VETERAN LEGISLATION:
Of the 3555 House and 1638 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 are new additions to this summary. 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.
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 (81)
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_i
d]
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 (67)
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_i
d] or http://www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805&False&False
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
(22)
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
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 serviceconnected
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 (101)
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.811 : Retired Pay Restoration Act to amend title 10, United States Code,
to permit certain retired members of the uniformed services who have a serviceconnected
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 (2)
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.
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 (40)
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_i
d]
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 (106)
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_i
d] and http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12888756
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.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
(281) Companion Bill S.535
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 2/17/2009 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/alert/?alertid=12848666&type=CO or
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12541746
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 (51)
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/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=12848666&type=CO
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: 8/6/2009 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Passed
Senate in lieu of S.423 with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12704096
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
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
(189)
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_i
d]
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_i
d]
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.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 serviceconnected
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_i
d]
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]
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 (119)
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_i
d]
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.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 (8)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means; House
Education and Labor; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Budget
Latest Major Action: 7/31/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status:
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 31 – 28.
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 (6)
Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/27/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read
twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.