From: FRA NewsBytes
[newsbytes@fra.org]
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 04:20
To:
fra@fra367.org
Subject: FRA Newsbytes -- May 7, 2010
This week in NewsBytes:
President Signs Caregiver
Bill
House Committee Reviews VA's Agent Orange Claims Policy
Financial
Regulation Bill Amendment Will Impact Military Families
Navy Name Change
Passes the House
2010 Convention Teleconference
President
Signs Caregiver Bill
The President signed "The Caregivers and Veterans
Omnibus Health Services Act," (S. 1963) this week. It creates a caregiver
support program, improves health care services for rural and female veterans,
and expands the mental health services provided by the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA).
The law creates a program to offer caregivers of all
disabled veterans training, access to mental health counseling, and 24-hour
respite care for a disabled veteran in his home, allowing caregivers temporary
relief without having to leave the veteran at a medical facility. Veterans who
served in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) are
eligible for enhanced benefits.
Key provisions also improve health care
for rural veterans by authorizing stronger partnerships with community providers
and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These collaborations will
allow VA to offer health care options to service members living far from VA
medical faculties and also requires the VA to establish a grant program for
veteran service organizations to provide transportation options to veterans
living in highly rural areas. Additionally, the measure expands and improves VA
services for the 1.8 million women veterans' currently receiving VA health
care.
House Committee Reviews VA's Agent Orange Claims Policy
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs conducted a hearing this week to
examine the health effects that veterans and military retirees sustained during
the Vietnam War as a result of being exposed to the toxic dioxin-based herbicide
that we now generally refer to as Agent Orange and discuss related legislation.
Many Navy veterans who served off the coast of Vietnam, so-called "blue water"
veterans, have health problems frequently associated with herbicide exposure,
but have endured lengthy legal struggles to prove these problems are
service-related. Currently the VA requires a "foot on land" occurrence in
Vietnam or on ships patrolling inland waterways in order to award
service-connected disability compensation, which determines that certain
veterans suffering from exposure to Agent Orange due to service off the coast
are not eligible for VA benefits and related health care.
Rep. Bob
Filner (Calif.), who chairs the committee, introduced the FRA-supported "Agent
Orange Equity Act" (H.R. 2254) to provide these veterans with benefits based on
their exposure to Agent Orange regardless of arbitrary geographic line drawing
that imposed by the VA. If enacted, this bill would clarify service in Vietnam
to include those who served in the waters offshore, air space above Vietnam, and
on Johnston Island where disposal of Agent Orange occurred after the war. Under
this bill any veteran awarded the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam Campaign
Medal would be entitled to the benefit of Agent Orange presumptions just like
other Vietnam era combat veterans. The bipartisan bill has 256 cosponsors.
In addition to H.R. 2254, companion legislation sponsored by Sen.
Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) has been introduced in the Senate (S. 1939). Both
proposals are listed on FRA Action Center.
DLP John Davis also attended
the first meeting of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Blue Water
Vietnam Veterans this week. The IOM is part of the National Academy of Sciences
and works outside the federal government to provide independent guidance and
relies on a volunteer workforce of scientists and other experts.
Financial Regulation Bill Amendment Will Impact Military Families
FRA is concerned about a proposed Senate floor amendment (SA 3789)
sponsored by Senator Sam Brownback (Kans.) to "The Restoring American Financial
Stability Act" (S. 3217) that would exclude auto dealers and associated lending
practices from the reform legislation. DLP John Davis and ADLP Ed Dockery
participated in a conference call this week with U.S. Treasury Dept.
staff regarding opposition to Senator Brownback's amendment and the concept of
creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Call participants, which
included other Military Coalition Reps. also learned of another amendment that
may be offered to create a military liaison within the Bureau to make sure
military personnel and their families are not victims of unscrupulous lending
practices.
The purchase of an automobile is a major financial obligation
for most service members and FRA believes it is important to address auto
dealers' financing and sales in the reform bill to ensure greater protections
for our service members and their families. Shipmates can use the FRA Action
Center to let their U.S. Senators know their concerns regarding the Sen.
Brownback floor amendment.
Navy Name Change Passes the House
The House passed legislation (H.R. 24), sponsored by Rep. Walter Jones
(N.C.), by voice vote this week that re-designates the Department of the Navy as
the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.
FRA has long supporting
this legislation and believes the Corps has filled a unique niche in the
nation's history not duplicated by any other Armed Service. Recognizing the
Corps as an equal partner in a new Department of the Navy and Marine Corps would
give the Marines the distinction and esteem they truly deserve. The bill now
moves to the Senate for further consideration. Members can use the Action Center
at www.fra.org to contact their Senators urging
support on this issue.
2010 Convention Teleconference
You
are invited to join FRA Convention Committee representatives for May's Your
Voice Tele-Conference on Wednesday, May 12, 2010
at Noon (EDT).
Discussion will include
things to see and do in Spartanburg, N.C. and great information about the
upcoming conventions for the FRA and LA FRA, September 15-18, 2010.
To
participate in the call, dial 1-800-391-1709 , and use
access code 444143 .
_______________________________________
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