With the number of men and women rotating home, this could not be more timely.
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Category Archives: Veterans Benefits
Automatic Revocation of Non-Profit Exempt Status
I am a subscriber to Guidestar and have used them faithfully for about 15 years. They are a wonderful resource for non-profits, as they match you up with philanthropists and charitable foundations. I used them when I was the Director of the Fan Kane Foundation for children with head injuries. We often forget there are as many folks looking for places to give as there are people in need. America is a very charitable nation.
I bring this to you now, as it may well impact many veteran outreach programs. Most all are reputable, yet as human behavior is what it is, there are a few con jobs.
My take is that Homeland Security has a small hand in this effort to weed out the chaff.
Automatic Revocation of Nonprofits’Tax-Exempt Status
What Nonprofits, Grantmakers,
and Donors Need to Know
Updated July 27, 2010
Linda M. Lampkin
ERI Economic Research Institute
© 2010, GuideStar USA, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.guidestar.org
Automatic Revocation of Nonprofits’ Tax-Exempt Status
Introduction
So are there really close to 2 million tax-exempt
organizations operating in the United States—or
not? Soon we will be closer to a more accurate
picture of the sector.
For decades, once an organization received its
determination from the IRS as tax exempt, that
status was final—it remained in effect unless
affirmatively revoked by the IRS.1 Although
hundreds of thousands of nonprofits had to file an
annual information return (Form 990, 990-EZ, or
990-PF) with the IRS, a significant number failed
to do so, and the majority of exempt organizations
were not required to file because they did not meet
filing thresholds.
For many years, these non-reporting organizations
remained listed as tax exempt, but it was unclear
whether they were active and didn’t meet the
reporting thresholds, met the reporting thresholds
but neglected to file, or were in fact no longer
operating (had merged, achieved the mission, or
not, and/or stopped activities). When IRS attempts
to contact non-reporting organizations went
unanswered, the only recourse available to the
IRS was to revoke those organizations’ tax-exempt
status. The IRS was reluctant to take this step.
The situation changed with the passage of the
Pension Protection Act in 2006. Among the law’s
numerous provisions was a new requirement for
almost all exempt organizations to file information
with the IRS annually, starting in 2008 for
activities from January 1, 2007, on. And the IRS
is now required to revoke the tax exemption of any
organization required to file that doesn’t do so for
three consecutive years. Revocations will affect not
only the organizations that lose their exemptions
but also the donors and funders that support them
and the audiences that rely on their services.
Just How Many Tax-Exempt
Organizations Are at Risk?
In a word—lots! Some nonprofits still are not
required to file, including religious congregations
and state institutions.2 But the remaining exempt
organizations now must submit a return to the IRS
each year. The IRS created a new form, Form 990-N,
for smaller organizations that previously did not
meet the thresholds to file. See the appendix for
more information about Form 990-N and the
mechanics of filing it.
In April 2010, as the first filing deadline that
would trigger automatic revocations drew
near, GuideStar analyzed the IRS Exempt
Organizations Master File (also known as the
Business Master File or BMF) to determine
how many organizations might be at risk. The
April BMF listed more than 1.3 million exempt
organizations required to file an annual return
with the IRS. Of that number, more than 373,000
had never filed, and another 73,000 were at least
three years in arrears with their filings.
Note: These materials are intended to provide only a general summary and overview of this topic as it
pertains to nonprofits that have been granted tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code. These
materials are not to be considered legal advice applicable to any particular situation, and organizations
and individuals needing specific advice and counsel on these matters should always consult with
knowledgeable counsel.
2
3 www.guidestar.org
What Does “Revocation of Tax-Exempt Status” Mean?
May 17, 2010, was the first filing deadline that
led to automatic revocations. At the end of the
following month, the Urban Institute’s National
Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) estimated
that almost 300,000 small nonprofits had not yet
completed the 990-N and were in jeopardy. Fiftyeight
percent of the organizations were 501(c)(3)
public charities. The remaining nonprofits at risk
were tax exempt under other 501(c) subsections.
The NCCS estimates that about 16,000 additional
organizations are part of a group return; these
organizations are not required to file if their
national offices file on their behalf.
In July 2010, more than 355,000 nonprofits
appeared to be facing revocation. A new NCCS
report found that more than 292,000 small
nonprofits still need to file Form 990-N.3
GuideStar’s analysis of the July 2010 BMF
revealed that more than 63,000 larger nonprofits
have failed to file a Form 990, 990-EZ, or
990-PF during the past three years.
Organizations that registered with the IRS
between 2008 and 2010 still have time to file
within the three years and are not yet subject
to revocation.
What Does “Revocation of Tax-Exempt
Status” Mean?
Revocation has a drastic and expensive impact
on a nonprofit. If it’s a charitable organization,
it will no longer be able to accept tax-deductible
contributions. Whatever type of exempt
organization it is, it will need to pay federal
income taxes. It may also incur penalties for failure
to pay income taxes, to say nothing of the loss of
the trust of its donors, members, and clients. Plus,
most grantmakers (such as private foundations
and government entities) will only give grants
to charitable organizations, i.e., those that are
tax exempt under section 501(c)(3). Obviously,
well-run organizations should be meeting their
reporting obligations.
So revocation is very serious—and if an
organization wants to regain tax-exempt status,
there are forms to fill out, fees to pay, and usually
some time to wait before it is granted again.
What Happens if I Give to a Charity
That Has Lost Its Exemption?
As long as the charity has not received a revocation
letter from the IRS, your contribution will still
be deductible. Once the charity receives the
letter, however, donations to it will no longer be
deductible.
The IRS is waiting until 2011 to start sending
revocation letters. At that time, it will also post
a Web page of nonprofits that have lost tax-exempt
status because they failed to file with the IRS for
three consecutive years.
“Revocation has a drastic and
expensive impact on a nonprofit. If
it’s a charitable organization, it will
no longer be able to accept taxdeductible
contributions. Whatever
type of exempt organization it is, it
will need to pay federal income taxes.
It may also incur penalties for failure
to pay income taxes, to say nothing
of the loss of the trust of its donors,
members, and clients.”
4 www.guidestar.org
Impact of the Revocations on Grantmakers
What Impact Will the Revocations Have
on Grantmakers?
Private foundations and sponsors of donor-advised
funds face much the same situation as donors.
Grants and disbursements made to a charity
that has lost exempt status but has not received
a revocation letter will still be qualifying
distributions, i.e., charitable gifts that reduce the
amount of federal tax a grantmaker pays. Payouts
made to a charity that has received a revocation
letter will no longer fall into this category, and
a grantmaker that declares them as qualifying
distributions could be subject to excise taxes.
Foundations may be permitted to make gifts to
organizations that are not public charities under
certain conditions. The foundation’s governing
documents must permit this activity, and the
foundation must assume expenditure responsibility
for these grants. Foundations electing to assume
expenditure responsibility for a grant must satisfy
a complicated set of rules and reporting obligations.
Failure to meet these rules could also subject the
foundation to excise taxes.
Once the IRS makes the revocations public,
grantmakers will need to amend their pre-grant
due-diligence processes. This new era of nonprofit
revocations has made relying on the IRS letter
of determination an incomplete and ineffective
process to protect a grantmaking foundation from
possible excise taxes.
GuideStar recommends that before making
a payout, grantmakers confirm that grantees
have not lost tax-exempt status, in addition to
verifying charitable status in IRS Publication 78
and consulting the IRS Business Master File (or
a third-party provider of BMF data that meets
the criteria outlined in IRS Revenue Procedure
2009-324 ) to identify supporting organizations.
Although IRS revocations will affect small
nonprofit organizations disproportionately, the
data confirm that tens of thousands of larger and
seemingly more established nonprofits will also
be removed from the IRS BMF.
IRS Response to the First Round
of Revocations
When the May 17 filing deadline passed and the
number of Forms 990-N received was drastically
short of expectations, IRS Commissioner Doug
Shulman made the following statement:
Now that the May 17 filing deadline has
passed, it appears that many small tax-exempt
organizations have not filed the required
information return in time. These organizations
are vital to communities across the United
States, and I understand their concerns about
possibly losing their tax-exempt status.
The IRS has conducted an unprecedented
outreach effort in the tax-exempt sector on the
2006 law’s new filing requirements, but many
“Once the IRS makes the revocations
public, grantmakers will need to
amend their pre-grant due-diligence
processes. This new era of nonprofit
revocations has made relying on
the IRS letter of determination an
incomplete and ineffective process
to protect a grantmaking foundation
from possible excise taxes.”
5 www.guidestar.org
What Donors and Grantmakers Need to Do
of these smaller organizations are just now
learning of the May 17 deadline. I want to
reassure these small organizations that the
IRS will do what it can to help them avoid
losing their tax-exempt status.
The IRS will be providing additional guidance
in the near future on how it will help these
organizations maintain their important taxexempt
status—even if they missed the May
17 deadline. The guidance will offer relief
to these small organizations and provide them
with the opportunity to keep their critical
tax-exempt status intact.
So I urge these organizations to go ahead and
file—even though the May 17 deadline has
passed.5
The IRS issued the guidance on July 26, 2010,
noting, “This one-time relief benefits Form 990-N
(e-Postcard) and Form 990-EZ filers only.
Organizations required to file Form 990 or
Form 990-PF are not eligible and are automatically
revoked if they fail to file for three consecutive
years.” The guidance also specifies that this onetime
relief is available to organizations whose
returns were due on or after May 17 and before
October 15, 2010, and reiterates that nonprofits
that do lose tax-exempt status must re-apply if
they want their exemptions restored.6 See the
appendix for more information.
What Nonprofits Need to Do
If your organization has been given tax-exempt
status by the IRS (that is, it has received an IRS
letter of determination), consult the IRS list of
filing exceptions to determine whether you need
to file an annual return. If you do, assess which
IRS form you should file by checking out the
requirements on the IRS Web site .7 Then file what
is required when it is due. Be aware that extensions
are available for Forms 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF
but, with the exception of the one-time relief
announced in July, not for Form 990-N.
“The impact of revocation is dramatic—
donors can’t deduct their contributions,
grantmakers and funders won’t commit
funds, and the nonprofit will have to pay
federal income tax. If it is a charitable
organization, donors must be told that
contributions are no longer deductible.”
What Donors and Grantmakers
Need to Do
Stay abreast of the situation. The IRS is posting
updates in the Charities & Non-Profits section
of its Web site.8 GuideStar has created a nonprofit
resource center that provides an overview of the
issue and links to several resources, including a
Form 990-N filing status database; information
on filing exceptions, filing thresholds, and filing
deadlines and extensions; and FAQs.9 Independent
Sector is monitoring developments on the IRS
Oversight page of its site.10
Once the IRS makes the revocations public,
private foundations and sponsors of donor-advised
funds will need to add verification of continued
tax-exempt status to their pre-grant due-diligence
practices. GuideStar Charity Check, GuideStar’s
due-diligence tool for grantmakers, will incorporate
revocation information, providing a potential
grantee’s IRS Publication 78 record, BMF data,
and exemption information in a single report.
6 www.guidestar.org
Conclusion
The Revocation Process
The IRS has yet to detail the ongoing revocation
process, other than to say that it will publish the
initial list of organizations that have lost exemptions
for failure to file on its Web site in 2011.
The impact of revocation is dramatic—donors
can’t deduct their contributions, grantmakers and
funders won’t commit funds, and the nonprofit will
have to pay federal income tax. If it is a charitable
organization, donors must be told that contributions
are no longer deductible. If the organization wants
to regain tax-exempt status, it must reapply for
exemption and pay fees based on revenue level.11
If professional assistance in filling out the form is
needed, then fees for those services must also be
added. Private foundations and sponsors of donoradvised
funds will need to take an extra step in
this time of uncertainty and change to avoid
excise taxes.
Conclusion
The revocation of tax-exempt status by the IRS
as required under the PPA will have a tremendous
impact on the nonprofit sector. GuideStar’s
analysis of the July 2010 BMF indicates that as
many as hundreds of thousands organizations may
be at risk.
The long-term benefits of the revocation process
are much clearer than the short-term impact. The
increased transparency will lead to a more accurate
picture of the nonprofit sector, as almost all active
organizations will be reporting. The IRS will be
able to allocate its education and enforcement
resources more efficiently. Donors, funders,
members, clients, and other sector stakeholders
will have confidence that the organizations that
receive their support have reported as required
and deserve their trust.
This is a time of transition for nonprofit
reporting. It may be difficult for the many small
organizations with volunteer officers, but the
IRS has made many resources available on its
Web site, www.irs.gov, to help. In 2011, there
will be more information on whether this change
represents primarily a cleanup of the IRS files
or whether revocations have affected many
functioning organizations. But more transparency
and accountability can only help increase the trust
necessary to improve the nonprofit sector.
7 www.guidestar.org
There is no late fee if the e-Postcard is not filed on
time, but a failure to file an e-Postcard, Form 990,
or 990-EZ for three consecutive years normally
will lead to revocation of tax-exempt status.
How to File Form 990-N
Filing is online only and accessible at http://
epostcard.form990.org. There is no charge.
The form is short and only requires eight pieces
of information:
• legal name of the organization,
• any name under which the organization operates
or does business,
• mailing address and Internet Web site address
(if any),
• taxpayer identification number,
• name and address of a principal officer,
• evidence of the organization’s continuing basis
for its exemption from the generally applicable
information return filing requirements (typically
certifying that annual gross receipts are less
than $25,000), and
• notice of termination, if the organization no
longer exists or is going out of existence.
If a 990-N filer’s EIN (Employer Identification
Number) is not in the IRS system, a call to IRS
Customer Account Services at 877-829-5500
will be necessary.
Advice for Smaller Nonprofits That
Missed a 2010 Filing Deadline
Start by checking the IRS list of organizations
at risk of revocation, available at http://www.irs.
gov/charities/article/0,,id=225889,00.html. If
you find your organization on the list and its
gross receipts are less than $25,000, an officer
Who Files the e-Postcard and When
Exempt organizations that do not fall under a
filing exception and whose annual gross receipts
are normally $25,000 or less are required to submit
Form 990-N.12 They can also choose to complete
a Form 990 or Form 990-EZ, but the Form 990-N
is much simpler and quicker to fill out. Although
nonprofits with less than $5,000 in annual gross
receipts are not required to apply to the IRS for
tax-exempt status, typically they must now file a
990-N.
The e-Postcard is due every year by the 15th day of
the 5th month after the close of the organization’s
tax year. For example, if the tax year ends on
December 31, the e-Postcard is due May 15 of the
following year. This means that if an organization
with gross receipts of $20,000, for example, has a
tax year that coincides with the calendar year (ends
December 31), it should have filed a Form 990-N
by May 15, 2008, for its 2007 activities, by May 15,
2009, for its 2008 activities, and by May 15, 2010,
for its 2009 activities. And if no form was filed for
each of the three years by May 15, 2010 (actually
Monday, May 17, 2010, because May 15 fell on a
Saturday), then the IRS is required to revoke the
nonprofit’s tax-exempt status.
According to the NCCS, almost 100,000 nonprofits
submitted their e-Postcards to the IRS before the
May 17 deadline. Since then, another 45,000 have
filed, with an average of 1,000 filing every day
through June 15. Although more than two-thirds
of small nonprofits operate on the calendar year
and had a deadline of May 17, 2010, IRS data
show that there are 67,000 nonprofits that must file
the e-Postcard by deadlines between July 15 and
December 15 and another 25,500 that must file by
April 15, 2011.
Appendix. Form 990-N and Filing Relief for Small Organizations
8 www.guidestar.org
You will be required to pay a fee of $100, $200,
or $500, depending on the amount of your 2009
gross annual revenues.
If your organization is required to file Form 990
or Form 990-PF and has missed the deadline for
filing your 2009 return, you cannot participate in
the Filing Relief Voluntary Compliance Program.
You must re-apply to the IRS if you wish to regain
your exemption.
from the organization should file Form 990-N
at http://epostcard.form990.org.
If your organization’s revenues are $25,000 or
greater, view the information on http://www.irs.
gov/charities/article/0,,id=184445,00.html to
determine whether your organization qualifies
to file a Form 990-EZ. If it does, follow the
instructions on http://www.irs.gov/charities/
article/0,,id=225704,00.html to participate in
the Filing Relief Voluntary Compliance Program.
Appendix. Form 990-N and Filing Relief for Small Organizations
Linda M. Lampkin is research director of ERI Economic Research Institute (www.erieri.com), a company that
provides Form 990 compensation data for use by nonprofits, and former director of the National Center for
Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute.
1. For more background and detailed descriptions, see Technical Explanation of H.R. 4, the “Pension Protection Act of 2006,” as Passed by the
House on July 28, 2006, and as Considered by the Senate on August 3, 2006, http://www.jct.gov/x-38-06.pdf.
2. Exceptions for certain types of organizations are still in force (churches, their integrated auxiliaries, and conventions or associations of
churches; the exclusively religious activities of any religious order; section 501(c)(1) instrumentalities of the United States; section 501(c)(21) trusts;
an interchurch organization of local units of a church; certain mission societies; certain church-affiliated elementary and high schools; certain
state institutions whose income is excluded from gross income under section 115; certain governmental units and affiliates of governmental
units; and other organizations that the IRS has relieved from the filing requirement pursuant to its statutory discretionary authority). For a list
of filing exceptions, see http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=152729,00.html.
3. “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: A Look at Organizations That May Have Their Tax-Exempt Status Revoked,” http://www.urban.org/
UploadedPDF/412135-tax-exempt-status.pdf.
4. See IRS Revenue Procedure 2009-32, Reliance Criteria for Private Foundations and Sponsoring Organizations, http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/
rp2009_32.pdf.
5. Statement of IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman on the Filing Deadline for Small Charities, http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/
article/0,,id=223609,00.html.
6. http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=225705,00.html.
7. See Annual Exempt Organization Returns, http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=152728,00.html, for the requirements, forms,
and instructions.
8. See Tax Information for Charities & Other Non-profits, http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html.
9. Nonprofit Resource Center: Automatic Revocation of Tax-Exempt Status, http://www2.guidestar.org/rxg/update-nonprofit-report/nonprofitresource-
center-automatic-revocation-of-tax-exempt-status.aspx.
10. IRS Oversight of Charities and Foundations, http://www.independentsector.org/irs_oversight.
11. See IRS Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, http://www.irs.gov/
pub/irs-pdf/f1023.pdf; IRS Form 1024, Application for Recognition of Exemption under Section 501(a), http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/
f1024.pdf; and User Fee Program for Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division, http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=121515,00.html.
12. The IRS defines gross receipts as the total amount the organization received from all sources during its annual accounting period, without
subtracting any costs or expenses. See Gross Receipts Defined, http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=177784,00.html. See also Gross
Receipts Normally $25,000 or Less, http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=177338,00.html.
Veteran Legislative Update
Veteran Legislation as of 13 June 2010: Of the 5518 House and 3482 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.
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 tohttp://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access your legislators on their home turf. [Source: RAO Bulletin Attachment 29 Mar 2010 ++]
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] (intro 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.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.
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.
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.
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 (154) 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.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.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 (337) 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]
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 (56)
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]
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
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.
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 (146)
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
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
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 (29) 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
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.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.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.
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.
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.
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 (6)
Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs
Latest Major Action: 1/28/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Date of scheduled consideration. SR-418. 9:30 a.m.
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 (83)
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]
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.
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]
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.
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.
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 (8)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.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.
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.
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.
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.
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 (41) 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.
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.
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.
God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
National Executive Director
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust .AOLWebSuite .AOLPicturesFullSizeLink { height: 1px; width: 1px; overflow: hidden; } .AOLWebSuite a {color:blue; text-decoration: underline; cursor: pointer} .AOLWebSuite a.hsSig {cursor: default}
Angry Filipino Veterans
Last week in the San Francisco U.S District Court, three WWll Filipino veterans filed a class lawsuit claiming the Department of Veterans Affairs has unjustly denied benefits to veterans whose archived records were destroyed in a 1973 fire. One of the plaintiffs is a 91 year old blind veteran who survived the Bataan Death March.
The storied life of at least 250,000 Filipinos who fought valiantly side by side with our soldiers and Marines is well documented, yet remains a tender issue.
The Unit Diaries alone corroborate the military operations and levels of service of these men. It astounds me that this need be a litigious affair.
As for that damn fire in St. Louis in 73’… we all know, as does the Supreme Court, that it can no longer be used as an excuse for denial of benefits. Testimony alone from comrades will now suffice. Why waste the money on a weak and futile defense? Why? Because Congress passed a law denying them their promised benefits one year after the Japanese surrendered.
What the hell, we denied our own World War l veterans their benefits too. They had to march on Washington to get paid! And they were even shot at by our own National Guard! But they got the loot. Out of that experience was the birth of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
To this day, they still have to fight for their due. God speed.
State Of The Art Disability Claim Process For VA
http://www.vba. va.gov/pubs/ forms/VBA- 21-526EZ- ARE.pdf
FULLY DEVELOPED CLAIM (EXPRESS CLAIM NOTICE) VA FORM 21-526EZ
Can be filled out online, printed out , etc pass to Vet orgs,
Post service officers, and Vet org service officers
Fully Developed Claim Criteria:
1. For the purposes of this notice, your claim must be a rating-related claim for live compensation (original, secondary, and increased disability service connection claims only) submitted on VA Form 21-526EZ, Fully Developed Claim (Compensation) .
2. You must submit, with your claim, the Fully Developed Claim Certification signed and dated by you or your authorized representative.
3. You must submit with the Fully Developed Claim Certification:
c All, if any, relevant, private medical treatment records for the disabilities you are claiming and an identification of any treatment records from a Federal treatment facility such as a VA medical center.
c For Guard and Reserve members, any and all Service Treatment and Personnel Records in the custody of your Unit(s).
c If claiming dependents, a completed VA Form 21-686c, Declaration of Status of Dependents. 4. You must report for any VA medical examination VA determines are necessary to decide your claim.
Note: VA forms are available at www.va.gov/vaforms
God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
National Executive Director
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust
Lest We Forget
The Arizona Immigration Legislation has cast a long shadow over the working of our State. It’s merit will most likely find its own level. Since its enactment, I detect nothing in the MSM about the passing of the following very fine piece of legislation that is only being spoken of in small group conversations. Very few Veterans know of its passing. I guess it is just not sensational enough to garner attention.
The journalistic cliche marches on, “you cannot tell a story about- there was no plane wreck today.” Veterans affairs frequently fall into that column. Lip service on Holidays and then 360 days of dreary news.
I want to say thanks one last time for the effort and the assertiveness it took to get this bill passed. These college educated veterans are the ones who will be leading us out of the morass created by decades of political narcissism and phony polarities. They did not fight for that!
The following is the presentation made by David Alegria to the Arizona House of Representatives.
Arizona House Bill 2350 Purple Heart; Tuition Waiver Becomes Law
April 23, 2010
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed historic legislation granting tuition waivers to Veterans who
were awarded the Purple Heart Medal, are 50% or more disabled, were residents of Arizona or
stationed in Arizona when they were wounded, and are otherwise qualified to attend a State
Community College or University.
The passage of House bill 2350 is historic because this is the first bill that has been passed by the
Arizona State Legislature that provides a State benefit specific to Combat Wounded Veterans.
While every politician finds it politically correct to proclaim support for the military soldier and for
veterans’ issues, the Governor and the Arizona State Legislature bellied up to the table and showed
their support in a concrete manner. The law now requires all State Community Colleges and
Universities to waive the tuition for all veterans meeting the criteria of this law.
In the forefront of this historic event was State Senator Frank Antenori. Senator Antenori introduced
the legislation as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives prior to his appointment to the
Arizona State Senate. Senator Antenori is a Gulf War Veteran and the leading advocate in the
Arizona Legislature for issues affecting members of the military and veterans. Military Order of the
Purple Heart Commander of the Tucson Chapter, David Alegria was the lone member of veterans
organization providing testimony before the House Education Committee and the Senate Committee
on Veterans and Military Affairs. There was not one vote cast by any legislator against this bill
during the committee hearings and roll call votes in both Chambers of the Arizona State Legislature.
Governor Jan Brewer, a staunch supporter of veterans issues, signed the bill into law without
reservation.
The passage of House Bill 2350 is important for a number of reasons:
• Combat Wounded Veterans are having a difficult time collecting on the much promised
education benefits of the NEW G.!. Bill. The Veterans Administration says it is doing
the best it can, but processing problems still remain. Some of these veterans have
mobility issues due to their injuries and find it difficult to chase after the VA. Others,
just don’t want to take up another fight. Most of these veterans are part-time patients,
spending most of their free time at the veterans administration hospital clinics.
• Combat Wounded Veterans having difficult financial hardships will use the proceeds of
the NEW G.1. Bill to help house and feed their families. They then pay for their
education by taking out student loans.
• The NEW G.1. Bill permits veterans to transfer their education benefit to one of their
dependents. So far, 100,000 veterans have transferred their G.I Bill education benefits
to dependents. These wounded warriors are still looking out for others before
themselves.
Our student veterans deserve this benefit and the State of Arizona has stepped up and provided the
necessary assistance. All of these veterans already paid for this benefit with their blood in some far
off land.
House Bill 2350: Purple Heart; Tuition Waiver
Tucson Citizen Article by Blogger/Writer Mike Brewer
Open Letter To All Of America's Veterans/ Max Cleland
Foreword
An Open Letter to America’s Veterans
America sends the flower of its youth abroad to fight its
wars. Because of that, America’s military is always staffed
with the stoutest, finest, most courageous people in the
country. If as soldiers we are not that way when we enter the
military, the military makes us that way by the time we get
out. In the end, the military is still made up of everyday
people like you and me. As such, most of us have no special
skills to cope with the challenges wartime military service
presents. Regular life simply cannot prepare a person for the
brutish sensory overload of combat.
Coming back from military service in a time of war, we may be
wounded in ways that don’t show to the world at large. Some of
the deepest wounds we suffer may be inflicted without leaving
so much as a scratch. No matter what you are feeling when you
come home, no matter how crazy you feel inside, know that you
are not mentally ill. As combat veterans, we have been through
some of the most traumatic life experiences possible. War is
as close to hell on earth as anything ever could be. That does
make us different from our loved ones back home. War marks us
all, some more deeply than others.
AS veterans, we have paid a price to serve our country. We
have suffered. And we may suffer for a lifetime. The soldier
never gets to choose his or her war. The wars choose us, and
not all are just. I believe the emotional casualties of the
misguided wars may be the hardest of all to bear.
The soldier’s lot is to be exposed to traumatic, lifethreatening
events – happenings that take us to places no
bodies, minds, or souls should ever visit. It is a journey to
the dark places of life – terror, fear, pain, death, wounding,
loss, grief, despair, and hopelessness. We have been
traumatized physically, mentally, emotionally, and
spiritually. Some of us cope with exposure to hell better than
others. Some are able to think of their combat experiences as
but unpleasant vignettes in a long and wonderful life. It is
not to those veterans I am speaking. I love them, but I am not
afraid for them.
I am speaking to the rest of my brothers and sisters, those
who find themselves trapped in the misery of memories as I was
for so long.
Many of us have been overwhelmed by war. Many of us have been
unable to cope on our own with what has happened to us or with
what we have done. Many of us have been left hopeless, lost,
and confused about ourselves and our lives in ways we never
thought possible.
As veterans of war, we are vulnerable to the memories of those
experiences for the rest of our lives. Movies, the nightly
news, the death of a loved one, even simple stress can serve
as a trigger that reminds us of the hell we were once in. Just
that remembrance can sometimes be enough to undo all the
buckles we used to put ourselves back together when we got
home.
Our bodies, minds, and spirits react automatically to these
memory triggers. They feel the hurts and fear and horror anew
each time. The curse of the soldier is that he never forgets.
Having once felt mortal danger and pure terror, our bodies
prepare for it again. That helped us survive on the
battlefield. However, what saved us on the battlefield doesn’t
work very well back here at home. It is impossible to forget
our experiences in the military. But it is possible to deal
with them positively. It is possible to take control of them.
I’ve found in my own life that I had to exude positive energy
into the world in order not to be overwhelmed with sadness and
grief over what I have lost. My body, my soul, my spirit, and
my belief in life itself were stolen from me by the disaster
of the Vietnam War. I found solace in attempting to “turn my
pain into somebody else’s gain” by immersing myself in
politics and public service. In particular, I devoted myself
to helping my fellow veterans and ‘disabled friends heal. This
was a great help to me in my life. But when I lost my
reelection bid for the U.S. Senate in 2002, my life fell
apart. The staff that had helped me politically and physically
so I could keep on running with no legs was gone. ~ne pleasure
of having a job worth doing and the money to keep me afloat
were gone.
My relationships began to crumble, especially the one with my
fiancee.
I went down in my life in every way it is possible to go down.
Massive depression took over. I went down with a grief over my
losses that I had never known before. I went down thinking
that God was not for me anYmore. I no longer wanted to live.
With the start of the Iraq War, my own post-traumatic stress
disorder came roaring back nearly 40 years after I was in
combat. I never saw it coming. Thoughts of war and death
simply consumed me. I thought I was past that.
It taught me that none of us are ever past it. But all of us
can get past it enough to be happy.
When I went down, my sense of safety, organization, structure,
and stability collapsed. My anxiety went sky-high. My brain
chemicals, which had helped me stay hopeful and optimistic,
dropped through the floor. My brain stopped working. My mind,
which I had counted on all my life to pull me through and help
clarify challenges, fell into despair. My spirit dropped like
a rock as all hope I had for a good life went away. I was
totally wounded and wiped out – hopeless and overwhelmed. Just
like I had been on that April day in 1968 when the grenade
ripped off my legs and my right arm. Emotionally, spiritually,
physically, and mentally, I was bleeding and dying. I wound up
~+-
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been treated there the first time. This time around, I was in
search of being put back together again in my mind, heart, and
soul. When I was there the first time, the doctors didn’t
really treat our hearts and minds
Post-traumatic stress disorder didn’t officially exist.
Neither did counseling for it. What a world of difference
several decades make!
Through weekly counseling, medication for anxiety and
depression, and weekly attendance at a spiritual Twelve Step
recovery group, I began to heal. My personal recovery and
renewal have taken years. I still talk to my PTSD counselor at
Walter Reed occasionally when I need to do so. I still take a
low dose of antianxiety and antidepression medication. I still
stay in touch with my brothers in my Tuesday night Twelve Step
group at the “last house on the block.” As a brother in that
group, I lean on my fellow attendees, especially my fellow
veterans, and feed off their experience, strength, and hope.
Which is why I am writing this open letter especially to those
who have suffered what Shakespeare referred to as “the slings
and arrows of outrageous fortune” by getting blown up, shot
up, or otherwise wounded in the service of our country. For
me, the physical wounds were the first to heal and the easiest
to deal with. It is not easy to r~n for political office or
try to run forward in life with no legs. But live been able to
do it. The mental and emotional wounds – and a whole suite of
spiritual wounds – have been far more difficult to overcome.
They are the most subtle of all, and the hardest to heal. From
time to time, I am overwhelmed by the sense of meaninglessness
I feel regarding the Vietnam War, in which I was a young
participant, and the Iraq War Resolution, which I voted for as
a U.S. senator. To keep my sanity, I must not dwell on my part
in those disastrous episodes in American history. I try not to
blame myself too much. I work on my own recovery and renewal
knowing that I can’t help anyone else unless I get, as
Hemingway put it after his war, “strong at the broken places.”
I try to get enough sleep so my mind can regenerate. I
exercise. I still walk with no legs, putting my stumps on
pillows and sliding across the floor to get my aerobic
workouts. Occasionally I do sit-ups and push-ups and curls
with weights. I stay in touch with the members of my group and
read literature like the Bible, which guides my prayer and
meditation and helps me remember that God is with me! not
against me. I work on my physical, spiritual, and mental
recovery and renewal every day.
Recovery is possible from even th~ most grievous wounds of
war, politics, and life. But we veterans remain painfully
aware of our experiences. As my trauma counselor tells me, it
is fine to look in the rearview mirror from time to time to
see where you’ve been, but it is much more important to look
through the windshield to see where you want to go. We can’t
let where we’ve been dominate and control where we are headed.
Otherwise, we live an upside-down life.
In addition to trying to muster the courage and the faith to
move forward each day, I try to remember that I am blessed to
have the grace of God and the help of friends to point the way
and help me along my path.
Max Cleland
Atlanta, Georgia
j just our broken bodies.
2009
Copyright 2009 by Max Cleland
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Summer Program/ Free To Veterans/ Welcome Home
This is good stuff. The Purple Mountain Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1999 to develop and bring programs, like this Mindfulness class, to special needs groups.
The curriculum and offering is from the heart of the Executive Director, Teri Davis, ND.
The Mindful Veterans Project, (MVP) is a PMI program to provide funding for vets and their families to participate in the classes. I was privileged to be able to participate in the last series. Not being one who believes in born again zappings or a make-over metamorphosis of the psyche, this course came close. It is often said, that everything is in the timing, so I may have just been ready for this brand of instruction. Never mind the analysis, it works, and it works like magic.
I suppose the validation and camaraderie that combat veterans experience when they gather contributed to the magical aspect, as we all have our very nuanced war induced stress issues to remove from our saddle. At the end of eight weeks I felt like I could ride with the wind, without a saddle. Moreover, it has remained with me to date.
The course moves one to more concentration, focus, clarity, insight, patience and peace of mind, while reducing anxiety,depression, anger, fear, stress, chronic pain, and those bugger intrusive thoughts and feelings.
“The quality of bringing our attention into the present moment and keeping it and sustaining it in the present moment and not judging anything or fix anything, or force anything, or reject anything, that is what mindfulness is about.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
Doug Bremer, MD, director of mental health research for the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, recently completed a study using MBSR for veterans with PTSD. He had favorable results and says, ” we may have the ability to teach our returning soldiers the skill to control their reaction to those painful memories, without the use of medication, and before the stress from the memories causes further damage.”
My only observation here about Dr. Bremer’s statement is this; is not control and letting things flow, antithetical? But then, that is why I took the course, to calm my over active analytical mind! The one that does not trust authority! Oh well, got some stuff to work on this summer.
MBSR Introduction and Information sessions start with a series of orientation classes on Thursdays 6-7:30pm at the Ada Pierce McCormick Building on the U of A campus at 1401 E. First Street (at Highland underpass.) Library of the Little Chapel of All Nations. Orientations are May 13, 20 & 27. June 3rd.
The MBSR 8-week Program begins on Wednesdays 6-8:30pm. June 9,16,23 & 30. July 7,14, 21 &28. Registration is required.
Their is no charge for veterans, families of veterans, (the last class had two mothers of combat vets), and those who work with veterans. Registration fee for others is $250. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
For more information contact Teri Davis, ND^ Executive Director. “teri@welcomehomefreeclinic.org” 520-624-7183
Purple Mountain Institute is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit serving Pima County since 1999. EID, 31-1733820
Caregiver Legislation Signed Into Law
President signs into law Caregiver legislation
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NEWS FROM…
CHAIRMAN BOB FILNER
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2010
Contact Kristal DeKleer at (202) 225-9756
OBAMA SIGNS CAREGIVER BILLNew law improves care for women veterans and provides unprecedented support for veteran caregivers Washington, D.C. - House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) released the following statement in response to President Obama signing S. 1963 into law:
“Today I join the many proud veterans and their families in celebrating the enactment of a new law to provide much needed support for the care network of America’s wounded warriors. Our Nation stands together to honor those who sacrifice by ensuring critical support as they recover from combat injuries. The new law creates an unprecedented support program for veteran caregivers that will provide training, financial assistance, and improved respite service. The new law also improves health care services for America’s women veterans, expands the mental health services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and expands supportive services for homeless veterans.
“President Obama promised a new direction for veterans – and once again lived up to that promise by signing a significant bill into law today. Congress will continue to ensure that the cost of war includes the cost of the warrior by listening to veterans and better understanding the concerns of their families, communities, and advocates. Only together as a Nation are we able to show veterans that we appreciate their courageous sacrifice.”
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Veterans Legislative Summaries
Veterans Report is the most comprehensive newsletter available to help Veterans stay current on benefits changes, learn about important legislation, get great discounts, and use the benefits earned in service. Make sure that you and your colleagues subscribe for this free update publication.
——————————– 03 MAY 2010——————————————-
House Hears Testimony on VA Delays
Deal of the Week: Top Veteran Discounts
Veteran GI Bill User’s Guide
Military.com Celebrates 10 Years of Service
Register for Free Military Career Fair Today
Battle of the Rifle Grips: Grauer IGRS
Next-Gen Coastal Artillery
Featured Job: Military Friendly Employers
GI Film Festival — Buy Tickets Now
Doolittle Raiders Reunite
National Resource Directory Updated
New WWII Documentary
Apply to Adopt a Military Working Dog
VA Loan Limits for 2010
More Support for Small Business
Pension for Veterans
VA Addresses Veteran Suicides
VA Awards Projects
VA Looks at Going Green
Gulf War Veterans Urged to Seek Care
Wal-Mart Grants $500K for Green Jobs
VA’s List of Yellow Ribbon Schools
Print and Post This Week’s Veterans Report
Headline Military News
House Hears Testimony on VA Delays
Speaking to a House subcommittee, Jacob Gadd of The American Legion’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Division said the Veterans Business Administration needs to speed up its process of appointing fiduciaries to handle the finances of veterans who are mentally incapable of managing their own benefits. More
Deal of the Week: Top Veteran Discounts
Military.com has hundreds of discounts exclusively for veterans and their families. Don’t pay full price for anything. More
Veteran GI Bill User’s Guide
GI Bill benefits can be hard to understand, but the following guide will help you cut through the confusion and access the Montgomery GI Bill benefits you deserve. More
Military.com Celebrates 10 Years of Service
Military.com is celebrating its 10-year anniversary by saluting the military community. Visit our 10 Year Anniversary Page to see some of our most popular content over the last decade. More
Register for Free Military Career Fair Today
Military.com Career Expo is coming to St Louis, Mo. on May 11, 2010. This event will feature top employers seeking the valuable skills you learned in service to your country. More
Battle of the Rifle Grips: Grauer IGRS
When Ward and I attended the ITI tactical shooting course a few weeks ago, instructor Brandon Wright, taught us a new way to grip the rifle with our support hand by canting our wrists and throwing the thumb over the barrel. More
Next-Gen Coastal Artillery
Above, an Iranian produced version of the C-802 anti-ship missile, concealed inside a commercial truck, from Iran’s Great Prophet 5 military exercises. More
Featured Job: Military Friendly Employers
Visit Military.com’s Veteran Job Board to search thousands of jobs in aerospace, defense, health care, nursing, government, law enforcement, teaching and more. More
GI Film Festival — Buy Tickets Now
The Fourth Annual GI Film Festival, which will be held May 11-16 in Washington, DC, just announced its line-up for 2010 and tickets are now on sale. More
Doolittle Raiders Reunite
Four of the remaining eight famed Doolittle Raiders, known for their nearly impossible bombing raid on Japan, reunited recently for their 68th years at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. More
National Resource Directory Updated
The National Resource Directory redesigned and enhanced its website at www.NationalResourceDirectory.gov. More
New WWII Documentary
WW2 Reflections released its second documentary in a planned trilogy of works that chronicle the major battles fought by U.S. troops in Western Europe during World War II. More
Apply to Adopt a Military Working Dog
After completing their service, some military working dogs are made available for adoption. The adoption law gives priority to their handlers, then to civilian law enforcement agencies and finally to the general public. More
VA Loan Limits for 2010
The 2010 VA home loan limits are out and many locations will remain at the 2009 levels. More
More Support for Small Business
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki recently pledged VA support for President Obama’s efforts to remove barriers to access for Veteran-owned small businesses. More
Pension for Veterans
The VA’s Improved Non-Service Connected Pension is designed to supplement the income of wartime disabled Veterans, and Veterans 65 and over who had to give up career opportunities while they served their country during war. More
VA Addresses Veteran Suicides
With more than 6,000 veterans committing suicide every year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is redoubling its outreach to veterans and promoting the toll-free suicide-prevention hotline, which is the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. More
VA Awards Projects
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded $20.2 million to install solar energy systems at 18 VA medical centers. More
VA Looks at Going Green
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently completed studies evaluating the potential use of renewable fuels in energy plants supplying 38 VA medical centers around the country. More
Gulf War Veterans Urged to Seek Care
Gulf War veterans with medical symptoms should seek treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs in light of a recent study that says Gulf War service is a cause of post-traumatic stress disorder, a senior Military Health System official said recently. More
Wal-Mart Grants $500K for Green Jobs
The Wal-Mart Foundation issued a grant of $500,000 to help Veterans Green Jobs, a Colorado nonprofit organization, boost its job creation and training programs in the green jobs field. More
VA’s List of Yellow Ribbon Schools
The VA posted its initial list of schools which will be participating in the Yellow Ribbon program for the 2010 – 2011 school year. More
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God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
National Executive Director
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust