability that one [spouse] will live beyond the average is pretty high,” says Kirk Kreikemeier, a financial advisor and actuary who served as an advisor for the SOA study. If a calculator forces you to make a longevity prediction, base it on your family history and your health. If you’re married, use different life expectancy numbers for you and your spouse, since women tend to live several years longer than men. Several sites help you predict life expectancy; no guarantees, but try the calculators at Real Age, Livingto100 or the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

4. Housing Info. The calculators make very different assumptions about what you’ll do with your house at retirement. “Some assume you won’t liquidate your home; others assume you will sell and downsize,” Turner says. Very few of the tools analyze the impact on your finances of carrying a mortgage into retirement. Among the no cost calculators reviewed, only the U.S. Department of Labor calculator lets you plug in home equity when calculating your retirement assets. When forecasting your finances in retirement, make your best guess about how much you’ll be paying for a mortgage or rent, whether you’ll tap your home equity and any income you might receive from selling your home.

5. Inflation Forecasts. When it came to inflation, the calculators barely wanted to be bothered. None of the no cost calculators — and few of the professional tools — listed inflation as a retirement-planning risk. Some of the tools let you plug in just one percentage forecast, even though inflation can fluctuate widely over time. Others put in their own default inflation rate, ranging from 2.3 to 4.6%. That spread can make a huge difference in how much the purchasing power of your assets will shrink over a 25-year retirement. Say you have $1 million and plan to retire in 10 years. With 2.3% annual inflation between now and then, your $1 million would be worth $796,606 at retirement. It would erode to $637,798 if inflation averages 4.6%, according to Inflation.data.com. Stick with retirement calculators allowing you to input alternative inflation scenarios, and run the numbers in a couple of ways. You never know.

6. Spouses. Few of the no cost calculators helped couples forecast retirement income for a surviving spouse. They rarely let users enter separate information for both spouses and run numbers with differing life expectancies for them, for example. When the calculators recommended annuities for retirement income (most didn’t), none suggested buying one with a survivor’s benefit. Some of the calculators allow for separate entry of data for each spouse, but even these typically assume that both people retire at the same time. Spousal issues regarding Social Security benefit claims can be complex — beyond the capability of any online calculator. If you’re married, calculate retirement income needs for you and your spouse together and separately, using different life expectancy scenarios. This will help ensure that the one who lives longer won’t run out of cash. “Doing the ‘what-ifs’ can help you see just how differently things can turn out,” says Turner.

[Source: CBS www.Moneywatch.com Mark Miller | Apr 21, 2010 ++]

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Credit Card Agreements: In compliance with the Credit CARD Act 0f 2009, the Federal Reserve has posted credit card agreements from more than 300 credit card issuers. Credit card agreements contain the terms, conditions, and pricing for their credit cards. They’re the notorious “fine print” that makes credit cards so hard to understand. The availability of these credit card agreements doesn’t necessarily make it easier to access your credit card agreement or to compare your credit card to that of another credit card issuer. Searching the database by credit card issuer, for example, simply returns a list of all that issuers credit card agreements. (For Chase Bank, 28 agreements were returned.) You have to click through all the agreements to find the one for your credit card, if you find it at all. Chase Bank’s agreements didn’t indicate which credit card they were for. Fortunately, a few banks, like American Express and Compass Bank, did list the name of the credit card at the top of the credit card agreement.

The Federal Reserve’s database of credit card agreements will be updated quarterly with the next update on 2 AUG 2010. The database is currently available on the Federal Reserve’s website www.federalreserve.gov/creditcardagreements/default.aspx. The PDF version of each agreement is much easier to read. Credit card issuers are also required to post credit card agreements online and allow cardholders to request their agreement. If you cannot find yours you can find a form to request the agreement. Banks with fewer than 10,000 credit card accounts do not have to submit their credit card agreements to the Federal Reserve, nor do they have to post the credit card agreement online. However, they are required to make credit card agreements available to cardholders upon request. [Source: About.com Credit/Debt Management LaToya Irby article 25 May 2010 ++]

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Medicare Fraud Update 42:

  • El Paso TX – Dr. Anthony Francis Valdez, 56, owner of the Institute of Pain Management was charged 15 JUN with carrying out an estimated $41 million fraudulent health care benefit program billing scheme. During JAN 01 thru DEC 09, Valdez caused fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare and the Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission (TWCC). Valdez caused to be submitted claims for reimbursement of peripheral nerve injections, facet injection procedures and Level Four office visits-typically involving 25 minutes of face-to-face time between patient and physician-which never were performed. Instead of the above-mentioned procedures, he performed prolotherapy on his patients, a procedure the healthcare benefit programs do not reimburse .Conviction on each count of wire fraud (16), mail fraud (21) and unlawful distribution of a controlled substance (4) is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison; health care fraud (21) up to ten years in federal prison; and, making a false statement (20) up to five years in federal prison. The indictment also included a notice of criminal forfeiture whereby the government is seeking the forfeiture of more than $1.7 million in cash, his residence in El Paso, his residence in San Antonio and five vehicles. The government is also seeking a monetary judgment in the case for over $41.8 million.
  • Augusta GA – The United States has filed a civil False Claims Act complaint against Augusta Medical Systems  and its former owner, Julian Osbon, for allegedly submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare and receiving over $690,000 in improper payments. The complaint alleges that for a period of more than one year, Augusta Medical billed Medicare for vacuum erection devices during a time in which it was not an authorized Medicare supplier. Accordingly, it was not entitled to receive Medicare reimbursement during this period. Osbon had quickly closed his former company, opened Augusta Medical and had hoped to obtain the necessary authorizations from Medicare. However, Osbon allegedly disregarded the law and the advice of his own executive team and proceeded to bill Medicare for thousands of erection devices without having a valid billing number. Vacuum erection devices are covered by Medicare. The complaint was filed under the civil False Claims Act which provides for liability for triple damages and a penalty between $5,500 and $11,000 per claim for anyone who submits or causes the submission of a false or fraudulent claim to the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office initially became aware of these allegations through a whistleblower.

[Source:  Fraud News Daily reports 16-30 Jun 2010 ++]

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Medicad Fraud Update 16:

  • Sparta NC – Kristie Brake and Kimberly Miles, co-owners of Heritage Home Care, were sentenced 15 JUN to 46 months imprisonment each and ordered to repay Medicaid more than $600,000. An investigation by Medicaid Investigations Unit within the N.C. Attorney General’s Office, found that Heritage submitted 15,833 fraudulent Medicaid claims totaling $622,405.89 for in-home assistance to people with a disabilities.
  • Brownsville TX – Tara R. Rios Ybarra (District 43 Texas State Representative), a dentist with her own private dental practice, was charged on 22 JUN in 3 of a 22-count indictment with allegedly illegally referring Medicaid beneficiaries in exchange for 15% of the total payment made by Medicaid. This followed the arrest of Gary Morgan Schwarz DDS, MSD, along with two of his office employees and two other area dentists Diana Woo Paparelli, 57, and Colbert J. Glenn, 49. All three defendants face a maximum punishment of up to five years in prison and a fine not to exceed $25,000 for each offense upon conviction.
  • Chesterfield VA – Denise C. McCreary, 43, was convicted by a jury and faces a maximum punishment of 90 years in prison and $2.25 million in fines when sentenced on 17 SEP. She was convicted on nine counts of health-care fraud allegedly involving $601,580 in bogus Medicaid claims. Evidence showed that McCreary owned and operated Camp Hope Youth Services, a Medicaid-contracted provider of intensive in-home therapy services for children and adolescents. The services, offered by Medicaid in Virginia, are designed to help youths at risk of being removed from their homes, or who are being returned to their homes after removal, because of significant mental-health, behavioral or emotional issues. McCreary billed Medicaid for services that were not reimbursable because the services did not address a child’s specific mental-health issues, were not provided by qualified mental-health workers and were not provided to children who were in need of the services.  She also billed Medicaid for services that were never provided.

[Source:  Fraud News Daily reports 16-30 Jun 2010 ++]

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State Veteran’s Benefits: The state of Alaska provides several benefits to veterans.  To obtain information on these refer to this Bulletin’s Attachment for an overview of those listed below.  Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation of each click on “Learn more about …” wording highlighted in blue on the attachment.

  • Housing Benefits
  • Employment Benefits
  • Education Benefits
  • Other State Veteran Benefits

[Source: www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits/alaska-state-veterans-benefits Jun 2010 ++]

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Military History: The commonwealth of the Philippines was governed on the structure of outmoded strategies of former colonial governments. New goals included the development of an independent military force, was widely scattered and inadequate. The United States government in principal provided token support until the threat of war surfaced.  The recruiting and funding of the Philippine Scouts was under the jurisdiction of the United States, resulted in the establishment and foundation of The Philippine Army. President Delano Roosevelt of the United States commissioned General Douglas MacArthur, to become the mentor of the infant military force. The appointment was withdrawn, caused by internal colonial American petty political dissention and jealousies. MacArthur retired from American military service in 1937 to accept the Baton of Field Marshall, of the Philippines, by an Act of the commonwealth government to retain the General’s services. General MacArthur had envisioned the growing threat of war in the far-east. He addressed his underlying concept which called for the full support of Commonwealth government and instilled upon President Manuel Quezon to guard against the probable menace. The young nation was practically defenseless in 1947 to cope with threat that, within five years, became a reality. Under MacArthur’s expertise and direction were implemented the insurmountable plans for the defense of hundreds of islands in the archipelago. On July 27, 1941, war clouds were brewing, and the retired General was recalled to active American military service this time to energize and muster the infant Philippine Army.  By this act, the United States was concerned in the continued sovereignty of the Philippines. To learn more about Philippine participation in WWII refer to the Philippine Army attachment to this Bulletin. [Source www.Mil.com Jun 2010 ++]

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Military History Anniversaries:

  • Jul 01 1898 – Spanish-American War: The Battle of San Juan Hill is fought in Santiago de Cuba.
  • Jul 08 1948 – The United States Air Force accepts its first female recruits into a program called Women in the Air Force (WAF)
  • Jul 01 1863 – Civil War: Battle of Gettysburg, Pa; Lee’s northward advance halted
  • Jul 01 1907 – World’s 1st air force established (US Army)
  • Jul 01 1970 – Vietnam: 23 day Siege of Fire Base Ripcord began
  • Jul 02 1926 – US Army Air Corps created; Distinguish Flying Cross authorized
  • Jul 03 1814 – Revolutionary War: Americans capture Fort Erie Canada
  • Jul 03 1898 – Spanish American War: U.S. Navy defeats Spanish fleet in Santiago harbor Cuba
  • Jul 03 1915 – U.S. Marines landed in Haiti following the assassination of the Haitian president Vilbrun Guillaume. The Marines remained as occupation forces until 1934
  • Jul 03 1950 – Korean War: 1st time US & North Korean forces clash in Korean War
  • Jul 03 1988 – USS Vincennes in Strait of Hormoez shoots Iran Airbus A300, kills 290
  • Jul 04 1776 – Revolutionary War: Declaration of Independence – U.S. gains independence from Britain
  • Jul 04 1944 – WWII: 1st Japanese kamikaze attack U.S. fleet near Iwo Jima
  • Jul 05 1945 – WWII: Liberation of the Philippines declared.
  • Jul 06 1777 – Revolutionary War: British Gen Burgoyne captures Fort Ticonderoga from Americans
  • Jul 06 1848 – Mexican-American War:  Ended with the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo
  • Jul 07 1863 – Civil War: 1st military draft by US (exemptions cost $100)
  • Jul 07 1941 – WWII: U.S. forces land in Iceland to forestall Nazi invasion
  • Jul 08 1950 – Korean War: Gen Douglas MacArthur named commander-in-chief UN forces in Korea
  • Jul 09 1944 – WWII: The island of Saipan in the Marianas fell to U.S. troops following their defeat of Japanese defenders
  • Jul 09 1944 – WWII: Napalm was used for the first time during the American invasion of Tinian in the Marianas.
  • Jul 09 1951 – WWII: Pres Truman asked Congress to formally end state of war with Germany
  • Jul 10 1943 – WWII: Operation Husky – U.S. & Britain invade Sicily.
  • Jul 11 1789 – U.S. Marine Corps created by an act of Congress
  • Jul 11 1864 – Civil War: Confederate forces led by Gen J Early begin invasion of Wash DC
  • Jul 12 1812 – War of 1812: U.S. forces led by Gen Hull invade Canada
  • Jul 13 1945 – WWII: 1st atom bomb explodes in New Mexico
  • Jul 14 1863 – Civil War: Confederate forces under GEN Robert E. Lee, defeated after three days of fighting at the battle of Gettysburg, began their withdrawal to the South.
  • Jul 14 1945 – Battleship USS South Dakota is 1st US ship to bombard Japan
  • Jul 15 1779 – Revolutionary War: U.S. troops under Gen A Wayne conquer Ft Stony Point, NY
  • Jul 15 1918 – WWII: Beginning of the Second Battle of the Marne between German forces on one side and French, American, British, and Italian troops on the other side. The battle ended on 4 AUG.
  • Jul 15 1958 – U.S. Marines deployed in Lebanon

[Source: Various Jun 2010 ++]

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Military Trivia 7:

  • The term “Jeep” and how the vehicle derived its name is a widely debated subject. The most common belief is that the name came from the GP designation that the Ford company gave the vehicle, where people blended the two letters together to make a word. Others believe that it came from the term that the Army used to designate untested vehicles – they simply referred to them as jeeps. A third alternative is that the name came from Eugene the Jeep, a character in Popeye.
  • In 1940, the Army set up a competition to all automotive companies in an attempt to quickly find a suitable vehicle for the war. With a bid end date of 22 JUL 40, the companies who had decided to enter had 49 days to prepare and present a suitable prototype, and then had another 75 days to finish the required 70 vehicles. Only three companies entered: Ford Motor Company, Willys Motors, and American Bantam Car Company. Although Willys offered the lowest price, American Bantam was the only entry that completed the prototypes in time. Unfortunately, it failed the torque test, and the competition was re-opened to Ford and Willys
  • The Army Jeep was first introduced in 1941. The first Jeep rendition, however, was the Bantam BRC. Afterwards, the Army allowed Willys-Overland and Ford to make the Army Jeeps that were to be used for combat.
  • There were a total of 647,925 Jeeps made during World War II.
  • According to Jeep4Ever.ca, “One Battered Jeep from WWII received a Purple Heart after successfully surviving two beach landings.”
  • Jeep4Ever.ca also gives the following anecdote about Army Jeeps: “During WWII Jeeps were coming out of the Willys and Ford Plants at rate of one jeep per one and a half minutes and by the end of the war over 700,000 had been built. The Americans had so many Jeeps that some German soldiers believed each America GI got his own Jeep as standard issue. In France, three American soldiers walked up to a guard post and told the sentry that they were lost. The Frenchman immediately told them to surrender and found that they were German soldiers in disguise. When he was asked how he knew, he replied that Americans always travel in jeeps. Another example happened in Belgium when a guard ordered three German soldiers to surrender after he saw that a colonel was riding in the back seat. He explained later that if they were American that the officer would be driving and the infantryman would be in the backseat.”
  • The first Civilian Jeep was produced in 1944 by Willys-Overland. Designated as a CJ (civilian jeep), they retained the basic form and design of the Army Jeep until 1986, when it was revamped and became the Jeep Wrangler.
  • There have been more than 74 different models of jeeps through the years, including Army Jeeps and Civilian Jeeps. There are currently 6 models of jeep in production. They include: the Jeep Wrangler, the Jeep Grand Cheerokee, the Jeep Liberty, the Jeep Commander, the Jeep Compass, and the Jeep Patriot. There are 37 different Jeep concept vehicles.
  • Ford tried to sue Willys for the Jeep naming rights, and lost. When Willys was sold to other companies, the name Jeep went with it. Therefore, Chrysler is now in possession of the Jeep name.

[Source: www.armyjeepsale.com/jeep-trivia.html Jun 2010 ++]

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Tax Burden for New Mexico Retirees: Many people planning to retire use the presence or absence of a state income tax as a litmus test for a retirement destination.  This is a serious miscalculation since higher sales and property taxes can more than offset the lack of a state income tax. The lack of a state income tax doesn’t necessarily ensure a low total tax burden. Following are the taxes you can expect to pay if you retire in New Mexico:

State Sales Tax: 5.375% (prescription drugs exempt); county and city taxes may add another 2.68%. Certain food and medical expenses are exempt.
Gasoline Tax: 18.8 cents/gallon
Diesel Fuel Tax: 22.8 cents/gallon
Cigarette Tax $0.91 cents/pack of 20

Personal Income Taxes

Tax Rate Range: – Low -1.7%; High – 5.3%
Income Brackets: *4:  Lowest – $5,500; Highest – $16,000
Personal Exemptions: ** Single – $3,500; Married – $7,000;
Dependents – $3,500
Additional Exemptions: Taxpayer or spouse 65 or older – up to $10,900 deduction each from taxable income.  An additional tax exemption of up to $2,500 is allowed for low- and middle-income taxpayers.
Standard Deduction: Single – $5,450; Married filing jointly – $9,500
Medical/Dental Deduction: Credit of 3% of unreimbursed prescription drug expenses to maximum of $150 per individual or $300 per return. Also, if you or your spouse are age 65 and over and have unreimbursed or uncompensated medical care expenses of $28,000 or more for yourself, your spouse or dependents during the tax year, you are eligible for a $3,000 exemption and a credit of $2,800.  Click for details.
Federal Income Tax Deduction: None

Retirement Income:

Retirement Income Taxes: The state offers a low- and middle income exemption.  The maximum exemption is $2,500.  To qualify, the amount on line 7 of the state income tax form must be equal to or less than $36,667 (single), $27,500 (married filing separately), or $55,000 (married filing jointly.  A deduction also applies for those 65 and older if your adjusted gross income is not over $51,000 for a joint return, $28,500 for a single taxpayer, or $25,500 for a married taxpayer filing separately.
Retired Military Pay: See above.
Military Disability Retired Pay: Retirees who entered the military before Sept. 24, 1975, and members receiving disability retirements based on combat injuries or who could receive disability payments from the VA are covered by laws giving disability broad exemption from federal income tax. Most military retired pay based on service-related disabilities also is free from federal income tax, but there is no guarantee of total protection.
VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: VA benefits are not taxable because they generally are for disabilities and are not subject to federal or state taxes.
Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally subject to state taxes for those states with income tax. Check with state department of revenue office.

Property Taxes
All property, whether real or personal, is subject to state and local property taxes.  Rates vary substantially and depend on property type and location.  The statewide weighted average rates, i.e., total obligations/total net taxable value, are about $26.47 for residential property. Assessors usually determine market value by the sales-comparison approach which matches a property’s value to that of similar properties.  The valuation of a residence that did not change hands in the prior year may not increase by more than 3% annually.  One-third of the property’s market value (assessment) is its taxable value.  The taxable value may be further reduced by exemptions of $2,000 each of heads of households and $4,000 for veterans.

There is a property tax rebate for residents age 65 and older.  Their modified gross income cannot exceed $18,000 for the tax year and they cannot have been claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return. Homeowners 65 and older who earn $18,000 ($25,000 in Sandoval County) or less are eligible for a credit of up to $250 (married filing jointly) or $125 for single taxpayers.  Call 505-827-0870 for details.

For details on property taxes refer to www.tax.state.nm.us/oos/PropertyTaxFAQ.pdf If you are a senior refer to www.tax.state.nm.us/pubs/brochure_1.pdf for some useful information.

Inheritance and Estate Taxes – There is no inheritance tax but an inheritance may be reflected in a taxpayer’s modified gross income and taxed that way.  The estate tax is related to federal estate tax collection.

For further information, visit the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department site www.tax.state.nm.us.

Information for new residents is available at www.tax.state.nm.us/pubs/fyi101.pdf .  [Source: www.retirementliving.com Jun 2010 ++]

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Congressional Alphalist: To better understand what is happening to veteran legislation as it proceeds through Congress it is useful to know the language used by our representatives as they conduct business. Following are some of the words or expressions you will see while reading about or listening to House and Senate sessions:

  • CALENDAR WEDNESDAY. An older procedure letting committees call up bills of their choice on Wednesdays. It is routinely set aside each week. It was created in 1910 to challenge the speaker’s control of the agenda.
  • CALL UP A BILL. To raise it on the floor for immediate consideration.
  • CALL of THE HOUSE. A type of quorum call, used to bring absent members to the floor when no vote is pending. It is also used automatically after any vote which had less than a quorum participating.
  • CAPITOL HILL. Refers to the area encompassing the U.S. Capitol, and the House & Senate office buildings. The term refers to an incline once known as “Jenkins Hill,” and includes the surrounding residential area.
  • CLOAKROOMS. Two long, narrow rooms at the rear of the House and Senate chamber, one for each party. Members meet in the cloakrooms for private conversations, phone calls, and snacks.
  • COLLOQUY. A pre-scripted floor dialogue between the chairman of a committee and another congressman. The dialogue seeks to clarify the intent behind certain provisions for purposes of legislative history.
  • CONCURRENT RESOLUTION. A resolution used to take action or express opinion on behalf of both the House and Senate. It does not make law. Uses include fixing adjournment dates & setting the annual congressional budget.
  • CONFEREE. A Member of Congress named to represent his/her chamber in negotiations with the other house. Formally known as “managers,” the conferees meet in a conference committee to negotiate a compromise between the House and Senate versions of a bill.
  • CONFERENCE. Refers to a formal meeting, or series of meetings, between House and Senate Members. The purpose of a conference is to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill.
  • CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. A temporary panel of House and Senate negotiators. A conference committee is created to resolve differences between versions of similar House and Senate bills.
  • CONFERENCE REPORT. Refers to the final version of a bill proposed by House and Senate conferees. It also contains the “statement of managers,” a section-by-section explanation of the agreement
  • CONTINUING RESOLUTION. Also known as a “CR,” continues funding for a program if the fiscal year ends without a new appropriation in place. A “CR” provides temporary funding at current levels or less.
  • CASEWORK. Refers to intermediary work performed by members of Congress for constituents who may have problems, or “cases”, with the federal government.
  • CATS AND DOG. These are leftover “stray” bills on minor subjects saved for days with light floor schedules.
  • CAUCUS. This is an informal group of members sharing an interest in the same policy issues. Examples include the Arts Caucus, the Democratic Caucus, the Black Caucus, the Rural Caucus, etc.
  • CBO. Congressional Budget Office, conducts non-partisan economic analysis and research. CBO also evaluates proposed bills and amendments, assessing their potential cost.
  • C.F.R. Stands for the code of federal regulations. These are rules written by federal agencies.
  • CHAIRPERSON. The leader of a congressional committee. Chairmen are always members of the majority party, often those with seniority; their powers include the ability to schedule hearings and allocate committee budget.
  • CHAPLAIN of THE HOUSE OR SENATE. The individual who opens the day in his respective Chamber with prayer & gives pastoral counsel to its members.
  • CLERK of THE HOUSE. The person who creates and maintains legislative documents, voting tallys, and other records. The business management of the House is handled by the new Chief Administrative Officer.
  • CLOSED RULE. A rule that bans amendments to a bill on the House floor, with the exception of Committee amendments. Committee amendments are approved in advance by a committee and offered by its chairman or his/her designee.
  • CLOTURE. The formal procedure used to end a filibuster. It can take up to three days and requires 60 votes. Cloture can also be used even if there is no filibuster underway, to ban non-germane amendments. If cloture wins, 30 additional hours of debate are allowed prior to voting, but they are rarely used. If cloture fails, debate would continue without limits. Instead, the bill is usually set aside.
  • CODE. Stands for Congressional Delegation. It refers to a trip abroad by a group of members.
  • COLA. A cost-of-living-adjustment, increasing federal benefit payments to keep current with inflation.
  • COLLEAGUE. A term of address used by members to refer to one another, as in “my distinguished colleague.”
  • COMMIT A BILL. To send it to a committee for initial consideration rather than debating it immediately.
  • COMMITTEE of the WHOLE. The entire House meeting in the form of a committee. This allows members to follow the more expeditious rules of a committee. House rules require that all money bills be considered in the Committee of the Whole.
  • COMMITTEE REPORT. A report prepared by a House or Senate Committee to explain the content of a bill being reported. Committee reports are optional in the Senate, but mandatory in the House. They contain views of Committee members, a cost impact analysis, and compare the bill to current law.
  • COMPANION BILL. A bill that is similar or may be identical to one introduced in the other house of Congress.
  • CONFIRMATION. Refers to the Senate’s constitutional duty to approve or reject presidential nominations.
  • THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. A daily account of House and Senate floor debate, votes and members’ remarks. It is printed by the Government Printing Office and for sale to the public. It’s also on the internet.
  • CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE (CRS). Refers to the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress. CRS responds to requests for general information and issue analysis only from Members, Committees, or staff.
  • CONSTITUENCY SERVICE. Refers to the assistance given constituents by Members of Congress in non-legislative areas. Most requests are for help in obtaining action from federal agencies on individual problems and cases. Other services include obtaining government information and publications, flags flown over the capitol, and military academy appointments.
  • CONSTITUENTS. Members refer to the people who live in their Congressional district or state as their “constituents.”
  • CONTRACT AUTHORITY. Permits a federal agency to obligate money prior to actually having the funds in hand.
  • CORDON RULE. The Rule requires Senate committee reports to show in detail how a bill would change current law. The rule is named after the Oregon Senator who suggested it, Guy Cordon. He served from 1944 – 1955.
  • CORRECTIONS CALENDAR. This Calendar is used to repeal or revise laws considered outdated, harmful, or unnecessary. A 3/5 vote is required to pass a corrections bill. It may be amended only by committee-approved language.
  • CO-SPONSOR. A member who formally adds his/her name as a supporter to another member’s bill. An initial cosponsor is one who was listed at the time of the bill’s introduction, not added on later.

[Source: C-SPAN Congressional Glossary Jun 2010 ++]

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Veteran Legislation Status 28 JUN 2010: For or a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community that have been introduced in the 111th Congress refer to the Bulletin’s Veteran Legislation attachment. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law.  A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s content, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it.  To determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html.

Grassroots lobbying is perhaps the most effective way to let your Representative and Senators know your opinion. Whether you are calling into a local or Washington, D.C. office; sending a letter or e-mail; signing a petition; or making a personal visit, Members of Congress are the most receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing cosponsorship on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is letting legislators know of veteran’s feelings on issues.  You can reach their Washington office via the Capital Operator direct at (866) 272-6622, (800) 828-0498, or (866) 340-9281 to express your views. Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov your legislator’s phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making.  Refer to http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access your legislators on their home turf.  [Source: RAO Bulletin Attachment 28 Jun 2010 ++]

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Have You Heard?

A crusty old Marine Sergeant Major found himself at a gala event hosted by a local liberal arts college. There was no shortage of young, idealistic ladies in attendance, one of whom approached the Sergeant Major and asked,   ‘Excuse me, Sergeant Major, but you seem to be a very serious man. Is something bothering you?’

‘Negative, ma’am. Just serious by nature.’

The young lady looked at his awards and decorations and said, ‘It looks like you have seen a lot of action?’

‘Yes, ma’am, a lot of action.’

The young lady, tiring of trying to start up a conversation, said, ‘You know, you should lighten up a little. Relax and enjoy yourself.’   The Sergeant Major just stared at her in his serious manner.   Finally the young lady said, ‘You know, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but when is the last time you had sex?’

‘1958,’ he replied.

‘Well, there you are. No wonder you’re so serious. You really need To chill out! I mean, no sex since 1958!

She took his hand and led him to a private room where she proceeded to help him ‘relax’ several times.

Afterwards, panting for breath, she leaned against his bare chest and said, ‘Wow, you sure didn’t forget much since 1958.’

The Sergeant Major said in his serious voice, after glancing at his watch, ‘I hope not; it’s only 2143 now.’

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A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 – 1969)

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Lt. James “EMO” Tichacek, USN (Ret)

Associate Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio City RP

PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517

Tel: (951) 238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philippines.

Email: [email protected] Web: http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html

AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/DD890/AD37 member

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WAITING ROOM BLOG

The Opinion that Matters

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When you feel self-conscious and worry about how others perceive your actions, choices, and opinions.  Judgments or criticisms made by others and directed at you could affect you deeply, causing you to feel distressed and question the validity of your decisions. To quell your oversensitivity and regain faith in your abilities, try to make your inner voice louder than the critical voices around you. You may find that you can easily drown out negative or hurtful comments or no longer feel driven to react to them. You will likely feel a growing sense of self-assurance as you disregard other peoples€™s judgments. If you have difficulty ignoring upsetting comments today, try to remember that most peoples€™s observations have more to do with how they see themselves rather than with who you really are.

Learning to let criticisms or judgments directed at you roll off of your back can help you maintain a strong sense of confidence. People say what they do for many reasons and taking what they say personally is often an exercise in making assumptions. Because you will seldom know what motivates others, taking what they say with a grain of salt allows you to construct your own opinions regarding your worth and abilities. No one can have the power to quell your belief in yourself unless you give them that authority. Disregard criticism today, and you will feel happier and more confident.

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