DAV’s Legislative Priorities
To help educate legislators, candidates and agencies, we have outlined below a range of issues facing veterans that need to be addressed.
If you have any questions for DAV’s legislative team, please contact us at (202) 554-3501 or LegislativePublic@davmail.org.
-
Agent Orange in Thailand
Congress must enact H.R. 2201 and S.1381.
-
Agent Orange Presumptive Diseases
Congress must enact legislation to add the presumptive diseases that the National Academy of Medicine has scientifically associated to Agent Orange exposure.
-
Burn Pit Exposure
Congress should enact legislation to concede burn pit exposure for veterans currently eligible to join the VA Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry.
-
Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water
The 30-day requirement must be eliminated as this restriction negatively impacts veterans and is not based on any science.
-
Caregiver
Congress must hold VA accountable to fully and faithfully implement the improvements and expansion of PCAFC mandated by the MISSION Act to all severely injured veterans.
-
Eliminate Longevity Military Retired Pay and VA Compensation Offsets
DAV urges Congress to enact legislation to repeal the inequitable offset between rightfully earned longevity military retired pay and VA disability compensation for all veterans.
-
Ensuring Appropriate Long Term Supports and Services
VA should make a sustained commitment to request and allocate sufficient resources for successful LTSS rebalancing, and to adopt appropriate incentives to motivate the rebalancing of VA LTSS.
-
Expand and Strengthen Service Member Transition Employment and Economic Opportunities for Veterans
Congress must provide the resources necessary to meet the VR&E counselor-to-client ratio of 1:125 to allow for better one-on-one counseling.
-
Improve Survivor Benefits
Congress to enact legislation that changes DIC eligibility to a graduated benefit that would make the veteran eligible at five years for 50% of the benefit amount and would increase incrementally on an annual basis and more.
-
K2 Exposure
Congress by statute, or VA by regulation, needs to recognize the toxic exposures at K2 and concede exposure to all of the identified toxins.
-
Licensure and Certification of Active Duty Military Personnel
Congress should continue strong oversight of DOD’s programs to better assist members of the armed forces in obtaining professional licensure and certification credentials.
-
Mental Health Services and Suicide Prevention
Congress should require mandatory suicide prevention training for all VA clinical staff and its community care partners to ensure proper screening, intervention counseling (for lethal means safety and substance-use disorders), and treatment for veterans in mental health crises.
-
Minority Veterans
VA must investigate methods for increasing diversity among its staff.
-
PFAS Contaminated Water on Military Bases
Congress must establish and maintain a registry for eligible individuals who may have been exposed to PFAS to ascertain and monitor the health effects of the exposure of members of the Armed Forces.
-
Strengthening Veterans Health Care
VA must remain the primary provider and coordinator of care for veterans who rely upon it to efficiently and effectively support veterans care.
-
Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability
Congress must act to ensure that TDIU remains available for all veterans regardless of age or receipt of any other earned federal benefits.
-
Toxic Exposures at Fort McClellan
Congress must immediately enact legislation to authorize scientific studies of the environmental and toxic exposures at Fort McClellan and to establish a registry specific to those service members who served on Fort McClellan.
-
Women Veterans
We urge Congress to enact legislation that is in line with the 45 key recommendations made in DAV’s most recent women veterans report, Women Veterans: The Journey Ahead to ensure all federal programs are meeting the needs of women veterans, and equal in effectiveness and health outcomes when compared to the services provided to male veterans.